Our new Media Official, Jack Harris, attended his first South game at the weekend.
Jack will be responsible for producing match reports, conducting interviews and maintaining the clubs social media profiles.
His first-hand account of the action is below.
A promising performance on the road for Edinburgh South proved insufficient to take any points on Saturday afternoon, after set pieces proved the visitors’ undoing during a truly chaotic first half in Newtongrange.
With autumnal leaves falling and the scent of pines in the air, the woodland surroundings were deceptively peaceful as kick-off birthed a game of sheer drama. South raced out the blocks with thunderous intent, as Stuart Martin found the net inside the first minute only to see the flag raised for offside.
Momentum carried the visitors, as Cammy Young set Jordan Cropley up in the box — the skipper sending his effort well north of Shea Dowie’s crossbar. Newtongrange put the pressure on the South defence with a couple of corners, before Ian Ballantyne surged into the Newtongrange half and teed up Cropley. South’s captain needed no second invitation, arrowing a gorgeous shot into the top corner from his weaker left foot to the delight of the traveling support.
With their noses in front after ten minutes, the warning sirens started to sound in the South backline: the capital side were lucky not to concede from a loose pass out from the back, which Newtongrange shot wide of Lewis Whitelaw’s post.
Fortune quickly deserted South, though, as they found themselves 2-1 down within the next five minutes. Michael Jones profited in space from a lovely back-heel pass, before Stuart Briggs bent a free-kick around Whitelaw that nestled into his bottom left corner. Looking to equalise on the break, South had several opportunities to capitalise from throughballs, but too much weight in their passing created no real issues for Dowie in the Newtongrange goal.
Defending fell by the wayside for both teams, a pantomime-esque, pinballing display of ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ finishing saw both teams exchange back-to-back goals. Michael Jones rifled home a close-quarters effort following a wonderful Newtongrange cross from the left flank, which Ballantyne swiftly elected to cancel out, tapping the ball in after Blake Wales nodded Cropley’s set-piece into the danger area.
Newtongrange’s centre-halves desperately hacked at the ball bobbling around in their penalty area, but Hammy was the sharpest man in the box and netted to cut the deficit for South. Newtongrange would again push ahead from a set-piece, Ciaran McKenzie heading home from close range, before Cammy Young skilfully snuck the ball around Dowie on 36 minutes. From 2-1 to 4-3 in ten scintillating minutes of football, it was a joy for the neutrals and delirium for the assembled home supporters.
For South, however, it was utter frustration compounded by a Newtongrange attack that was itching to restore their two-goal advantage before the break. South were very fortunate not to concede from an unlucky defensive error, which saw Newtongrange shudder the woodwork and squander a point-blank header: moments later, the hosts broke away with a three-versus-two, thwarted only by a superb defensive action from Jack Blaney.
Martin nearly found an equaliser — his effort arcing just shy of the top corner – before Newtongrange doubled their advantage, yet again from a set-piece, a misjudgement from Whitelaw allowing Briggs a shot at an empty net.
The buzzing anticipation of an equally enthralling second-half was, ultimately, in vain. Newtongrange went hunting for an early goal as play resumed, repelled by a combination of a resolute South defence and a little help from the offside flag. Martin created two brilliant chances to get South back into the game: the first from a skilful chop on the left flank, the second from a defensive slip that set him one-on-one with the keeper, from which he shot low but narrowly wide. Dowie nearly fumbled to get South back into the game, but the visitors failed to take the chance. Squandered chances were the theme of the second-half, with both sides unable to alter the scoreboard.
Attacking substitutions from South manager Ainslie Hunter would see some fruits in attacking momentum but, ultimately, a procession of teasing long balls never quite found their intended targets. The visitors created a handful of chances in the latter stages of the game, but poor distribution into the final third allowed Newtongrange to seal the spoils.
South now turn their attention to a semi-final tie in the Alex Jack Cup, as they prepare to host Kirkcaldy and Dysart at Saughton Enclosure.
FULL TIME: Newtongrange Star 5 - 3 Edinburgh South CFC
EDINBURGH SOUTH XI: 1. Lewis Whitelaw; 3. Declan Patterson (Reece Ferguson, 59’); 4. Jack Blaney; 5. Lee Taggart; 8. Ian Ballantyne (Declan Roose, 80’); 9. Kenny O’Brien; 10. Jordan Cropley (Fletcher Hendry, 65’); 11. Stuart Martin (Max Clark, ’65); 15. Charlie Stewart; 17. Blake Wales (Ciaran Vaughan, 59’); 22. Cammy Young.
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