25th August 2023 Penicuik Athletic 2. Hill of Beath Hawthorn 1

 

Hearts match again moved to Sunday after European match on Thursday. This gave me a chance to go elsewhere so I decided to head out to Penicuik for their East of Scotland Premier League match against Hill of Beath Hawthorn (HoBH). I caught a 47 bus at Lauriston Place around 13.10  head out to Penicuik for the 14.30 kickoff. The bus was early so I got off at Mauricewood and walked from there to Montgomery Park. I paid my £5 admission and bought a £2 programme. The Penicuik programme is an excellent read despite the number of adverts which as I have said before makes it seem like a Penicuik Yellow Pages (for those if you old enough to remember the BT Yellow Pages thudding through your letter box). I met my old work colleague John who is treasurer at Penicuik. He admitted he had seen me at Meggetland when Tynecastle defeated Penicuik 9-0 but was too embarrassed to speak to me after the result. We both agreed that Penicuik fell to pieces due to a lack of central defenders after Paul Thomson was forced of injured in the first half. After our chat I moved round to take up a stance under the covered area near the halfway line. 

Penicuik started the season well with two how victories and then followed up with five consecutive away matched. Three of those resulted in defeats by 2-0, 6-0 and 9-0.  defeats.  They did however beat Ormiston in the EoS Qualifying Cup and last Saturday won 3-2 at Luncarty. They have not been helped by injuries especially n defence with Darrell Young, Oaul Thomson, Josh Laing and Ryan Baptie all missing matches due to injuries. New signing Leo Buckle, previously with Craigroyston made his debut today following a few Trialist appearances. Upfront Liam Coogans, who played along manager Lewis Coult at Airdrie, returns to the starting eleven. HoBH have also started slowly in the league and are currently eleventh with four points from their four matches to date. The club are currently looking for a new managerial defeat with the previous team having left the club after their recent 3-0 defeat against Haddington. The position has been advertised but in the interim they have resigned striker Dan Watt from East Stirling and also previous loanee Scott Clapperton after his release by Civil Service Strollers. Another familiar face in the lineup was former Hearts defender Dan Baur. 

To be honest the match itself was not the best . Penicuik took the lead after twenty-eight minutes when Taylor-MacKenzie was fouled just outside the penalty area. He took the far-kick himself from around sixteen yard and curled the ball into the top corner of the net giving Blair Penman no chance of making a save. HoBH however were still in the game and equalised after thirty-five minutes. Jordan Tosh broke down the left and his cross was volleyed by Allum against the bar. The ball bounced out to Watt who fired past Kyle Leiper for the equaliser. Penicuik however went ahead after thirty-eight minutes. They won a corner  taken by Jack Furness on the left. His cross food Darrell Young who headed the ball down and back across goal. I thought it was deflected in for an own goal but the final touch was awarded to Coogans for his first Penicuik goal.

I met Grant at halftime who ids the only person on Futbology who has seen more Hearts matches than me. We had a long chat about our joint mania for the Jambos. The second half was probably a good game for HoBH. Penicuik lost Young to injury in around sixty-five minutes and he was replace by Baptie with Andy Forbes moving into central defence and Baptie taking over at left-back. HoBH had lost of the game and piper had  number of good aves to prevent an equaliser especially a leaping save to prevent Allum equalising. However Penicuik held out for a 2-1 equaliser and three points.

After the match  headed out of the ground and caught an X62 bus back not town. I got of at Surgeons Hall and jumped on a 2 which took me bcak to Fountainbridge. I got home just in time for the Scotland v Georgia rugby international and enjoyed the Scotland victory.

Teams

Penicuik Athletic: Leiper, Melvin, Forbes, Young, Laing, Furness, Wardlaw, Buckle, Dawson, Coogans, Taylor-MacKenzie.

Subs: Baptie, Philp, Roue, McManus, Robertson.

HoBH: Penman, Runciman, Barney, Uphill, Baur, Love, Adamson, Galloway, Allum, D. Watt, Tosh.

Subs: 

Penicuik Athletic

Starting XI | Leiper, Melvin, Young (Baptie 65), Laing, Wardlaw, Furness (Roue 80), Buckle (McManus