8th July 2023 Arniston Rangers 3 Tynecastle 1

 

Still pre-season and a number of friendly fixtures today. I could have to watch Spartans v Brora or Penicuik v Arthurlie but decided to be adventurous and headed out to Gorebridge to watch Arniston Rangers v Tynecastle at Newbyres Park. I checked the bus app and found a 29 went to Gorebridge. For the 14.30 kickoff I left home at 12.45 and walked to Newington to catch a.29. The bus was delayed and arrived at around 13.35 and headed toward Gorebridge through Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Newtongrange and Arniston before arriving in Gorebridge. I had know idea where the ground was but had seen a picture of Newbyres Park with a church in the background. I saw a church coming up and looked across the road to see the ground. I got off the bus around 14.15 and crossed over to the ground. Entry was through the car-park and then through the gates. Entry was by donation today and I put £4 in the bucket for entry. The ground itself is a compact facility with concrete terracing of about five rows at the entry area from pitch level. Dressing rooms and the pie stand are at the sides of the entry gates. The opposite side of the ground has a covered area with concrete terracing and a grassy area in the front. Both areas behind the goals have grassy banking. No programmes or team-sheets were available and no announcements of the two line-ups were made. I took up position against the wall beside where the teams entered the pitch in time for the kickoff. 

Arniston Rangers Football Club ere formed in 1878 and play their home games at Newbyres Park, which has room for 1,000 spectators, in Gorebridge. They having moved from the SJFA East Region Premier League in 2018 to play in the East of Scotland Football League (Second Division). In season 2022/23 they won promotion to League One and will play in the higher division in the forthcoming season. Without teamsheets or announcements it was difficult to identify the Arniston side. I recognise Robbie Neave from his Bonnyrigg days, Jono McManus from Musselburgh. . The Arniston Twitter site also named some other players.

Tynecastle Fc were formed in 2005 after a merger between Tynecastle Boys Club and Tollcross United. The new side toook over Tollcross’ place in the East of Scotland League and provided a pathway for boys club players to move into Senior football. Last season Tynecastle struggled and finished 12th in the EoS Premier League.  Again it was difficult to identify players but I recognised Matty Combe and Fletcher Hendry, both ex-Penicuik. 

The game started with Arniston looking the sharper side and doing most of the attacking. Tynecstle suffered a blow in twelve minutes when their centre-half went down injured and despite treatment from the phyla had to be help from the field. He as related by a substitute, number twelve. the centre-half came out at half-time to the grassy area outside the dressing rooms. He was still clearly struggling and had to be help back into he dressing rom by both the physio and a coach. Arniston went ahead in fourteen minutes when Niall Kemp be a the Tynecastle keeper with a low shot  from the edge of the penalty area. Kemp added a second after twenty-nine minutes when a Tynecastle defender missed a header to clear a long ball into he penalty area. Kemp dashed round him and shot across goal into the far corner of the net from about twelve yards out on the right off the penalty box. Tynecastle had a lucky escape just before half when their keeper misjudged a lob from about thirty yards. the keeper just managed to push the ball away for a corner as the Arniston number eight rushed in to try and knock the ball into the goal.

At half-time Arniston made four substitutions and Tynecastle one. Substitutions continued throughout the half and even including both sides changing their keepers with ten minutes to go. By the end of the match only McManus of Arnston and numbers seven, ten and eleven from Tynecastle remained from the starting elevens. Aniston continued to press and scored again around the hour mark. Tom Davies played a one-two with number fourteen and ran onto the return to scored from about from yards on the left hand side of the penalty area. Tynecastle pulled a goal back late in the game when the Arniston keeper appeared to fumble a save. The ball broke out to the left hand side of the penalty  area where a Tynecastle substitute shot high intone net. Seconds after the game restarted the referee blew the final whistle for what was a deserved win for the home side. 

On the final whistle I headed out of the ground to the bus stop to go back into town. My app showed a bus due in five minutes but it never turned up and dropped of the app. The next bus was due in eighteen minutes so I walked on for a few stops and caught it further along the route. I got of at Surgeons Hall around 17.30 and walked through to Lauriston Place where I got a 35 home. A good day out and ground number 90 now chalked up.

Teams

Aniston Rangers: McQueen,,,McManus,,Daly,Kemp, Davies, Neave,.

Subs: Robb, Laidlaw, Manson, Ponton

Tynecastle

N/A