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Heriot-Watt Under-21 team
By William Cranston
Saturday, 4 September - 2004
Heriot Watt U21 2 Penicuik United U21 4
Gary Craig
William Cranston (Pen)
This was the Heriot-Watt U21 side's inaugural match in the U21s league. The Watt team started the game well and were as good as their opponents in the early stages. The worries about being outclassed were certainly unfounded. Penicuik took the lead early in the first half, but were pegged back when William Cranston turned his man and played a through ball to Gary Craig, who controlled it and placed it past the keeper into the bottom corner.
Heriot-Watt continued to battle and created as many chances as Penicuik; however the Watt side began to tire and started to lose shape in the midfield with players becoming too weary to chase back, allowing the Penicuik central midfielders to release their quick strikers. Ronald Crawford came off and was replaced by Tony Rafferty at right back. The small, quick Penicuik striker started to expose the new man with his tricks and acceleration and created and scored the next three goals between the 70th and 80th minites. Heriot-Watt continued to fight and won a penalty when William Cranston dribbled in to the box and was felled. He got up and scored the penalty giving the Watt a late consolation.
Secretary's comment: It was really good to see the team compete and match their opponents in every footballing department. Everyone played well and gave 100% effort. However we lost this game because they were fitter than us. This is understandable as we hadn't done a pre-season and hadn't trained before this. So I am very optimistic about our prospects for the season ahead.
Saturday, 11 September - 2004
Preston Athletic U21 5 Heriot Watt University U21 2
Gary Craig* 2
This was the first away trip of the season and the boys were quite optimistic after their close-run game against Penicuik the week before and hungry to make amends for losing. The game started off at a fast pace and before Preston Athletic could catch their breath, Gary Craig threw the ball to William Cranston who ran to the touch line and fired a left footed cross across the goal. Gary Craig beat the defender to the near post and scored to put Heriot-Watt into an early lead. For the rest of the half, the Watt side was completely overrun and could have been losing heavily if it hadn't been for some fabulous defending from the back four of Ronald Crawford, Euan Anderson, Martyn White and Michael Purkis and a great goalkeeping performance by Neil.
Preston Athletic finally pulled level just before half time. At half-time the lads knew they were up against it and all talk was of trying to stop Preston's assault on the Watt goal. However, within a minute of the restart Gary Craig and Stan Brown combined. Gary Craig then finished the move from outside the box placing the ball in the bottom corner past the helpless goalie. Everyone was delighted and shocked as that had been only the Watt's second shot of the match. Gary Craig really is clinical. Another barrage on the Watt goal started after this, but the Watt defence was defending resiliently. However, in the 75th minute a Preston player shot from the edge of the box as William Cranston was charging down the ball. William could do nothing to avoid the ball striking him on the upper part of the arm and the referee awarded a penalty, which was scored. The rules clearly state that it is not a foul unless it is deliberate handling and this certainly wasn't. Everyone was furious and rightly so. This contentious decision changed the game's path in Preston's favour. They then scored a further two goals with great finishes in the last five mins as the Watt collapsed. Every player was absolutely shattered, having given his all.
Secretary's Comments: Preston Athletic was a hard physical side who deserved to win by the pressure they exerted and the number of chances they had. However we were winning the game 2-1 after 75 mins and if it hadn't have been for a questionable refereeing decision, we could have held out for a win. The defence was amazing in this game, especially goalkeeper Neil who was in a different class - a big, strong, tall goalkeeper. Let's hope we can get him playing more often.
Saturday, 18 September - 2004
Heriot Watt University U21 3 Portobello Thistle U21 4
Aiden Blake
John Gillen
Gary Craig
Watt found themselves 3-0 down as Portobello played in their strikers with ease through the static defence. None of the goals was makeshift goalkeeper Martyn's fault. Aiden Blake was causing the Portobello defence a lot of problems with his extremely good control and turning ability and it was only appropriate that he pulled one back when a cross came in and Aiden Blake scored just before half time.
Secretary's Comment: This was an even game but if you concede three sloppy goals in the first five minutes you don't deserve to win and have an enormous task to get back in to the game. All credit must go to how the team battled back in to the game. Special mentions must go to Aiden Blake, who was a class above and caused his opponents lots of problems, and to Steve Morton who had a very good game in midfield.
