At the start of the season every member of the Edinburgh University Hockey Club looks at the fixture list to find the day when all their respective teams play at the home of hockey, Peffermill. Halloween was that day.
The 2’s were the first to commence battle in what felt more like a party atmosphere than a competitive hockey game at times. The Burgh keeper, Sam Trett, setting the tone when during the pre-match warm up he shouted over to the bench for them to “Get the music on”. However, once the game got going it was obvious that Edinburgh were not just plotting what outfit to don at Potterow later, but that they were set on beating their opponents, Watsonians in this Central League 1 match.
Neil McNiven started the good work early on, hassling a defender into keeping the ball in play in the far corner of the pitch. McNiven then won the ball and provided the perfect cross for an unmarked James Styles, however, the forward blazed over the bar from little more than 3 yards.
Styles did not let this get to him though, as he used his speed and upper body strength to dominate the Watsonian back line. And it was Styles who then turned provider, crossing the ball into the D only for Ally Wood to provide the perfect air-shot, much to the amusement of the on looking crowd.
Edinburgh looked comfortable yet failed to finish off the chances they created for themselves, yet 20 minutes in Edinburgh were 1-0 up. Styles hit the post, and James Toogood was there to slot the ball home into the bottom corner.
Watsonians rallied themselves slightly, and both sides created more chances before half-time arrived, yet due mainly to some fine goalkeeping from both keepers the game remained at 1-0.
Edinburgh were very slow out of the blocks and the away side capitalise on their sloppy and lackadaisical play, leaving Burgh rueing the missed opportunities to extend their lead earlier in the match. Watsonians received a penalty corner and duly dispatched the ball into the goal, making the score 1-1.
Yet, Edinburgh did not let this worry them. On their first attack of the second half, they were awarded a penalty corner also. It certainly was not as pretty as the Watsonian’s, yet the result was the same, as Styles eventually bundled home the ball after a lengthy goalmouth scramble.
Calamity then struck as Watsonians played a long ball forward out from their defence. Sam Trett came wildly out of his goal but failed to clear the ball effectively, leaving the Watsonian forward to run past the stranded keeper and pass the ball into the open net to draw the teams level once more.
The game looked lightly to remain at this score yet with 4 minutes left on the clock Edinburgh received another penalty corner for a raised stick from an opponent. Michael Henderson-Sowerby shot at goal and the ball rebounded at the feet of McNiven, who stroked the ball home to the delight of the crowd.
Burgh then clinched victory 2 minutes later when Watsonians found themselves susceptible to a quick counter attack. The ball reached Wood, who flicked the ball into the path of McNiven, who fired on target. The keeper pulled off a fine save, however Toogood was on hand once again to tap the ball home and secure all three points for the 2s.
It was a deserving result for a team that looked in control more often than not. However failure to finish chances and a slow start to the second half had made things difficult, but those two goals in the last 4 minutes meant that Edinburgh by-passed the opportunity of drawing and instead saved their blushed allowing them to go out celebrating a 4-2 victory.
Saturday 31 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Burgh 2 Good For RGU
Edinburgh University 2s football team showed once again why they are indisputably the best university second team throughout the whole of Scotland. A three hour trip awaited the men before they could get off the coach to face their opponents, the RGU 1st team, on their 3G pitch up in Aberdeen. However, the travelling did not affect the visitor’s legs as they cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory over their northeast hosts.
Burgh kicked off on an unusually warm day in their customary green, whereas RGU donned a rather horrible purple outfit, with the only thing more disgusting on the pitch being the RGU keeper. Yet, Burgh were not put off by either eye-sore as they settled down into their competent passing game, aided by the excellent match surface. The away side dominated their more cumbersome opposition and it felt like only a matter of time before they converted a chance into a goal.
A matter of time later and Jordan Roberts found himself with the ball at his feet just over the halfway line on the right. Calum Erskine, who had felt the abuse of the keeper’s incomprehensible rants the most, pulled a couple of yards off the back of the centre-back whom was attempting to mark him. Roberts provided an exquisite cross that looped over the head of the stranded defender to find the chest of Erskine, who brought the ball down and placed the ball, on the bounce, into the top right-hand corner of the net. The close control and finish was simply beautiful.
15 minutes later and the well-tempered game turned nasty. Burgh knocked the ball forward to an offside Scott Macfarlane, who left the ball, continuing his walk back towards his own goal. The RGU defence stopped waiting for the whistle which never came, and a quick thinking, onside Mario Velez capitalised on their combined loss of concentration to latch onto the ball, beating the out-rushing keeper. Velez controlled the ball but found himself with his back to goal, with the RGU keeper marshalling him away. However, the keeper then saw it necessary to trip the striker up, before proceeding to stamp, deliberately, two-footed onto the fallen striker’s back, in an incident with as much brutality as Michael Ball when he stamped on Ronaldo. Velez then got up, and in an image that mirrored Floyd Mayweather v Ricky Hatton, hooked the keeper in the face. The American did later regret his actions and it was a scene that should never appear on a football pitch, however the RGU keeper’s action was equally ugly and totally unprovoked. Despite all this the referee saw fit only to give yellow cards, both being lucky to remain on the pitch.
Edinburgh came out fighting in the second half and Alex Maxwell went on a Paulo Wanchope like run, with his long legs galloping away from the RGU midfield, passing the ball to himself around the defence before rounding the keeper, only to be tackled by a back-tracking RGU player with the goal at his mercy.
Yet, it was not long before Maxwell turned provider as his running capabilities allowed him to torment the defence, providing gaps which he duly exploited with a cutting pass to Macfarlane. The winger showed great composure to once again round the keeper, but this time no defender could prevent the inevitable as he calmly placed the ball into the net to put the away side 2-0 up.
Kyle O’Neill and Benji Antoni came on, but neither could finish the game off completely and Jamie Sime replaced Dave Meehan to sure things up in midfield. However, with Tom Archer and Darren Leslie both on top form RGU never stood a chance. The pair had formed an excellent defensive partnership and was more than equal to whatever the home side could throw at them. Archer produced some fine last-second challenges to keep RGU at bay, whilst both players attacked anything in the air with both great accuracy and venom.
