26th July 2023 Edinburgh City 1 Ross County 3

Off to Meadowbank to watch Edinburgh City v Ross County in the Scottish League Cup. After having a meal I wandered down to Haymarket and caught a 44 bus towards Meadowbank. I was a bit early and got off the bus at Abbeyhill and walked the rest of the way arriving at around 19.10 for the 19.45. The queue at the turnstile stretched from the entrance and then round the corner towards the main public entrance to the sports centre. I read later on Twitter that there was a problem with the turnstiles and the club expected queues before entry. By the time I reached the walkway to the turnstiles a second turnstile had been opened and people walking down towards Meadowbank were joining that queue while earlier arrivals could not even see the turnstiles. AsI was approaching the turnstiles a side gate was opened manned by a steward with a scanner to check electronic tickets as City no longer accept cash for tickets/entry. The steward scanned my Fanbase ticket and waved me through. No paper programmes were on sale as City now have an online version, see photo above. Paper programmes can be obtained from the Bathgate Programme Shop and Almondvale Programmes. I got a text from Alex saying he was in the ground and was in the same area where we were last week. I walked along and joined Alex and Jimmy in the third and top row of the stand. 

City made a number of changes to the side fielded against last week. Ben Stirling, Innes Murray and Robbie Mahon dropped out and were replaced by Ouzy See, Ryan Shanley and Callum Crane. Clun Captain Liam Fontaine returned after in jury last March as one of the.substitutes. Ross County included former Hearts player Connor Randall in their starting eleven. Randall spent a season on loan at Tynecastle when he played for Liverpool. County have an experience side with strikers Jordan White and Simon Murray always dangerous in the penalty box. With County in the SPL and City in League zone an away win was expected. 

Surprisingly the first shot of the game came from City with  Ross Munro in the County goal getting down well to save a shot from Robbie Leitch from the edge of the penalty. Randall than had an attempt for County but shot high and wide from outside the penalty box from the right hand side. The first goal came after twenty minutes when a corner from the left by Will Nightingale, on loan from AFC Wimbledon, was not cleared properly. The ball bounced about in the box before falling at the feet of Randall who shot into the right hand corner of the net from around twelve yards. I was surprised to see him score as during his season at Hearts I don’t remember him having a shot. County were well on top and Ramsbottom dis well to push away a header from Jay Henderson at the expense of a corner around the half hour mark. As the game moved into injury time Russell McLean went down injured near the halfway line in front of the dug-outs. He limped off and was replaced by Ciaran Brian for the second half. 

The second half continued as the first with County doing most of the attacking. They scored a second after forty-eight minutes when a cross from the right from Josh Simms was headed home well by Simon Murray into the top left hand corner of the net. City pulled  a goal back after fifty-one minutes. Leitch sent Shanley free on the right. The forward cut into the nasty box and fired a shot across goal and into the top corner of he net from about fifteen yards from the byeline just inside the penalty area. Randall then had another goal attempt well saved by Ramsbottom at his left han post. Just before the hour mark County scored again when Nightingale broke down the left and sent a low cross into the six yard box. Henderson goal attempt bounced off keeper Ramsbottom but White slid in to net the rebound into the empty goal. Club captain Liam Fontaine came on a substitute for the injured Callum Crane and was immediately handed the captains armband by Lee Hamilton. The game petered out with County content to hold on for the three minutes and in a way it was a relief when the referee blew the final whistle.

After the final whistle Alex, Jimmy and I headed for the exit. As usual we were held back as barriers were in place to allow players and officials to leave the pitch and entered the dressing rooms which are located closed to the exit. When we finally were able to move I lost touch with Alex who was chatting to a couple of friends. Jimmy and I walked up towards Holyrood and caught a number 4 bus back into town. Jimmy got off at Waverley Station to catch his train home to Cowdenbeath. I continued on to Haymarket and walked home through the colonies arriving home around 22.15.

Teams

Edinburgh City: Ramsbottom, Jacobs, Mitchell, Hamilton, Mercer, Crane, Leitch, See, McLean, Handling, Shanley

Subs: Brian, Mair, Fontaine, Devine

Ross County: Munro, Randall, Brown, Brown, Allardice, Dims, Murray, Harmon, White, Henderson, Nightingale.

Subs: Loturi, Reid, Turner, Mackinnon, Sheaf