Saturday, 25 September 2004
Heriot Watt University U21 3 Rosyth Juniors 8
Pete Nicol
William Cranston (Pen)
This was the first round of the Scottish Cup - a really prestigious event - and we were drawn against junior side Rosyth. They were a good footballing side and really gave us quite a lesson in how to play football. Their passing and movement was terrific and really had our players chasing shadows. They dominated the midfield and won on merit by a convincing margin. We equalised to make it 1-1 when Pete Nicol cut in from the right and put it through the keeper's legs with his left. Gary Craig scored too. William Cranston scored from the spot to make it 5-3 but Roysth hit back with three more goals.
Secretary's Comment: Were outplayed in every department. Rosyth was always in control and bossed the game for long periods. We didn't have anything in midfield today and if you lose the battle there and don't compete then you are really up against it. By losing this game we are entered in to the Lady Darling Cup for first round Scottish cup losers, so we still have a chance of cup success.
Saturday, 2 October - 2004
Portobello Thistle U21 6 Heriot Watt University U21 0
A really strong-looking Watt side played this game with Barry Maddox and Jonathon McFetridge in the side. Gary Craig and Pete Nicol played from the start but it was soon clear that they shouldn't have started, as within five minutes it was plain to see that two of our best players weren't fit. These injuries helped Portobello to get a grip on the game and by half time they were winning two-nil after some very sloppy defending by Tony Rafferty. Heriot-Watt was struggling to adapt to playing on a pitch built on a hillside and sloping from one touch line to the other.
Our three substitutions had very little effect in changing the course of the game and in the second half the Watt again created very little. We were comprehensively beaten throughout the whole 90 minutes and struggled to keep the score to just six. We seemed to lack a target man to hold the ball up. One of these needs to be found. John Gillen wasn't fulfilling that role as he wasn't at his best. Neil the goalie had a poor game and looked very out-of-sorts, conceding a few goals with which he would be very disappointed. His performance was well below the high standards he had shown in his first game against Preston Athletic. We found out after the game he was injured.
Secretary's Comment: Everyone was gutted after this game and annoyed as two weeks earlier we had been narrowly beaten against this team without even having a goalkeeper so a win was expected by all. This was the first game of the season that everyone was angry and annoyed by our performance as a team. We turned up late so didn't have much of a warm-up and not much time to talk tactics so this poor preparation led to a poor performance and a terrible result.
Saturday, 9 October - 2004
Heriot Watt University U21 0 St. Bernards U21 3
Riccarton was the setting for this First Round tie of the Eastern Region Cup. A special training session had been held in midweek to try to find some fresh talent for this game against this team from the league above. Gary Sinnet and Stewart Harkins played were included for the first time, with Gary starting in central midfield alongside William Cranston, and Stewart Harkins starting up front alongside Chris Scott.
The Watt battled hard and took the game to their opponents from the Premier League for the first twenty minutes with everyone trying so hard to raise their game. The hold-up play of Stewart Harkins and Chris Scott was allowing the wide players especially a chance to join the attacks and John Lowry and Pete Nicol were having lots of success. After twenty minutes' play, Chris Scott slid in for the ball but the goalkeeper grabbed it just before he arrived. To the disbelief to both sides, the referee sent Chris Scott off for serious foul play. Even the St. Bernards players were saying it was extremely harsh.
Even with ten men, the Watt was competing well and was only one down at the break. William Cranston swapped with Tom Mooney and was picking the ball out from the back and launching attacks from central defence immediately after Sammy Jackson was catching the ball. It was a joy to watch and great counter-attacking football. John Lowry's fabulous shot from the edge of the box that hit the post was the pick of the Watt's chances, but there were numerous other half-chances. St Bernards made it two in the second half but it was not until the 90th minute, when they scored from a penalty, that they could be sure of progression to the next round.
Secretary's Comment: The performance put out by the team today was absolutely amazing. Every player fought so hard and at the end came off feeling like professionals, having pushed St Bernards all the way for 90 minutes, 70 of which were with ten men. Stewart Harkins was excellent and big things are expected of him as he holds the ball up so well. Sammy Jackson showed he could be a very good goalie as well. John Lowry was fabulous and definitely played one of his best games for the Watt. Yes, we were defeated today, but we played magnificently and the score was no reflection on the standard of the Watt's play.