So, Edinburgh left the field with a comprehensive 2-0 victory which leaves them top of the table once again. With the players leaving Aberdeen with the knowledge that they had gained a valuable 3 points, were all in fancy dress, full to the brim with McDonalds, ready for an epic club social that evening and that next Wednesday’s fixture list showed that they were to play RGU 2’s in Aberdeen next week…
Burgh kicked off on an unusually warm day in their customary green, whereas RGU donned a rather horrible purple outfit, with the only thing more disgusting on the pitch being the RGU keeper. Yet, Burgh were not put off by either eye-sore as they settled down into their competent passing game, aided by the excellent match surface. The away side dominated their more cumbersome opposition and it felt like only a matter of time before they converted a chance into a goal.
A matter of time later and Jordan Roberts found himself with the ball at his feet just over the halfway line on the right. Calum Erskine, who had felt the abuse of the keeper’s incomprehensible rants the most, pulled a couple of yards off the back of the centre-back whom was attempting to mark him. Roberts provided an exquisite cross that looped over the head of the stranded defender to find the chest of Erskine, who brought the ball down and placed the ball, on the bounce, into the top right-hand corner of the net. The close control and finish was simply beautiful.
15 minutes later and the well-tempered game turned nasty. Burgh knocked the ball forward to an offside Scott Macfarlane, who left the ball, continuing his walk back towards his own goal. The RGU defence stopped waiting for the whistle which never came, and a quick thinking, onside Mario Velez capitalised on their combined loss of concentration to latch onto the ball, beating the out-rushing keeper. Velez controlled the ball but found himself with his back to goal, with the RGU keeper marshalling him away. However, the keeper then saw it necessary to trip the striker up, before proceeding to stamp, deliberately, two-footed onto the fallen striker’s back, in an incident with as much brutality as Michael Ball when he stamped on Ronaldo. Velez then got up, and in an image that mirrored Floyd Mayweather v Ricky Hatton, hooked the keeper in the face. The American did later regret his actions and it was a scene that should never appear on a football pitch, however the RGU keeper’s action was equally ugly and totally unprovoked. Despite all this the referee saw fit only to give yellow cards, both being lucky to remain on the pitch.
Edinburgh came out fighting in the second half and Alex Maxwell went on a Paulo Wanchope like run, with his long legs galloping away from the RGU midfield, passing the ball to himself around the defence before rounding the keeper, only to be tackled by a back-tracking RGU player with the goal at his mercy.
Yet, it was not long before Maxwell turned provider as his running capabilities allowed him to torment the defence, providing gaps which he duly exploited with a cutting pass to Macfarlane. The winger showed great composure to once again round the keeper, but this time no defender could prevent the inevitable as he calmly placed the ball into the net to put the away side 2-0 up.
Kyle O’Neill and Benji Antoni came on, but neither could finish the game off completely and Jamie Sime replaced Dave Meehan to sure things up in midfield. However, with Tom Archer and Darren Leslie both on top form RGU never stood a chance. The pair had formed an excellent defensive partnership and was more than equal to whatever the home side could throw at them. Archer produced some fine last-second challenges to keep RGU at bay, whilst both players attacked anything in the air with both great accuracy and venom.
So, Edinburgh left the field with a comprehensive 2-0 victory which leaves them top of the table once again. With the players leaving Aberdeen with the knowledge that they had gained a valuable 3 points, were all in fancy dress, full to the brim with McDonalds, ready for an epic club social that evening and that next Wednesday’s fixture list showed that they were to play RGU 2’s in Aberdeen next week…
Sunday 25 October 2009
Uphill Struggle For Burgh
Edinburgh hosted top of the table outfit Uphill Station on Saturday afternoon. The game promised much with both sides eyeing potential glory at the end of the season, however it was the away side that came away with all three points after Burgh failed to live up to expectations.
It was evident from early on that the Uni boys were not at the races, as the fast, flowing football that had appeared the previous match failed too materialise. Instead, it was Uphill were got themselves ahead, after a much debated “pass back” decision. The referee, who did not have his best game, decided that centre-back Darren Leslie’s sliced clearance was a clear attempt at a pass to keeper Tom Agnew, so when he received the ball inside his own box, an indirect free-kick was awarded. Edinburgh’s defence all stood amazed at the referee’s decision, with nobody thinking quick enough too get back into a defensive position, allowing Uphill too grab the ball and take an extremely quick-free kick, scoring into the open goal.
Edinburgh were both bemused and devastated that they had gone behind in such a fashion and in truth never quite got over their own frustration at both themselves and the match official. Uphill dominated the game for the next twenty minutes, with Burgh’s players chasing shadows. The pressure eventually paid when a long ball was played forward into the home side’s box. Leslie headed the ball out towards the left, but Senior failed too get out to the ball quick enough, allowing Uphill to retrieve it. Uphill laid the ball back and their right-winger, unchallenged, swung in an excellent cross deep towards the far post, whereupon Uphill’s left-winger attacked the ball and headed the ball passed Agnew.
At going 2-0 down, Edinburgh rallied a little. A lack of communication however let them down at times. The Uni boy’s were in fact abnormally quiet all afternoon. Yet, they did produce one piece of good football towards the end of the first half, which eventually led to the ball being further up the field towards Uphill’s goal. The away team’s defence dwelled on the ball and Angus Ramsay won the ball for Burgh. Ramsay then cut the ball back across goal to Kyle O’Neill who slotted the ball first time into the bottom right hand corner. It was a classy and composed finish in a game which lacked either aspect.
O’Neill then had a chance to pull Edinburgh level. Dave Meehan nipped in and dinked a little pass around a sliding challenge to Senior, who broke down the middle of the pitch. Senior placed the ball in front of O’Neill, who brought the ball across his body onto his right boot, wrong footing the lanky centre back. However, his effort at finding the bottom corner was denied by a good save, the Uphill keeper getting down well to push the ball around the post for a corner. Yet, the corner came to nothing and so the sides went in at half-time with Uphill leading 2-1.
The second half turned into a sloppy affair, with very little football or chances from either side being created. Manager Stuart Robertson found it necessary to bring on changes, however, Macfarlane, Velez and Thomas Heemskerk could not provide the creative spark required too affect the outcome. Disappointment was etched on the home side’s players when the final whistle blew, however, they need to get over this result, pick themselves back up and go back to the roots of what has made the team successful in the past, because there is still a long season ahead.
