East of Scotland League

Premier Division

Friday March 17th 2024

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.43

Tynecastle 2 Sauchie Juniors 3, attendance 448

1’ 0-1

45’ + 2, 1-1

60’ 1-2

68’ 1-3

77’ 2-3

@ Meggetland Sports Complex Stadium

4, Meggetland Wynd

Edinburgh

EH14 1XN

£8 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

After staying overnight in Wakefield it meant it was only a four hour drive up the north east coast to Edinburgh, for what was the opening game on the Scottish Groundhop. Tynecastle play at Meggetland Stadium, home of Boroughmuir R.U.F.C. a ground which has a capacity of 4,388 and seats around 500. Tynecastle are never likely to get crowds to test that, but tonight was a good turnout, well above their normal attendance. It was a surprise to find that parking in the car park was free, as the ground is on a main route into the city.

The match was 12th versus 3rd in the league table and got off to a flying start when the visitors scored within a minute of the kick off. We were only three minutes in when the first red card of the night was shown, for what appeared to be for dissent by a Sauchie player. The second soon followed, this time for a foul by a Tynecastle player, so it was now 10 v 10 and we had only been playing twelve minutes! Tynecastle hit the post and Sauchie missed a one on one chance, before the hosts levelled the scores in stoppage time at the end of the half, finishing off a corner at the far post. On the hour mark Sauchie went back in front, cutting inside and beating the ‘keeper at the near post.Eight minutes later it was 1-3, coolly finishing past the ‘keeper and they almost added another soon after, just heading wide. Tynecastle pulled it back to 2-3, powering in a header from a corner with thirteen minutes left, but never looked like getting an equaliser.