Saturday, 16 October - 2004
Leith Athletic U21 9 Heriot Watt University U21 0
This was the first game for numerous freshers: Darryl Craig, Kevin Totten, Jamie Smith and also saw the reintroduction to University football of ex-Caley Thistle and Ross County player Leo Geddes. What an introduction (and reintroduction) they received, facing the top of the table side Leith Athletic, who showed why there is such a gap in places between us. We kept Leith at bay for fifteen mins before they showed up our defensive frailties. Heriot-Watt was exposed three times at corner kicks with William Cranston and Jamie Lynch and then Darryl Craig playing the strikers onside after Leo Geddes shouted for the line to charge out. Everyone was unsure of themselves after this and lost all confidence. Further goals were conceded, then as we sat deeper they then curled two wonderful goals in to the top corner showing their sheer class. In the second half we managed to put in a better performance and were more solid at the back, but Leith were still dictating the game and creating all the chances.
Secretary's Comments: Leith are surely the champions-elect after a performance like that. They were absolutely fabulous - every player had real ability. We had positives too though: Darryl Craig made some nice surging runs from right back and certainly showed that he has the ability to play at this level and looks to be an excellent addition to our squad. The defence found it really difficult to adapt to playing alongside Leo Geddes but once we have a more regular defensive partnership I am sure an understanding will come. I firmly believe that we have to base our defence around the experienced Leo Geddes.
Saturday, 23 October - 2004
Livingston Hearts U21 4 Heriot Watt University U21 0
Having played Leith last week the last thing we needed was a trip to Bathgate to play Livingston Hearts, who we found had beaten Leith two weeks before. So after being demolished by Leith we were expecting world-beating professionals, especially after their secretary had talked them up as last year's Scottish Cup Quarter finalists.
However, when we got to Bathgate we found something of a lack of organisation and we were left outside to stand in the car park until they finally opened the changing rooms at 1.40pm. Heriot-Watt set out a very defensive line up, playing only Stewart Harkins up front in a 4-5-1 formation on what must be the longest pitch I have ever seen. The West Lothian team was extremely strong and streetwise and some of the Watt players felt intimidated by the rather hostile atmosphere.
Heriot-Watt battled on and defended resiliently, keeping the hungry Livingston strikers at bay until late in the first half Livingston opened the scoring through a beautiful piece of one touch control from their little striker, followed up by a perfectly executed placed shot in to the bottom corner. Stewart Harkins had been holding the ball up well for the Watt and worked tirelessly alone up front. We did have a few shots in the first half from Steve Morton and Stewart Harkins, but they didn't really bother their keeper. John Lowry was played through on goal but was dubiously given offside. The second half, though, was pretty much one-way traffic as Heriot-Watt struggled to get out of their half. However they did manage to defend resiliently to keep the score to just four. Tony Rafferty got really battered in this game by some Tony Rafferty-like tackling. I guess that makes up for all the hard challenges he has dished out in prior games.
Secretary's Comment: If I had been told at the start of the game that we would only have conceded four I would have been quite impressed considering the credentials of the other team and that we had a weakened team from the one that had lost 9-0 to Leith, with a few key players missing. The whole team worked flat-out and was physically exhausted at the end of the game, having kept their discipline and given nothing less than 100% to the end.
Saturday, 30 October - 2004
Edinburgh University U21 3 Heriot Watt University U21 0
Public buses were taken to get to Peffermill, the home of our rivals. Having watched the Ones and Twos beat Edinburgh University on the Wednesday we were hopeful that we could maybe make it three wins out of three. A midfield of David Ure William Cranston and John Gillen chased the game as Edinburgh University played beautiful possession football for the first forty minutes. You could see that they had a coach who had taught his players a lot about how to play football and once again it became evident that we need a coach at our games. Our midfield harried them but there was absolutely no structure in the midfield and we were completely unorganised.
Thou had made some really good saves in goal and had shown that he has a safe pair of hands. The Edinburgh players just couldn't seem to find a way through for all their dominance. One or two of the Edinburgh players were getting frustrated and losing discipline. At half-time the score was level at 0-0, but it took just five minutes of the second half for Edinburgh to score and they followed this up with another goal to give them a 2-0 lead. Heriot-Watt then made some substitutions and started to get back in to the game, which became very stretched as the ball started to miss out the midfield. Kevin Totten ran past one man and hit a shot from the edge of the box but the keeper had managed to narrow the angle and block the shot. The introduction of the pace of Gary Sinnet and Lee Jamieson, who both were going to have been starting this game had they not told us before the game they were slightly injured, caused Edinburgh University real problems and it was a surprise that in the final five minutes Edinburgh made it three.