It was evident from early on that the Uni boys were not at the races, as the fast, flowing football that had appeared the previous match failed too materialise. Instead, it was Uphill were got themselves ahead, after a much debated “pass back” decision. The referee, who did not have his best game, decided that centre-back Darren Leslie’s sliced clearance was a clear attempt at a pass to keeper Tom Agnew, so when he received the ball inside his own box, an indirect free-kick was awarded. Edinburgh’s defence all stood amazed at the referee’s decision, with nobody thinking quick enough too get back into a defensive position, allowing Uphill too grab the ball and take an extremely quick-free kick, scoring into the open goal.
Edinburgh were both bemused and devastated that they had gone behind in such a fashion and in truth never quite got over their own frustration at both themselves and the match official. Uphill dominated the game for the next twenty minutes, with Burgh’s players chasing shadows. The pressure eventually paid when a long ball was played forward into the home side’s box. Leslie headed the ball out towards the left, but Senior failed too get out to the ball quick enough, allowing Uphill to retrieve it. Uphill laid the ball back and their right-winger, unchallenged, swung in an excellent cross deep towards the far post, whereupon Uphill’s left-winger attacked the ball and headed the ball passed Agnew.
At going 2-0 down, Edinburgh rallied a little. A lack of communication however let them down at times. The Uni boy’s were in fact abnormally quiet all afternoon. Yet, they did produce one piece of good football towards the end of the first half, which eventually led to the ball being further up the field towards Uphill’s goal. The away team’s defence dwelled on the ball and Angus Ramsay won the ball for Burgh. Ramsay then cut the ball back across goal to Kyle O’Neill who slotted the ball first time into the bottom right hand corner. It was a classy and composed finish in a game which lacked either aspect.
O’Neill then had a chance to pull Edinburgh level. Dave Meehan nipped in and dinked a little pass around a sliding challenge to Senior, who broke down the middle of the pitch. Senior placed the ball in front of O’Neill, who brought the ball across his body onto his right boot, wrong footing the lanky centre back. However, his effort at finding the bottom corner was denied by a good save, the Uphill keeper getting down well to push the ball around the post for a corner. Yet, the corner came to nothing and so the sides went in at half-time with Uphill leading 2-1.
The second half turned into a sloppy affair, with very little football or chances from either side being created. Manager Stuart Robertson found it necessary to bring on changes, however, Macfarlane, Velez and Thomas Heemskerk could not provide the creative spark required too affect the outcome. Disappointment was etched on the home side’s players when the final whistle blew, however, they need to get over this result, pick themselves back up and go back to the roots of what has made the team successful in the past, because there is still a long season ahead.
Friday 23 October 2009
Abertay, It's A Real Education
Their own slogan forewarned them of what was to come, yet Abertay still was torn apart in an exhibition half of football by Edinburgh at the fortress that is Peffermill. Forget Turf Moor, Peffermill has become an amphitheatre, a place where challengers are forced to come only too be put to the sword, the only difference being that Burgh’s opponents get to walk away with the only injuries being a lack of pride and a sore head from an irate manager, Wednesday was no different.
Edinburgh opened the scoring early on, with a flowing piece of football which saw the hosts switch the play from the left wing, across the back four and onto Sime on the right, unopposed. Sime laid the ball back to Dave Meehan who swung in a superb cross, which flicked off the head of Erskine and onto the foot of O’Neill who calmly volleyed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. A simply switch of the play was all that was needed for the home side to open up a clearly suspect defence and O’Neill’s shot was one from the top bag, a finished which matched his superb hold-up play throughout the match.
The second goal was not long in the following. Ramsay, who I believe had a man of the match performance, took a long throw in from the left hand side of the pitch. Maxwell headed the ball on to Senior, who let the ball drift across his body, leaving the left back to connect with the ball on a right footed half volley, sending the ball flying into the net off the underside of the crossbar. Jubilation, and maybe a tad of amazement, flooded the pitch as Senior rattled in his second of the season.
Next to find himself in on the action was Jamie Sime, a man who has found himself on the scoresheet more often than not this campaign. Sime has made the transition to right midfield well but will find few better opportunities to score than Abertay gave him. Ramsay hit an inswinging corner from the right, which went straight through the crowded penalty area to Sime at the far post. “The Machine” chested the ball down and had a cup of tea, before any opponent opposed him, but by then it was too late as the winger had already smashed the ball into the vacant net, putting Burgh 3-0 up.
Yet, the home side were eager for more, sensing the opportunity to score heavily against a team verging on the edge of imploding from within, which they duly obliged. From the centre, Abertay played the ball back too their left back, who decided to dwell on the ball, allowing Ramsay to charge down his poor attempt at a clearance. Ramsay ran onto his own block before placing a precise cross onto the head of Erskine, giving him the simplest of tasks to get himself on the scoresheet, scoring Edinburgh’s second goal in 30 seconds of play.
If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, more was to come. Abertay was at this point clearly disheartened so it fell upon their captain to inspire some confidence back into his side and the centre-half responded to his duty with emphatic enthusiasm. The only problem was that he scored in the wrong net… A quick cross into the box had whizzed off the crisp surface, straight onto the foot of the centre-back, guiding the ball helplessly passed his keeper to take the score to 5-0.
Erskine then obliged once more, adding insult to injury, scoring his 4th goal of the season and Edinburgh’s 6th before half-time. The game ended 6-0, but it was truly done and dusted by halftime. The only thing left to do in the second half had been too defend a clean sheet. Velez, Petrie and new signing Scott MacFarlane came on for cameo appearances and keeper Tom Agnew spent the day counting how many insects were in a metre square of football pitch. Now that’s a real Edinburgh education.
Edinburgh opened the scoring early on, with a flowing piece of football which saw the hosts switch the play from the left wing, across the back four and onto Sime on the right, unopposed. Sime laid the ball back to Dave Meehan who swung in a superb cross, which flicked off the head of Erskine and onto the foot of O’Neill who calmly volleyed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. A simply switch of the play was all that was needed for the home side to open up a clearly suspect defence and O’Neill’s shot was one from the top bag, a finished which matched his superb hold-up play throughout the match.
