Paties Road, South Challenge Cup, 16/10/22
Me 252, Wee Man 126
Edinburgh South Community Football Club
Founded – 1969
Nickname – N/A
Senior Honours – None
Random Fact – The club have over 70 teams at all age groups and provide a pathway from being a nipper right through to the football pyramid since the emergence of the senior team in 2020. The aim is to “provide an opportunity to every child of any ability”. I am a huge fan of this and I wish them well in all their future endeavours.
Sometimes things happen for a reason. This weekend we didn’t head to Saturday game due to better offers elsewhere. However if we did, we would not have headed down to Edinburgh for this one. The fact we were at Paties Road today gave us some excellent viewing. There was an OG, a horror tackle, a red card, a full scale rammy, a player getting injured by his own man when celebrating, sitters and that was just the first half. The second brought two fantastic strikes too.
I have driven past the Dreghorn Junction on the Edinburgh City Bypass on numerous occasions but have never entered Edinburgh via this route. It turns out it brings you into what we could say was an affluent area of the city. This was immediately apparent going by the motors going about. My mud splattered Honda Civic probably looked out of place(I had just done 155 miles in the wet to be fair). But the houses were big, and the closer we got to Paties Road the more the money in the area became apparent. The fact we parked outside a fancy boarding school didn’t help. As we sat on the adjacent street to the ground having our last minute thrown together picnic of salami sandwiches, apples and Hula Hoops I was wondering if the lunch fare in the nearby houses was foie gras, white truffle and Iberico Ham sandwiches. But I jest, it is a really nice area and seems to be very military too. Football can take you to all different places.
On arrival at Paties Road Wee Man was delighted to see a set of goals on one of the grassy bits so a wee pre game kick off was on the cards. something that does make a day better as it is an immediate smile on the the wee dude’s face. We were joined by Mark(dad) and Caleb(son) from Melrose who had played a juvenile game earlier v one of the Edinburgh South sides. Throughout the first half Mark and myself chatted a bit and it turned out he was a bit of an Ashfield fan back in his youth. I have to say though, even if those goals were not there Wee Man would still have been chuffed given what transpired on the pitch in the first half.
I believe we will be hard pushed to see a better half of football this season than we did in the opening period today. The game was wide open, it was end to end, tough tackling and there were a good amount of chances and that’s without the other talking points. The game was ebbed and flowed with some good play from both teams but it was the hosts who had the ball in the net first. David Stewart lost his man on the left and cut in and fired a low ball across the six yard box, Arniston Defender McManus knew he had a man behind and had to try and clear, however he got his bearings wrong and sent it into the top corner leaving his keeper McQueen stranded. The Arniston players were claiming offside but I can categorically state the “infringement” they were talking about was nothing and the man in red was well onside. The lead soon should have been doubled from a Scott header but the big striker missed the target from only a few yards. Typically from here Arniston went up the park and equalised when James Peggie reacted fastest and smashed home a rebound through bodies and beyond Gilpin in the Edinburgh goal. Arniston were then cursing themselves as they then took a turn of missing a sitter. Liam McArdle who had started the game well used his shit off a shovel speed to break, he played in Ryan Turner who in turn put a perfect ball into the box right on Peggie’s bonce but the header incredibly missed the target from a few yards.Edinburgh then had a good chance when William Scott received the ball with his back to goal on the 18 yard line, with a rapid turn he managed to get of a powerful shot on target which to a slight nick off a defender which put it an couple of inches past the post. Then the turning point in the game, Arniston full back McArdle had a rush of blood and lets say in simple terms, sacked Edinburgh man Riley in front of the dugouts. This immediately causing Edinburgh players to kick off causing a full on rammy including members of each teams benches. I said to Wee Man at this this point “that’s magic that” to which he asked me to explain. He will learn one day what it means to be a band of brothers. But I have to say it was great to see the team spirit. (Some pros could learn….ahem…… my own team). Once the blood pressures lowered and the ref got control again, the inevitable happened and McArdle walked and quite rightly so. This in my eyes was a huge blow for Arniston as the left back had started the game very well and looked a threat. From the freekick Edinburgh South took the lead with a move culminating in Scott taking the ball past the keeper and tapping into an empty net. As he rolled off to celebrate he was mobbed by his team mates as you would expect, what you would not expect is one team mate to be a bit over zealous and twat Scott in the face with a forearm smash. That’s exactly what Keith Lasley look alike Ainslie Hunter did. There was no damage done but Scott clearly felt it. Arniston had a chance to equalise through Turner on the half volley on the right hand side of the goal but he dragged his effort wide. This ending what was a great half of fitba.
HT 2 v 1
With the goals behind us the inevitable kick about happened. Starting with me and Wee Man, our earlier Melrose pals joined in this followed by another couple of local youths. Again like Banks o’ Dee on Friday, the more the merrier and we had fifteen minutes of what seemed to be an accidental game of headers and volleys. The second half started with a conversation starting up between myself and the guy next to me. This was Robert Horn who was the father of Edinburgh man Gareth Horn. Notable was the fact his other son being current Bonnyrigg Rose gaffer Robbie Horn. A fine man and great company during the half. The second forty five did not have the same action of the first but what it lacked in action it made up in goal quality. The man advantage was obvious and Edinburgh added a third and it was a fantastic half volley from Kieran Fox. An initial shot rebounded back to him at the edge of the box on the left, it looked to be set of for a right foot finish but he hit it left footed and and sailed perfectly past McQueen into the right hand side of the goal. Goal of the game so far. But not to be out done by his team mate……step up Jordan Cropley. Think David Beckham v Wimbedon and you have Cropley’s goal. As soon as he hit it I turned to Robert to say “thats in” and I was right. What a hit and going by Wee Man’s “woah” he thought the same. I thought the flood gates would open from here on in as Arniston were out on their feet due to the man disadvantage. But to be fair they kept Edinburgh at bay and keep it to just the four.
I really enjoyed our afternoon at what is a tidy ground, this plus the game and the company of Mark and Robert. But more importantly I found out a good bit about Edinburgh South and all I can say is they are a proper community club who do serve their community very well. For that I wish them all the best at all levels. We need more clubs like this in the country.
A 310 mile round trip that was well worth it. Wee Man was chuffed and kept bringing up the fourth goal on the way home. Even when watching the Verona v Milan game once home when he would shout “hit it” any time a player had the ball on the half way line. A goal I doubt he will forget in a hurry.
Entrance – Me £7, Wee Man £0
Attendance – 77
Pie – £7, Pie x 2, coffee, juice
Pint – N/A
Score Prediction – Me 0 v 1 and Wee Man 1 v 2
Season Score Predictions – Me 1 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 