24th December 2022. FC Edinburgh 4 Peterhead 0

 

Hearts were playing away at Dundee United today but with industrial action on the railways it would be difficult to get back to Dundee station to catch the last train back to Edinburgh. Regretfully I decided to give Tannadice a miss go to a more local game. I decided to head to Meadowbank to watch FC Edinburgh (although I still think of them as Edinburgh City) in their League One game against Peterhead. I bought a ticket on Fanbase and left home around 13.40 to walk to Meadowbank. After a pleasant walk through Holyrood Park I arrived at Meadowbank around 14.35. I had my ticket scanned at the turnstiles and entered the ground. After buying the  excellent value programme I found a seat in the back row of the three tiered stand and settled down to watch the end of the teams warmup. I still think Meadowbank is not a real football ground with stand only holding 499 people. While Edinburgh Council are now allowing around 1200 standing attendees the view for those standing must be poor with the running track around the pitch and standing in a small area. However my view, near the centre circle, in the stand wasn’t too bad and with a small travelling support all supporters were accommodated in the seated area. 

I have to admit to surprise at Edinburghs performances this season. Having been promoted to  League  One through the playoffs after finishing fourth in League Two I expected them to struggle but they are comfortably in the top half of the table. Manager Alan Maybury has made some good signings in ex-Hibs defender Liam Fontaine, loanee and man of many clubs Kyle Jacobs and well travelled goalkeeper Robbie Mutch. In addition Former loanee Innes Murray has signed a perment deal after the expiry of his Hibs contract. Edinburgh have also set up a partnership with Hibs and are given first choice with players Hibs want to loan out to gain further experience. Peterhead, now managed by former Rangers player David Robertson, are struggling at the foot of the League One table. This is only the second time I have seen them play but they seem to have lost a number of key players since they were in League Two. The only player I recognised was former Hearts youth forward Russell McLean who started on the bench. 

Edinburgh started the game well and opened the scoring after five minutes. Jacobs sent a low ball across the six yard box for John Robertson to turn it into the net from close range. After eighteen minutes Edinburgh defender Lee Hamilton went down injured. Despite treatment he was forced to limp off and was replaced by Hibs loanee Jack Brydon. The first half continued with Edinburgh doing most of the attacking with even fight-back James Craigen forcing a save from Peterhead keeper Tom Ritchie. Ritchie is an Aberdeen player but has been loaned out to Peterhead for the current season. 

Edinburgh continued on attack in the second half scored a second after fifty-seven minutes. John Robertson sent a low pass to Ryan Shanley in the centre of the penalty box about fifteen yards out. The striker fired a shot high past Ritchie into top of the net. Peterhead finally forced a save from Mutch when he leapt  to his left to clutch a shot from Jordon Brown from outside the box. Russel McLean came on as a substitute for Peterhead after sixty-seven minutes replacing their Trialist up front. Callum Crane scored third after eighty-two minutes with a low shot from the left hand side of the penalty area into the far corner of the net following a pass from Danny Handling Edinburgh scored agin with four minutes left. Substitute Emmanuel Johnson, another Hibs loanee gathered a pass, again from Handling, in the centre of the penalty area and shot low into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. With about two minutes left Peterhead's McLean was shown straight red card after a late challenge on Crane. The Edinburgh player was injured in the challenge and with four substitutes already used had to limp off leaving both sides playing out time with ten men. 

The  final whistle blew with a good win for Edinburgh against poor opposition. A I left the ground I just miss a 26 bus. I walked up to Abbeyhill and caught a 34 minutes later. Despite Princes Street being packed with shoppers and people attending the Christmas Market the bus made good time and I was hoe just after 17.30.

Teams

FC Edinburgh: Mutch, Craigen, McIntyre, Hamilton, Fontaine, Crane, Murray, Jacobs, Slaney, Handling. Robertson

Subs: Brydon, See, Johnson, Tapping

Peterhead: Ritchie, R. Strachan, Wilkie, Joshua, Jason Brown, D, Strachan, Jordon Brown, McCarthy, Hewitt, Trailist, McLeod.

Subs: Murray, McLean, S. Brown.