The second goal was not long in the following. Ramsay, who I believe had a man of the match performance, took a long throw in from the left hand side of the pitch. Maxwell headed the ball on to Senior, who let the ball drift across his body, leaving the left back to connect with the ball on a right footed half volley, sending the ball flying into the net off the underside of the crossbar. Jubilation, and maybe a tad of amazement, flooded the pitch as Senior rattled in his second of the season.
Next to find himself in on the action was Jamie Sime, a man who has found himself on the scoresheet more often than not this campaign. Sime has made the transition to right midfield well but will find few better opportunities to score than Abertay gave him. Ramsay hit an inswinging corner from the right, which went straight through the crowded penalty area to Sime at the far post. “The Machine” chested the ball down and had a cup of tea, before any opponent opposed him, but by then it was too late as the winger had already smashed the ball into the vacant net, putting Burgh 3-0 up.
Yet, the home side were eager for more, sensing the opportunity to score heavily against a team verging on the edge of imploding from within, which they duly obliged. From the centre, Abertay played the ball back too their left back, who decided to dwell on the ball, allowing Ramsay to charge down his poor attempt at a clearance. Ramsay ran onto his own block before placing a precise cross onto the head of Erskine, giving him the simplest of tasks to get himself on the scoresheet, scoring Edinburgh’s second goal in 30 seconds of play.
If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, more was to come. Abertay was at this point clearly disheartened so it fell upon their captain to inspire some confidence back into his side and the centre-half responded to his duty with emphatic enthusiasm. The only problem was that he scored in the wrong net… A quick cross into the box had whizzed off the crisp surface, straight onto the foot of the centre-back, guiding the ball helplessly passed his keeper to take the score to 5-0.
Erskine then obliged once more, adding insult to injury, scoring his 4th goal of the season and Edinburgh’s 6th before half-time. The game ended 6-0, but it was truly done and dusted by halftime. The only thing left to do in the second half had been too defend a clean sheet. Velez, Petrie and new signing Scott MacFarlane came on for cameo appearances and keeper Tom Agnew spent the day counting how many insects were in a metre square of football pitch. Now that’s a real Edinburgh education.
Monday 19 October 2009
Determination, Not Penetration
Some call it the “FA Cup” of LEAFA, others the “Johnstone’s Paint Trophy”, some even prefer to refer to it by it’s proper name, however whatever name you use, the Logan Cup will not be finding itself in pieces on the dance floor at Cav come the end of this season as Edinburgh University lost 1-0 against a resilient North Berwick team on Saturday. Burgh had been looking impressive in the last few games yet struggled to make any clear-cut chances after going 1-0 down early on in a very frustrating match for the visitors.
The day was looking good for Uni the sun shone down on an expansive pitch and there was very little wind to contend with, providing idle conditions for some fluent passing football. Support was also on the strong side as the injured Stevie Galloway, his girlfriend and two long-haired dachshunds arrived to cheer on the boys in green. However, the home crowd was vast in numbers, something which potentially proved influential in making up the referee’s mind on issues such as time wasting…
However, the game started brightly. North Berwick tried to play football, which at times made them vulnerable to quick counter-attacking from Edinburgh. A basic error led to Angus Ramsay being place through the middle by Dave Meeham. Ramsay showed great strength to stay on his feet as his shirt was manhandled by the North Berwick centre-half, yet the left-winger got his shot away only for the North Berwick keeper to pull off a fantastic save to keep the scores level.
North Berwick then was on the attack, gaining a free-kick just outside the area due to Edward Senior bundling over their right winger with a clumsy challenge. This time Burgh escaped unharmed, yet they did not learn from their mistakes as minutes later, Alex Maxwell brought down another North Berwick player, just outside the box with a reckless attempt to get the ball. The resulting free kick was perfectly placed to find the bottom right-hand corner, leaving Tom Agnew to simply stand and admire the shot. The underdogs from the league below found themselves 1-0 up after a mere 27 minutes.
Edinburgh still had plenty of time to get back into the match, yet, they never really got over their disappointment from going behind. Burgh did have their chances, Senior produced a driven cross which divided the North Berwick keeper and defence perfectly however Mario Velez could only blaze the ball over the bar from 7 yards.
The pressure continued to mount on North Berwick as Edinburgh pressed for an equaliser. A long throw, found the head of Maxwell, who flicked the ball into the box, however Sime could only watch as the ball agonisingly passed his out-stretched boot before being cleared up the pitch. An Edinburgh corner also found its way through the crowd to Senior but his shot was cleared off the line by the man on the post.
Frustration grew as chances came and went, Erskine letting out his annoyance on lack of quality service with a late challenge which led to handbags on the pitch and the front man earning his first yellow card of the season. But 1-0 too the home side is how it remained until half time.
Edinburgh came out fighting in the second half, within seconds of the restart Maxwell found himself down the right-wing, producing a superb cross across the goal, hanging, waiting to be placed in the back of the North Berwick net, but no Burgh player obliged. However, despite their huffing and puffing and constant pressure this was probably Burgh’s best chance of the second half. Alex Petrie and Kyle O’Neill, who had come on for the quiet Velez and Erskine, had at one point bundled the ball over the goal line, after some good wing play from Petrie, only to find the goal disallowed for already going out of play.
Nick Ghamgosar, Tom Archer, Darren Leslie and Senior coped easily with any attacking threat North Berwick had, although Senior did pick up a yellow card for a cynical, trademark shirt pull.
However, this was not meant to be. Edinburgh grew more and more frustrated, especially with all the blatant time-wasting that North Berwick did from early on. Their increased frustration led to sloppy football and any real chances dried up for the away team. So the Logan cup is once again out of reach for the students, let’s just hope this defeat sticks in the memory of some players, so that next season, they won’t lose the chance to bring home the silverware.
The day was looking good for Uni the sun shone down on an expansive pitch and there was very little wind to contend with, providing idle conditions for some fluent passing football. Support was also on the strong side as the injured Stevie Galloway, his girlfriend and two long-haired dachshunds arrived to cheer on the boys in green. However, the home crowd was vast in numbers, something which potentially proved influential in making up the referee’s mind on issues such as time wasting…
However, the game started brightly. North Berwick tried to play football, which at times made them vulnerable to quick counter-attacking from Edinburgh. A basic error led to Angus Ramsay being place through the middle by Dave Meeham. Ramsay showed great strength to stay on his feet as his shirt was manhandled by the North Berwick centre-half, yet the left-winger got his shot away only for the North Berwick keeper to pull off a fantastic save to keep the scores level.
