8th August 2023 Civil Service Strollers 1 Haddington Athletic 2

 

I was going to watch Edinburgh South tonight but there is some doubt as to where they are playing their home matches at present. I therefore decided to go and see Civil Service Strollers (CSS) at home to Haddington Athletic in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup. I bought a ticket through Fanbase and after an early meal headed of to Tollcross to catch a bus to the ground. I caught a 16 at 18.25 as the quicker 27 bus was not due until another seven minutes. The journey was a nightmare are especially around Picardy Place where it took four changes of lights to get from John Lewis to the Playhouse. I eventually arrived at Muirhouse around 19.20 and then walked down Marine Drive to Christie Gillies Park. There are works going on around the ground and entry is currently through the social club and then on to the entrance. I resisted temptation to buy a pint and headed towards the entrance. My ticket was scanned and I entered the ground. There wre no programmes tonight and no announcements or teamsheets. However the Haddington Twitter (or now X) account listed both team line-ups. I saw Jim standing at te perimeter fence and wandered over to join him. 

CSS under manager Gary Jardine are currently ninth in the eighteen club Lowland League. Of their four matches they have won one. lost one and drawn two. This is the fourth time I have watched them this season and they have brought in a number of players who I have not seen featured this season. The include Lewis Bushnell from their U20 squad, Ross Clarke signed from Cowdenbeath in 2022 and Kris Amponsah signed from Arthurlie earlier this month. In addition Ross Guthrie, formerly with Edinburgh City and Spartans, returned in midfield and assumed the captains armband. Haddington Athletic, under manager Scott Bonar, stand fifth in the East of Scotland Premier Division with six points from three matches. They were promoted to the Premier division last season and did well finishing seventh in the sixteen club division. Many people think they may be title challengers this season nut I am not sure that they posses the same resources off other clubs in the division. Players I noted in their line-up were Aaron Ponton formerly with Penicuik, amongst others, striker Dylan Tait signed from Craigroyston in March 2022 and Joe Tait released by Spartans at the end of last season.

The match started with the setting sun causing problems in seeing the action at the far end of the pitch. CSS had the first chance in the early stages and I think it was Robbie Cole who pulled his shot post the near post. Mbewe was causing problems for Haddiington attacking down the right of their defence but his final ball was failing to find a striker in the penalty area. Haddington took the lead in the twenty-third minute when Robertson won them a corner of the right. Ponton trotted across the pitch to take the kick. He floated the ball towards the hear post where goalkeeper Jacob Pazikas may have been impeded by a Haddington forward jumping with him. I thought the keeper flapped at the ball while Jim thought he was impeded, however the ball ended up in the CSS net. The referee did not see any infringement and Haddington took the lead. the game continued mostly in midfield with occasional breaks but both sides but neither keeper was seriously troubled. 

The referee asked the CSS coaching staff to arrange to have the floodlights switched on as the match restarted. While the sun had not yet set it was sensible to switch the lights on as the second half was staring to allow hem to warm up before the light failed. The match restarted with a bang and CSS had two excellent early chances. Firstly a cross from Mbewe found Cole at the far post around ten yards from goal but again he pulled his shot past the post. Then from a corner Haddington keeper Campbell McLellan leapt to clear a header. I thought he may have got a slight touch to push it again the bar. The rebound again fell to Cole who headed past the post. Haddington went two up in fifty minutes when a CSS defender mishit a pass in his own penalty area. The ball ended up at the feet of D. Tait around twelve yards from goal and he made no mistake with an composed finish. CSS brought on Tom Finlay, signed from Dundee in the close season and Iness Lawson, last seasons top scorer and a former Edinburgh University player. Neither was able to make much of an impact and the closest to another goal came when Haddington substitute Guy McGarry robbed the ball from Balatoni in midfield and set of towards the goal. His shot however from just outside the penalty area was wide of the post. In eighty-eight minutes CSS pulled a gaol bak. Lawson tried to cut in from the right and was pulled back by Ponton. The referee awarded a free-kick and cautioned the Haddington player, for the first and only yellow card of the night. Marc Laird took the free-kick around three yards in from the touchline and fifteen yards from the gaol-line. Instead of putting a cross into the box he cut the back back across to Lawson who was standing just outside the penalty area in the centre of the field. Lawson took a touch and fired a low shot into the corner of the net giving keeper McLellan no chance of making a save. Despite five minutes of time added on there were no further goals and Haddington held on to progress to the next round of the cup. It may have been a shock result witth Haddington defeating a side from a higher league but I thought they fully deserved their victory. 

After the match Jim gave me a lift to Crewe Toll where a caught a 29 bus, switching to a 30 in Princes Street and was home around 22.10.

Teams

Civil Service Strollers: Pazikas, Bushnell, Clarke, Balatoni, McConnell, Guthrie, Mbewe, Laird, Amponsah, Cole, Valentine

Subs: Lawson, Finlay, Duffy.

Haddington Athletic: McLellan, Robertson, Ponton, K. Russell, Aitchison, S. Russell, King, Simpson, McGovern, D. Tait, J. Tait

Subs:McGarry, Windram