3pm 6 July 2019
East of Scotland FA (City) Cup Final at Heriot-Watt University FC
Edinburgh City 5 East Kilbride 2 (att 200)
Early July means the start of a new football season for me, but I kicked off my 2019/20 season by watching a cup final held over from 2017/18.
The East of Scotland FA Cup Final (better known as the City Cup) is low on the priority list for the four competing clubs. The FA's two Scottish League clubs get a free pass into the tournament, and join the finalists of the arguably more prestigious East of Scotland Qualifying Cup.
The 2017/18 semi finals were held over to the 2018/19 season, but even though they'd both been played by the middle of September it seems finalists Edinburgh City and East Kilbride couldn't squeeze in the final until now.
Still, as I'm not a fan of pre-season friendlies it at least gave me a competitive fixture to watch in early July. Both teams were treating it as part of their pre-season build ups of course, but there was a trophy at stake and no chance of mass half time substitutions.
Edinburgh City have been homeless since Meadowbank Stadium was demolished, and play their Scottish Professional Football League games as tenants of Spartans FC, but they staged this final at the impressive Oriam complex, Scotland's 'sports performance centre'.
It's within Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus, on the Edinburgh fringe, and it was the pitch now used by the students' East of Scotland League team, the John Brydson Arena, that staged the game.
I watched a Heriot-Watt University game at Riccarton in March 2015 but the pitch used that day is now used for training by Hearts FC, and the university have developed a tidy venue on the adjacent pitch.
It has an artificial surface and a trio of small seated stands running along the one touchline that's open to spectators. The stands are actually double-sided, also providing seats that face the Hearts pitch.
I was surprised there was no barrier between the stands and the pitch, other than a short section of fence near the entrance, and I'm not keen on one-sided venues, but it's a pleasant ground and was adequate for the size of the crowd.
The game started slowly, but came to life once Lowland League East Kilbride went ahead after 12 minutes. The lead last barely a minute, but the game's crucial moment was the 20th minute sending off of an East Kilbride player for a bad challenge.
They'd looked the better side until then, and continued to impress when then they made light of having 10 men and went back in front. Edinburgh City equalised just before half time though, and in the second half the man advantage told.
Two goals early in the half put City in control, and a fifth snuffed out any lingering East Kilbride hopes. After the game Edinburgh City's skipper collected the trophy, although in theory they might have to defend it twice before the end of this season.
East of Scotland FA (City) Cup Final at Heriot-Watt University FC
Edinburgh City 5 East Kilbride 2 (att 200)
Early July means the start of a new football season for me, but I kicked off my 2019/20 season by watching a cup final held over from 2017/18.
The East of Scotland FA Cup Final (better known as the City Cup) is low on the priority list for the four competing clubs. The FA's two Scottish League clubs get a free pass into the tournament, and join the finalists of the arguably more prestigious East of Scotland Qualifying Cup.
The 2017/18 semi finals were held over to the 2018/19 season, but even though they'd both been played by the middle of September it seems finalists Edinburgh City and East Kilbride couldn't squeeze in the final until now.
Still, as I'm not a fan of pre-season friendlies it at least gave me a competitive fixture to watch in early July. Both teams were treating it as part of their pre-season build ups of course, but there was a trophy at stake and no chance of mass half time substitutions.
Edinburgh City have been homeless since Meadowbank Stadium was demolished, and play their Scottish Professional Football League games as tenants of Spartans FC, but they staged this final at the impressive Oriam complex, Scotland's 'sports performance centre'.
It's within Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus, on the Edinburgh fringe, and it was the pitch now used by the students' East of Scotland League team, the John Brydson Arena, that staged the game.
I watched a Heriot-Watt University game at Riccarton in March 2015 but the pitch used that day is now used for training by Hearts FC, and the university have developed a tidy venue on the adjacent pitch.
It has an artificial surface and a trio of small seated stands running along the one touchline that's open to spectators. The stands are actually double-sided, also providing seats that face the Hearts pitch.
I was surprised there was no barrier between the stands and the pitch, other than a short section of fence near the entrance, and I'm not keen on one-sided venues, but it's a pleasant ground and was adequate for the size of the crowd.
The game started slowly, but came to life once Lowland League East Kilbride went ahead after 12 minutes. The lead last barely a minute, but the game's crucial moment was the 20th minute sending off of an East Kilbride player for a bad challenge.
They'd looked the better side until then, and continued to impress when then they made light of having 10 men and went back in front. Edinburgh City equalised just before half time though, and in the second half the man advantage told.
Two goals early in the half put City in control, and a fifth snuffed out any lingering East Kilbride hopes. After the game Edinburgh City's skipper collected the trophy, although in theory they might have to defend it twice before the end of this season.
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