North Berwick then was on the attack, gaining a free-kick just outside the area due to Edward Senior bundling over their right winger with a clumsy challenge. This time Burgh escaped unharmed, yet they did not learn from their mistakes as minutes later, Alex Maxwell brought down another North Berwick player, just outside the box with a reckless attempt to get the ball. The resulting free kick was perfectly placed to find the bottom right-hand corner, leaving Tom Agnew to simply stand and admire the shot. The underdogs from the league below found themselves 1-0 up after a mere 27 minutes.
Edinburgh still had plenty of time to get back into the match, yet, they never really got over their disappointment from going behind. Burgh did have their chances, Senior produced a driven cross which divided the North Berwick keeper and defence perfectly however Mario Velez could only blaze the ball over the bar from 7 yards.
The pressure continued to mount on North Berwick as Edinburgh pressed for an equaliser. A long throw, found the head of Maxwell, who flicked the ball into the box, however Sime could only watch as the ball agonisingly passed his out-stretched boot before being cleared up the pitch. An Edinburgh corner also found its way through the crowd to Senior but his shot was cleared off the line by the man on the post.
Frustration grew as chances came and went, Erskine letting out his annoyance on lack of quality service with a late challenge which led to handbags on the pitch and the front man earning his first yellow card of the season. But 1-0 too the home side is how it remained until half time.
Edinburgh came out fighting in the second half, within seconds of the restart Maxwell found himself down the right-wing, producing a superb cross across the goal, hanging, waiting to be placed in the back of the North Berwick net, but no Burgh player obliged. However, despite their huffing and puffing and constant pressure this was probably Burgh’s best chance of the second half. Alex Petrie and Kyle O’Neill, who had come on for the quiet Velez and Erskine, had at one point bundled the ball over the goal line, after some good wing play from Petrie, only to find the goal disallowed for already going out of play.
Nick Ghamgosar, Tom Archer, Darren Leslie and Senior coped easily with any attacking threat North Berwick had, although Senior did pick up a yellow card for a cynical, trademark shirt pull.
However, this was not meant to be. Edinburgh grew more and more frustrated, especially with all the blatant time-wasting that North Berwick did from early on. Their increased frustration led to sloppy football and any real chances dried up for the away team. So the Logan cup is once again out of reach for the students, let’s just hope this defeat sticks in the memory of some players, so that next season, they won’t lose the chance to bring home the silverware.
Thursday 15 October 2009
Leeds Annihilate Edinburgh Netball Girls
Edinburgh Netball 1st team stepped out onto court for their first game in the BUCS Netball Premier North Division against Leeds Met on Wednesday. The girls are representing the only team in Scotland to play against English opponents and with many of the girls at Leeds Met playing in the Super League they knew they were in for an uphill struggle. The last time these two teams met the score ended 61-20 to the away side.
However, it was Edinburgh who opened up the scoring, Lindsey Tien and Francesca Grieve putting the home side deservedly 2-0 up. Josie Curtis was providing the energy and movement in the middle of the court to keep the ball out of Leeds’ grasp. Yet, Leeds was just getting warmed-up and after their few early lapses, settled into their winning stride. Leeds’ goal shooter was too quick for Edinburgh’s captain, Kate Cooper, who struggled to match her extremely talented opponent. Leeds’ sharpness and ability to pass the ball with great speed enabled them to open-up the Edinburgh defence with relative ease and by the end of the first quarter the score line read 15-6 to the home side’s opponents.
The second quarter proved to be just unsuccessful. Charlotte Newell started it off from the centre pass, giving the ball straight to the opposition. It was clear that Edinburgh felt the game was getting away from them, yet in their eagerness to move forward more mistakes crept in. Leeds, on the other hand, were going from strength to strength, utilising training ground moves which enabled them to have shooting opportunities after a mere three passes from the centre pass. Tien and Grieve continued to offer some glimmer of hope with some great link-up play providing them with rare chances which they duly dispatched. However, their resistance was blighted by a lack of service and some physical defending which you would not have thought legal in a supposedly non-contact sport. Grieve was even struck in the face by her muscular opponent, one could only hope it was not intentional.
Leeds led into the third quarter 30-13, the game pretty much over so Edinburgh brought on a few changes in an attempt to mix things up. Sophie Carmichael came on to try and help Cooper out with her defensive duties, against a formidable strike-force. The extra height and Cooper’s return to form provided the home side with some strong defending, with some well taken interceptions and rebounds. However, Clare Gaskell, who had replaced Charlotte Newell at centre, was at times careless with her passing and with Leeds’ superb counter-attacking capabilities Cooper and Carmichael found themselves soon overwhelmed. Kari Taylor replaced Grieve, yet her partnership with Tien was not as fluid, with the same being said about her consistency to score. So by the end of the third quarter the lead had stretched further to 32 points, the score being 48-16.
The fourth quarter provided much of the same and the away side ran out comfortable 63-17 winners. However, the girls have much to be proud of. As already mentioned they are the only University in Scotland who are in this league and many of their opponents have the ability to entice in top quality players. This was also the team’s first game this season, so time is needed for them to form greater understanding of their team-mate’s movements, which will eventually enable them to play sharper, more effective netball. Last year, Edinburgh managed to stay in this league with a last second goal by Tien against Newcastle, if the girls are going to remain in this league it is likely the same desire and fighting spirit is going to be needed throughout the rest of the season.
However, it was Edinburgh who opened up the scoring, Lindsey Tien and Francesca Grieve putting the home side deservedly 2-0 up. Josie Curtis was providing the energy and movement in the middle of the court to keep the ball out of Leeds’ grasp. Yet, Leeds was just getting warmed-up and after their few early lapses, settled into their winning stride. Leeds’ goal shooter was too quick for Edinburgh’s captain, Kate Cooper, who struggled to match her extremely talented opponent. Leeds’ sharpness and ability to pass the ball with great speed enabled them to open-up the Edinburgh defence with relative ease and by the end of the first quarter the score line read 15-6 to the home side’s opponents.
