21st March 2023 The Spartans 9 Stoneyburn 0

 

Off to Ainslie Park tonight to watch Spartans play Stoneyburn in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup. The tie was originally due to be played at Stoneyburn a fortnight ago but was called off as the pitch was waterlogged. The tie was then rescheduled for midweek but the pitch was still unplayable and the tie switched to Ainslie Park. I left home at around quarter past six and headed to Tollcross to catch a bus to Ainslie Park. A 27 arrived which was due to arrive at Ferry Road around nineteen fifteen giving plenty time before the kick-off at a quarter to eight. Traffic was light and the busy was ahead of scheduled so I got off at Wardie and walked to Ainslie Park arriving around nineteen twenty. As a cup match my season ticket was not valid and I showed my electronic Fanbase ticket for entry. Due to the late change of venue no programmes were available but I picked up a team sheet in the cafe bar were I had a coffee and a pie to help cup out the cold. I went down to the pitch side about five minutes before kick-off and met Jim as he came through the turnstiles. We decided to stay at the perimeter near the cafe given Spartans would be kicking towards that goal in the first half.

Spartans main priority for this season now is to clinch a place in the lay-offs with a few to moving up to the SPFL net season. To this end manager Dougie Samuel rested a number of fist team players, bringing in a number of players from Spartans U20 side. Adam Meek started in goal with Callum Mackay and Josh Laing in central defence while Ben Lamont came on on the left of the attacking trio. In addition further U20 players in Aaron Cameron, Given Ndlovu, Mackenzie Scott and Sam Coats took their places on the bench. Stoneyburn Junior Football Club are  based in Stoneyburn, near Bathgate, West Lothian. They currently play in the East of Scotland Football League. Their home ground is Beechwood Park. They are currently ninth in the ten club East of Scotland League Third Division. I had never seen Stoneyburn play before and did not recognise any names on the team sheet. 

Spartans took the lead within a minute of the kick-off. Sean Brown looked to gather the ball from a low pass into the penalty box but was fouled from behind giving referee Tommi Kerr an easy decision to award a penalty. Jamie Penker fir the spot kick into the roof of the net giving Stoneyburn keeper Connor Shaw no chance of making a save. the second goal arrived after six minutes when Sean Brown took the ball past a defender in the penalty area before going past  keeper Shaw to place the ball into the nempty goal net. If things were difficult for the visitors with a two goal deficit things go worse in the seventeenth minute. Bailey Ferris challenged Spartans skipper Ian McFarland in midfield. McFarland went down with an injury which forced him from, being released by Coats the field minutes later. Referee Kerr showed Ferris a red card for the challenge although as the player walked towards the dressing room he spoke to a group of Stoneyburn fans saying he had no idea why he had been sent off. The fourth goal arrived shortly thereafter with Alan Brown outpacing Stoneyburn fullback Aaron Arthur down the left. The Spartans winger then sent a loww pass across goal for his namesake Sean to bundle the ball into the net. Sean Lamont scored number four and his Spartans goal. He gathered the ball wide on the left after beating a fender. As he cut into the penalty area he curled a shot in the far corner of the net for an excellent individual goal. Goal number five arrived in forty-two minutes. A corner from the left was floated to the far post where Gregor Woods headed home from close range. 

Spartans brought on Aaron Cameron at halftime. Cameron slotted into the midfield with A. Brown moving back to right back. Seven minutes into the second half Spartans scored a sixth. Lamont fed S. Brown with a through ball and the striker ran on to finish comfortably for his hat-trick. Lamont then scored himself to make it seven. He gathered the ball on the left, beat a defender and ran into the penalty area where he cut inside a defender before shooting across goal and not the far corner. Spartans then took off S. Brown and Lamont and replaced them with U-20s Mackenzie Scott and Given Ndlovu. Stoneyburn were probably breathing a sigh of relief but still conceded another two goals before the game finished, both to Scott. For the first he was played into the box by Cameron and shot past Shaw. His second came after Coats won the ball in. Infield and set Woods free. Woods passed to Scott. In the centre of the penalty box and he finished well in eighty-three minutes.

No further goals were scored and on the final whistle I left Jim in the car park. Again the 27 bus was not due for sixteen minutes. I walked to the Crewe Toll and caught a 37 to Queensferry Street from there I caught a 30 and was home by 22.30. I just wonder what the score would have been if Spartans had fielded their full team. 

Teams

The Spartans : Meek, Herd, Swan, Mackay, Laing, Woods, A. Brown, McFarland, S. Brown, Penker, Lamont.

Subs: Cameron, Coats, Ndlovu, Scott.

Stoneyburn: Shaw, Brady, Arthur, Sharp, Gallagher, Brown, Ferris, Hendry, Calvey, Anderson, McLaughlin. 

Subs: Speirs