Queens are Kings in the Capital

I can't believe a whole month has gone by since I attended this one-sided cup tie at the famous Meadowbank Stadium. I have been neglecting my blogging duties and a sudden realisation that I am going to a round 4 tie tomorrow has 'encouraged' me to write about my round three match

The match attracted the biggest crowd of the round with over 1000 at the Commonwealth Stadium as the home team sought to continue their giant killing antics. However, the Doonhamers are certainly not Montrose and a well organised and skillfull Dumfries outfit won comfortably by two goals to nil with a goal either side of half time. Clark and Reilly were the goalscorers but the best player on show was the diminutive Danny Carmichael who (in this match anyway) was operating as an old fashioned Scottish winger. The visitors also had the much travelled Ryan McGuffie once of Newcastle Reserves and Gretna in their line up.

The crowd was made up mainly of visiting Queens supporters but there were a number of Edinburgh City afficionados who I presume were mostly friends and family. They did sing though and their rendition  of "Ruaridh Scott - he shags who he wants" to the inevitbale tune of Sloop John B was met by a Doonhamers chorus of "who the fuck is Ruaridh Scott ?"

Some pictures from the match

Above - the crowd settle in for their afternoon's entertainment

Above ... some first half action close to the hammer cage

The first half was played out under glorious cold Autumn sunshine

A second half corner that led to the killer second goal for Queens ...

And so ... tomorrow it is off to Kilmarnock for Killie v Queen of the South in round 4 ... a Killie Pie will definitely be on the agenda !

Robbie Ross Rampant as Montrose are Mauled !

Last weekend I witnessed a big shock on the road to Hampden. My first view of an SFL side and they are beaten at home by East of Scotland League side Edinburgh City. Comprehensively ! The Montrose web site sums up what was a bad day for the Gable-Enders "Montrose crashed out of the Scottish Cup with a poor display in front of their own fans against East of Scotland League side Edinburgh City. The visitors were worthy winners." Very worthy indeed winning 3-1 when in truth it could have been 5 or 6 goals to 1. In centre forward Robbie Ross they had the best player on the park - scoring two goals and leading the line with style. Ross is an ex-Arbroath player so presumably he was a bit more fired up than usual.

The pre match pint was in the Market Arms on Montrose High Street. A fantastic pub.

The programme was £2 but despite the hike in price from the previous round was a great buy. Loads of reading and good coverage of the opposition. The pie on the other hand - a majpr diasappointment - £2 for what looked like a warmed up ASDA value scotch pie.

 A trim ground - a shed type terrace behind one goal, two sides oh terracing comprising of not much more than a path and a large stand

A sheen on the pitch

Second half action ... Montrose on the attack - they have a corner

Some first half action

Four star show and Shotts are shattered

So it's off to Montrose next for the match between the Gable Endies and Edinburgh City at the end of September

The match finished 4-1 for a rampant home team.
















The Shotts fans were in general supportive of their team in a commendable way ... but about a dozen louts insisted on singing a repertoire of horrible songs ("oh Edinburgh is full of poofs, whoors and junkies" - springs to mind) and this I found unpleasant when some of the spectators had rocked up with their kids - not nice. In the pic below the local polis are about to take the dirty dozen to task.

Meadowbank Stadium really does feel like an unreal environment for this type of match

But the pies were good ... very good in fact ! The queue for the pastry perfection at half time.

Shotts shaken by City Slickers !

Shotts Bon Accord played their first ever match in the Scottish Cup yesterday thanks to their victory in May over The Bot in the final of the Scottish Junior Cup Final. The East of Scotland Premier League team Edinburgh City were hence welcomed to the Shotts' Hannah Park ground

The teams were 'announced' not by the PA sysytem (there wasn't one) but by a Bon Accord official writing the line-ups on a white board

The match kicked off in good, dry conditions and was watched by a healthy crowd of about 300 or so

Shotts were gaining the upper hand - they scored when a surging run down the left ended with a fierce cross that was deflected in by a City defender. The crowd were now well into this !

The City cause was not helped when they lost a player to a bad injury

The City players left the field at half time to face the hair dryer treatment

The pitch was still in good condition at the interval and so there was no need for the home captain to call for the use of the heavy roller

pic of heavy roller goes in here

In the second half the weather deteriorated - a few players got booked, the umbrellas went up and to further dampen the Shotts spirits Edinburgh City equalised to take the game to a replay

Looking forward to the replay at Meadowbank Stadium next Saturday already !

next

In praise of Auchinleck Talbot

In here I will write a eulogy for Auchinleck Talbot

In praise of Penicuik Athletic

In here I will write a eulogy of Penicuik Athletic

Shotts to take on Edinburgh City in round one !

So, after a year following the Junior Cup to it's conclusion it is now time for me to follow the winners of the 2011-12 Junior Cup into the Scottish Cup for 2012-13.

Shotts Bon Accord have qualified for the Cup as Junior Cup winners and in the first round they have been drawn at home to East of Scotland (Senior) League outfit Edinburgh City. The City have been playing in the Scottish Cup for x years now - since they inherited Meadowbank Stadium from Meadowbank Thistle when Thistle move out to Livingston and changed their name to (surprise) Livingston. For Shotts, this is their first ever foray into the Scottish Cup. Hence their tie against City on the 25th August will be an historic occasion. I am looking forward to it already .... and with the D3 teams entering in round two then a vist to Ibrox might await the winners !