The second quarter proved to be just unsuccessful. Charlotte Newell started it off from the centre pass, giving the ball straight to the opposition. It was clear that Edinburgh felt the game was getting away from them, yet in their eagerness to move forward more mistakes crept in. Leeds, on the other hand, were going from strength to strength, utilising training ground moves which enabled them to have shooting opportunities after a mere three passes from the centre pass. Tien and Grieve continued to offer some glimmer of hope with some great link-up play providing them with rare chances which they duly dispatched. However, their resistance was blighted by a lack of service and some physical defending which you would not have thought legal in a supposedly non-contact sport. Grieve was even struck in the face by her muscular opponent, one could only hope it was not intentional.
Leeds led into the third quarter 30-13, the game pretty much over so Edinburgh brought on a few changes in an attempt to mix things up. Sophie Carmichael came on to try and help Cooper out with her defensive duties, against a formidable strike-force. The extra height and Cooper’s return to form provided the home side with some strong defending, with some well taken interceptions and rebounds. However, Clare Gaskell, who had replaced Charlotte Newell at centre, was at times careless with her passing and with Leeds’ superb counter-attacking capabilities Cooper and Carmichael found themselves soon overwhelmed. Kari Taylor replaced Grieve, yet her partnership with Tien was not as fluid, with the same being said about her consistency to score. So by the end of the third quarter the lead had stretched further to 32 points, the score being 48-16.
The fourth quarter provided much of the same and the away side ran out comfortable 63-17 winners. However, the girls have much to be proud of. As already mentioned they are the only University in Scotland who are in this league and many of their opponents have the ability to entice in top quality players. This was also the team’s first game this season, so time is needed for them to form greater understanding of their team-mate’s movements, which will eventually enable them to play sharper, more effective netball. Last year, Edinburgh managed to stay in this league with a last second goal by Tien against Newcastle, if the girls are going to remain in this league it is likely the same desire and fighting spirit is going to be needed throughout the rest of the season.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Sepp Seeding Scandal
During the summer of 2008, you sit at home watching the rain fall outside your window; the TV is on in the background transmitting football matches from a distant place, where only those who have withstood the task of qualifying have managed to arrive at. Spain beat Germany in the final to be crowned European Champions, yet realistically you do not care. The only thing that keeps you going is that the draw for the World cup qualifiers is just around the corner. The opportunity to join the mighty teams from around the World in the most epic of sporting competitions is upon you.
So you sit and wait, and wait some more, and eventually the time comes for the draw to be made. Jubilation turns to devastation when you discover that England have another easy route to qualification, however hope returns when you remember that they failed to make it to Austria and Switzerland too. Hope becomes nervous tension as your country still has not been drawn and then you see it, your ball being plucked by some FIFA representative, your fate is sealed.
Scotland found themselves looking at a favourable draw; the chance to make it to South Africa 2010 was there for the taking. Netherlands would of course pip them to first spot, but a play-off spot was within reach. Wales was always going to find it hard and getting drawn with Germany and Russia in their group, qualification seemed an unlikely dream. Yet, the same could be said for Northern Ireland, a small country with little chance of progress. However, with only one game to go in the group stages, there is still a slight possibility that their road to South Africa may not have come to a dead end.
For Republic of Ireland the play-offs were definitely a target. Winning the group would be a challenge with Italy among the opponents. Yet, with a world class manager in the name of Giovanni Trapattoni anything was possible. However, although the pushed Italy all the way, they did eventually fail to overcome that rather large obstacle to claim an automatic spot in the draw for the World Cup. But unfortunately for them, other “big” teams were struggling against so called “lesser” nations. France and Portugal both have failed to hit the top spot and even Germany at times looked doomed to a one-on-one match up in November. How could we ever have a tournament though without some of its so-called main players?
Evidentially I was not the only one to jump to such a conclusion as Sepp Blatter announced that the play-off games would be drawn on a seeded basis, leaving Ireland once again, in a bit of a pickle. This new addition now means that Ireland is likely to face another uphill battle to reach South Africa simply because some of the already seeded teams, in other groups, are failing to live up to their seeded reputations. Surely the fact that these teams have all finished in second place, means they are all equal and so deserve no preferential treatment off the pitch for losing on the pitch?
Yet, Sepp feels differently. One is not denying that Irish fans are likely to be feeling similar emotions to what they felt in summer, eagerly anticipating whom they shall face in the play-offs. However, surely they should have earned the right to have just as much chance of playing Bosnia as they do of facing France? Blatter feels otherwise. But then again he is the man who wanted women to wear tighter shorts, so clearly he has a sensible mind when it comes to the games big issues…
So you sit and wait, and wait some more, and eventually the time comes for the draw to be made. Jubilation turns to devastation when you discover that England have another easy route to qualification, however hope returns when you remember that they failed to make it to Austria and Switzerland too. Hope becomes nervous tension as your country still has not been drawn and then you see it, your ball being plucked by some FIFA representative, your fate is sealed.
Scotland found themselves looking at a favourable draw; the chance to make it to South Africa 2010 was there for the taking. Netherlands would of course pip them to first spot, but a play-off spot was within reach. Wales was always going to find it hard and getting drawn with Germany and Russia in their group, qualification seemed an unlikely dream. Yet, the same could be said for Northern Ireland, a small country with little chance of progress. However, with only one game to go in the group stages, there is still a slight possibility that their road to South Africa may not have come to a dead end.
For Republic of Ireland the play-offs were definitely a target. Winning the group would be a challenge with Italy among the opponents. Yet, with a world class manager in the name of Giovanni Trapattoni anything was possible. However, although the pushed Italy all the way, they did eventually fail to overcome that rather large obstacle to claim an automatic spot in the draw for the World Cup. But unfortunately for them, other “big” teams were struggling against so called “lesser” nations. France and Portugal both have failed to hit the top spot and even Germany at times looked doomed to a one-on-one match up in November. How could we ever have a tournament though without some of its so-called main players?
Evidentially I was not the only one to jump to such a conclusion as Sepp Blatter announced that the play-off games would be drawn on a seeded basis, leaving Ireland once again, in a bit of a pickle. This new addition now means that Ireland is likely to face another uphill battle to reach South Africa simply because some of the already seeded teams, in other groups, are failing to live up to their seeded reputations. Surely the fact that these teams have all finished in second place, means they are all equal and so deserve no preferential treatment off the pitch for losing on the pitch?
Yet, Sepp feels differently. One is not denying that Irish fans are likely to be feeling similar emotions to what they felt in summer, eagerly anticipating whom they shall face in the play-offs. However, surely they should have earned the right to have just as much chance of playing Bosnia as they do of facing France? Blatter feels otherwise. But then again he is the man who wanted women to wear tighter shorts, so clearly he has a sensible mind when it comes to the games big issues…
Saturday 10 October 2009
Senior Strike Starts Second’s Season
Edinburgh University 2s football team started their campaign in the Lothian and Edinburgh AFA Premier Division with a poor 2-0 defeat away at Seaforth Highlanders. A repeat of last week’s performance was not an option, especially for a team that are potential challenges for the league title. However, that was not going to be the case in what turned out to be a comfortable 3-1 victory away at Blackridge.
Blackridge and Burgh met on the opening day of last season, with the University boys running out 4-0 winners on an expansive pitch. Yet, Blackridge’s home ground is cramped in comparison and having drawn on their last visit, Edinburgh knew the game was not going to be easy.
Burgh’s team was slightly changed from the previous week with Sime coming in for the absent Meehan in central midfield. The Irishman had received free tickets to watch Ireland v Italy in the world cup qualifiers. Roberts was also absent, but a fully fit Darren Leslie was available again, ready to slot into his usual centre-half role. Archer also started on the right, which pushed Erskine up front, the injured Galloway the man to miss out.
Yet, the side gelled from the off, playing some great football all over the park. Blackridge at times had little response to the Uni’s quick movement, both on and off the ball. Steve Kenny, on more than one occasion, used nifty footwork to by-pass Blackridge’s stranded right-back, only for his crosses to fail to find a target.
This did not matter however as 21 minutes into the game Edinburgh scored their first LEAFA goal of the season. The ball was out on the right wing with Archer, who simply passed it sideways to Sime, who knocked the ball in front of the galloping Senior. Nobody closed him down, so the left-back shot, and with a little help from a deflection the ball slowly went over the already fallen Blackridge keeper. Senior scored Burgh’s first LEAFA goal last season, also against Blackridge, so this is hopefully a sign of things to come for the university team.
Edinburgh did not let this goal slow them down in any way, but simply continued to play attractive football. And the domination continued when Steve Kenny scored a superb free-kick. Kenny whipped the ball with his left foot over the wall and into the top-right hand corner of the goal, the Blackridge keeper watched, routed to the spot.
Burgh could have had more goals to follow before the end of the half, with both Alex Maxwell and Mario Velez showing sublime close control to ride four or five challenges before both firing on the goal. However, it was the home side who instead, offered some resistance to the onslaught. A long throw into the Edinburgh box was not cleared and Blackridge fired the ball through Agnew’s legs to claw themselves back into the game with their only real opportunity of the half.
Half-time came and went and so too did most of the football. After only 5 minutes Tom Agnew launched the ball forward from a freekick, the Blackridge centre half misread it completely, which let Calum Erskine in to kill the game off with a delicate finish into the net.
With the score at 3-1 the home side really gave up and with 30 minutes to go Edinburgh brought off Erskine and Senior to be replaced by O’Neill and Ramsay. However, most of the impetuous had been taken out of the game with Burgh’s 3rd goal and the last 3rd by-passed with little football. Yet, both sides did have one chance to score, both missing guilt edge chances. Mario Velez kneed the ball over the bar from 4 yards, although he was offside anyway. And Blackridge managed to strike the post from 3 yards, with the goal at their mercy.
Yet 3-1 it remained. The only sour note was seeing centre back Dan Paterson being carried off with a suspected ankle injury, however manager Stuart Robertson came on to steady the ship to the final whistle.
Blackridge and Burgh met on the opening day of last season, with the University boys running out 4-0 winners on an expansive pitch. Yet, Blackridge’s home ground is cramped in comparison and having drawn on their last visit, Edinburgh knew the game was not going to be easy.
Burgh’s team was slightly changed from the previous week with Sime coming in for the absent Meehan in central midfield. The Irishman had received free tickets to watch Ireland v Italy in the world cup qualifiers. Roberts was also absent, but a fully fit Darren Leslie was available again, ready to slot into his usual centre-half role. Archer also started on the right, which pushed Erskine up front, the injured Galloway the man to miss out.
Yet, the side gelled from the off, playing some great football all over the park. Blackridge at times had little response to the Uni’s quick movement, both on and off the ball. Steve Kenny, on more than one occasion, used nifty footwork to by-pass Blackridge’s stranded right-back, only for his crosses to fail to find a target.
This did not matter however as 21 minutes into the game Edinburgh scored their first LEAFA goal of the season. The ball was out on the right wing with Archer, who simply passed it sideways to Sime, who knocked the ball in front of the galloping Senior. Nobody closed him down, so the left-back shot, and with a little help from a deflection the ball slowly went over the already fallen Blackridge keeper. Senior scored Burgh’s first LEAFA goal last season, also against Blackridge, so this is hopefully a sign of things to come for the university team.
Edinburgh did not let this goal slow them down in any way, but simply continued to play attractive football. And the domination continued when Steve Kenny scored a superb free-kick. Kenny whipped the ball with his left foot over the wall and into the top-right hand corner of the goal, the Blackridge keeper watched, routed to the spot.
Burgh could have had more goals to follow before the end of the half, with both Alex Maxwell and Mario Velez showing sublime close control to ride four or five challenges before both firing on the goal. However, it was the home side who instead, offered some resistance to the onslaught. A long throw into the Edinburgh box was not cleared and Blackridge fired the ball through Agnew’s legs to claw themselves back into the game with their only real opportunity of the half.
Half-time came and went and so too did most of the football. After only 5 minutes Tom Agnew launched the ball forward from a freekick, the Blackridge centre half misread it completely, which let Calum Erskine in to kill the game off with a delicate finish into the net.
With the score at 3-1 the home side really gave up and with 30 minutes to go Edinburgh brought off Erskine and Senior to be replaced by O’Neill and Ramsay. However, most of the impetuous had been taken out of the game with Burgh’s 3rd goal and the last 3rd by-passed with little football. Yet, both sides did have one chance to score, both missing guilt edge chances. Mario Velez kneed the ball over the bar from 4 yards, although he was offside anyway. And Blackridge managed to strike the post from 3 yards, with the goal at their mercy.
Yet 3-1 it remained. The only sour note was seeing centre back Dan Paterson being carried off with a suspected ankle injury, however manager Stuart Robertson came on to steady the ship to the final whistle.
Super Mario Bros Smash Napier
Edinburgh University Men’s Football 2s team started off their BUCs campaign with a hard fought victory against newcomers to the league Napier 1s at Peffermill. Edinburgh were undefeated throughout the whole of their university matches last year, winning the league and the cup, denied promotion only by a technicality that only 1st teams can play in the top league. Yet, based on results, this is something that clearly needs to be rectified.
However, Edinburgh was fielding a much changed side from the team that started the good run last October, with only four players remaining in the starting 11. But this did not affect the result as Edinburgh, in the end, gained a comprehensive 5-1 victory over their local rivals.
The match itself was scrappy throughout, by passing Edinburgh’s two talented central midfielders, Alex Maxwell and David Meehan, in what can only be described as an exhibition of route one football. Yet, with 21 minutes on the clock the deadlock was broken when Calum Erskine hit a free kick which swung past the stranded keeper, due mainly to the huge deflection off a player in the wall, putting Edinburgh 1-0 up.
This was how the game remained until half time, with both sides cancelling out any threat with strong defensive displays. Kyle O’Neill was brought on to replace the injured forward Stevie Galloway, who had a suspected dead leg. However, the change by stand-in managers Erskine and Darren Leslie proved to be a good call when O’Neill harassed the Napier keeper into a mistake which led to an easy tap in for the striker.
This appeared to be game, set and match as Edinburgh goalie Tom Agnew had had little to do. However, Napier was given a lifeline when a ball ricocheted unkindly off the ground straight into the arm of Leslie. Despite there being no Napier player around and the handball clearly not being deliberate, a penalty was awarded to the away side. Agnew had saved a penalty in one of his previous two games this season so hope was not all lost, however, Chris MacIntyre, who was probably Napier’s best player, stepped up confidently and powered the ball into the goal, making it 2-1.
Yet, the comeback never materialised, instead Erskine and Leslie brought on Jamie Sime for Steve Kenny and with his first touch of the game, Sime put the home side two goals clear again. Jordan Roberts took a Rory Delap style throw in, Maxwell flicked it on and Sime, with his back to goal, hooked the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, things got worse for Napier, the defence once again failed in their ability to deal with Agnew’s gigantic kicking. The ball found itself straight from the goal keeper’s boot, in the opposing penalty area at the feet of Tom Archer, who calmly placed the ball past the on-coming keeper to put the victory beyond doubt.
Erskine and Leslie then made their final change, bringing Mario Velez, a commercial law post-grad from Seattle, into his first BUCs game. The striker wasted no time in getting his name onto the score sheet, when a quick break from Burgh put O’Neill away down the right wing, where he placed a good cross into the feet of Valez, who slotted the ball into the net, giving Edinburgh a comfortable 5-1 victory.
The score line probably does not do Napier justice, however, Edinburgh was clinical with their finishing and the defence was strong against a poor attack. And with managerial debuts for Erskine and Leslie, in a match where all three substitutes scored, there was much to celebrate for the 2s team. As for the undefeated status, it looks like it will remain unchanged for a while.
However, Edinburgh was fielding a much changed side from the team that started the good run last October, with only four players remaining in the starting 11. But this did not affect the result as Edinburgh, in the end, gained a comprehensive 5-1 victory over their local rivals.
The match itself was scrappy throughout, by passing Edinburgh’s two talented central midfielders, Alex Maxwell and David Meehan, in what can only be described as an exhibition of route one football. Yet, with 21 minutes on the clock the deadlock was broken when Calum Erskine hit a free kick which swung past the stranded keeper, due mainly to the huge deflection off a player in the wall, putting Edinburgh 1-0 up.
This was how the game remained until half time, with both sides cancelling out any threat with strong defensive displays. Kyle O’Neill was brought on to replace the injured forward Stevie Galloway, who had a suspected dead leg. However, the change by stand-in managers Erskine and Darren Leslie proved to be a good call when O’Neill harassed the Napier keeper into a mistake which led to an easy tap in for the striker.
This appeared to be game, set and match as Edinburgh goalie Tom Agnew had had little to do. However, Napier was given a lifeline when a ball ricocheted unkindly off the ground straight into the arm of Leslie. Despite there being no Napier player around and the handball clearly not being deliberate, a penalty was awarded to the away side. Agnew had saved a penalty in one of his previous two games this season so hope was not all lost, however, Chris MacIntyre, who was probably Napier’s best player, stepped up confidently and powered the ball into the goal, making it 2-1.
Yet, the comeback never materialised, instead Erskine and Leslie brought on Jamie Sime for Steve Kenny and with his first touch of the game, Sime put the home side two goals clear again. Jordan Roberts took a Rory Delap style throw in, Maxwell flicked it on and Sime, with his back to goal, hooked the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, things got worse for Napier, the defence once again failed in their ability to deal with Agnew’s gigantic kicking. The ball found itself straight from the goal keeper’s boot, in the opposing penalty area at the feet of Tom Archer, who calmly placed the ball past the on-coming keeper to put the victory beyond doubt.
Erskine and Leslie then made their final change, bringing Mario Velez, a commercial law post-grad from Seattle, into his first BUCs game. The striker wasted no time in getting his name onto the score sheet, when a quick break from Burgh put O’Neill away down the right wing, where he placed a good cross into the feet of Valez, who slotted the ball into the net, giving Edinburgh a comfortable 5-1 victory.
The score line probably does not do Napier justice, however, Edinburgh was clinical with their finishing and the defence was strong against a poor attack. And with managerial debuts for Erskine and Leslie, in a match where all three substitutes scored, there was much to celebrate for the 2s team. As for the undefeated status, it looks like it will remain unchanged for a while.
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