1st August 2023 Penicuik Athletic 3 Hutchison Vale 2

 

I had been to Penicuik on Saturday but decided to head there again today to watch their league match against Hutchison Vale 9they changed there name from Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale for the start of this season). i had an early meal and then walked to Lauriston to catch the 47 bus at 18.10 out to Penicuik. I arrived in Penicuik around 19.15 in plenty time for the 19.30 and got off the bus at Tesco and walked the short distance to the ground for some exercise. I paid my £5 entry and did not bother with a programme given Saturdays was a double issue also covering tonights watch. in the ground I met Gwen and Andy and had a chat with them. They had been to watch Linton Hotspur on Saturday, who moved from the amateur ranks to the East of Scotland League for this season. They attracted a crowd on 170 for their first match which is not a bad attendance for a small village. I was meeting Jim and left Gwen and Andy to walk round to the uncovered side of the ground where he was standing. The rain started just before kickoff so we moved to the covered terracing at the other side of the ground. We decided to stand at the end Penicuik would be attacking as we felt most of the action would be at that end. 

Penicuik starting eleven was unchanged from Saturday slough new signing Cammy Dawson was on the bench. Dawson started his career at Spartans and had two years with Penicuik before moving to Dunbar last season. He has been a regular scorer throughout his career and scored the two goals that won Dunbar the East Of Scotland First Division last season. Hutchison Vale struggled a bit last season but managed to avoid relegation with Improved form late in the season. They are looking to strengthen their sid for the coming campaign and have signed two former Spartans players in goalkeeper Adam Meek and midfielder/striker Scott Maxwell. With centre forward Sean Wringe, a regular goalscorer at East of Scotland level, Hutchie should have a better season this year although I cannot see them challenging at the top of the league table. 

As expected Penicuik had most of the play in the early stages of the match although it took them until the twenty-fifth minute to open a scoring. Penicuik forced a corner on the right which was taken by Jack Furness. His cross was floated into the centre of the goal and headed home from the edge of the six-yard box by the leaping Paul Thomson for his first competitive goal for Penicuik. He has however scored three goals in pre-season friendlies so can be consider one of the clubs top scorers so far  this season. Two minutes later Penicuik scored a second. A fine passing move saw the ball fed through to Ben Wardlaw inside the penalty box on the right hand side. He fired a shot across goal and into the far side of the net giving Adam Meek no chance of making a save. Hutrchie thought that they had pulled a goal back but an assistant referee flagged for offside. Cammy Fraser had a chance for Penicuik when he broke clear into the penalty box. Defender Ricky Miller did well to get across the box and slide to block Fraser’s goal attempt. Miller is what be described as a ‘typical junior football defender’. He is strong and stocky and wins the ball both in the air and on the ground. He does the simple things and gives the ball to more skilfull players. He is not without skill however and turns away well from opposing players. All in all a good defender at this level.

At halftime we decided to move to the other end of the ground as we thought there would be more action at the other end of the park we saw Gwen and Andy and stopped for a chat. When we got the the other end of the park we took up position in line with the penalty spot. The kickoff for the second half was delayed as the assistant referee ( a lady who I did not want to call a lineswoman) was unhappy with the goal net. Children had be playing on the pitch at halftime and the pins holding the goal net had become loose.The groundsman came on to sort this as the game kicked off.a  A group then back along and stood at the perimeter fence blocking our view of the goal at the far end. We decided to move round to the uncovered side of the pitch for a better view of the whole park. As we were walking round Hutchie scored and we missed it as we were not looking at the pitch . Sean Wringe scored in forty-eight minutes and I saw later on Penicuik TV that a long ball had been flicked on to him to volley home from around ten yards. Penicuik were not to be denied and scored a third after fifty-six minutes. A long clearance found Aaron Somerville in the centre of the pitch in his own half. He controlled the ball and took a couple of steps in the Hutchiehalf. Looking up he saw that Meek was off his goal-line in the centre of the penalty area. The striker hit a beautiful shot which flew over the stranded goalie and into the net. Somerville’s exuberant celebration showed he did not make a habit of shooting from halfway. Hutchie were not finished yet however and Miller headed in a corner from the left to reduce the deficit. As rain started to fall again Hutchie pressed for a equaliser but the Penicuik defence held firm to give the home side a 3-2 victory.

Jim offfered me a lift back into Edinburgh a we walked out at the lower end of the ground and across the park to his car. He dropped me off in Lothian Road and I was back home by 22.00.

Teams

Penicuik Athletic: Leiper, Forbes, Munro, Young, Inglis, Thomson, Wardlaw, Roue, Fraser, Somerville, Furness.

Subs: Coulson, Dawson, Robertson, McManus, 

Hutchison Vale: Meek, Penker, Miller, Signorini, Taylor-McKeziw, Wringe, Maxwell, Moore, Jelen, Scott, B. Viola.

Subs: