Edinburgh University Football men’s second team found themselves facing their second consecutive away trip to Aberdeen last Wednesday. The side had beaten RGU 1s 2-0 up on the 3G pitch the previous week, so the game against RGU 2s in the BUCS Cup should have been an easier prospect.
Yet, the side was much changed, Dan Paterson returned from injury to partner Darren Leslie at the heart of the Burgh defence and Jamie Sime was moved to right-back to cover for the absent Roberts and Ghamgosar. Benji Antoni and Steve Kenny also came in on either wing to spark some energy into the attack.
However, the team were slow to start, allowing RGU to get far too much time on the ball, especially in central areas of the park. Yet, the home side failed to use the possession they had, and threatened little more than long range efforts that were either comfortably saved by keeper Tom Agnew or thrashed aimlessly wide.
Gradually Edinburgh tried to play their way into the game, showing at times the silky passing movement that has made opponents crumble into non-entities. Yet, this was a rarity and despite a Dave Meehan shot that hit the bar and a Kenny freekick that went inches wide, Burgh looked no more likely to score than Michael Owen.
However, like the wayward frontman, if you give him enough chances he will eventually put one away. Edward Senior picked up a poor clearance on the edge of the RGU penalty area and drove across the face of the box before releasing the ball to Alex Maxwell, who chipped a delicate ball into the feet of Alex Petrie. Petrie swiped at the ball, which merely spun on the floor at his feet, however the striker recovered by blasting it straight through the keeper’s legs to put the away side 1-0 up.
The game remained 1-0 to half time, thanks to some excellent smothering by Agnew. Antoni had picked up a continuing groin injury so was replaced by forward Kyle O’Neill, with Petrie moving out to the right side of midfield for the start of the second half.
Whatever the managers Erskine and Leslie said at half time they had certainly got Edinburgh fired up. Senior fired an early shot on target, testing the RGU keeper who fumbled the ball, setting out Burgh’s intention. Minutes later, Agnew fired a huge goalkick down the pitch, which Erskine ran onto and after muscling a defender off the player, he fired it past the helpless keeper.
This seemed to take all the pressure off Edinburgh and all the frustration that had come with their rather mediocre performance evaporated, allowing them to play more stylish football once more. Senior and Paterson exchanged a couple of one-twos, making the RGU forward run doggies before Senior whipped in a superb cross but Maxwell failed to connect with his header, which drifted wide.
Stevie Galloway was brought on for the hobbling Petrie and soon made an impact, tormenting the RGU defence. Galloway found himself on the left wing and picked out O’Neill on the edge of the area, who looked up and curled a wonderful strike into the top right-hand corner of the goal, beating the outstretched hand of the diving keeper.
The 3-0 score line was a decent result for a Burgh side that never really reached full potential. RGU did at times miss guilt edge chances, yet Edinburgh’s defence was marshalled well by Leslie and Paterson. This leaves the side top of their group with one game remaining, and with a goal difference of plus 9, after a 6-0 thrashing of Abertay 1s, the team are sure to progress to the next stage in the defence of their BUCS Cup title.
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