Secretary's Comment: I felt that Edinburgh had outclassed us by being an organised team that had been well coached rather than having better players. The mood in the camp is very downbeat as it isn't fun chasing about a ball and getting beat every week. It's now nine league games without even a draw. This can't go on or else the boys will become disillusioned with football.
Saturday, 13 November - 2004
Heriot Watt University U21 1 Dalmore U21 5
Pete Nicol
For this Lady Darling Cup match, Pete Nicol was joined in attack by striker Craig Letson who was playing his first game for the University, having arrived with some pedigree having been a Bolton youth player in his former years. Everyone was interested to see what Craig Letson could do and their first chance to do so was in an Eastern Region Cup tie against Dalmore. William Cranston (groin) and Lee Jamieson (foot) both missed out with injuries. So Kevin Totten came in to the starting line up alongside David Ure and Calumn Frecksick with Steve Morton being played as a left wing-back. The three midfielders battled hard and contested every ball with some hard tackles being exchanged by both sides. The game was pretty even until Dalmore exploited a disorganised Watt defence with short corners, twice allowing one of their players to drill a ball across the six-yard box. The first time this happened, the ball was touched in from close range; then on the second occasion the ball came to an unmarked man on the edge of the box and he blasted it in to the top corner past a helpless Sammy Jackson.
Heriot-Watt's main problem in the first half was in trying to play compact football by directing balls through the centre towards the strikers rather than trying to exploit the space in which Steve Morton found himself on the left wing, where for most of the first half he was reduced to the role of a spectator. When playing a 3-5-2 the key is to pass the ball from your centre midfielders out to the wide players. The players were told this at half-time but we struggled to do this and in the second half Dalmore took more control and took their tally to five. It wasn't until the last ten minutes that Heriot-Watt started a barrage on the Dalmore goal with Leo Geddes heading over the bar from six yards and Pete Nicol and Craig Letson missing out on chances until finally Pete Nicol managed to get a consolation goal. It was no less than we deserved when he scrambled the ball home at the second attempt.
Secretary's Comment: I felt 5-1 was harsh on the team as there certainly wasn't a gulf in class, as the score line suggests there was, and unlike the game against Edinburgh University the week before, when Edinburgh had only managed to win by three goals despite having been far more dominant during the game than Dalmore had been. I spoke to Alan Potter, the Secretary of Dalmore, who agreed that the score flattered them and said that we lacked a striker or two. He offered me lots of advice, told us that we shouldn't give up and said that our players deserve great credit for not just pulling out of the league like Haddington Hotspurs did after four defeats. He said that he had no doubt that we would get a result soon. The boys knew that this Dalmore side was beatable.
Saturday, 20 November 2004
Dalmore U21 1 Heriot Watt University U21 1
William Cranston (pen)
Frazer Paterson returned after a knee injury, William Cranston after a groin strain and Lee Jamieson after a foot injury. We arrived at the Glencourse Sports Centre in Auchendinny, (near Penicuik) to be told by the Dalmore Secretary that they felt the pitch was slightly frozen but that Dalmore was willing to play. When we looked at the pitch, we disagreed, feeling that the pitch was solid and dangerous. We told the referee that we had decided not to play, but he ruled that the pitch was playable, so we were obliged to play under protest.
Within two minutes of the start, a Dalmore winger lost his footing and fell flat on his face and lots of players on both sides repeated this performance, being unable to get a stud into the ground to change direction. Numerous players on both teams had studs rather than moulded soles which made it even more dangerous. Heriot-Watt started strongly and took the game to their opponents who had beaten them 5-1 the week before. Gilbert Patterson was causing the Dalmore defenders all sorts of problems on the left wing with his creative flair and it was from his cross that a big chance came as Pete Nicol was crowded out by three defenders, who scrambled the ball out to the edge of the six-yard box, from where William Cranston's shot deflected off one of the defenders and went wide of the post for another corner.
Gilbert Patterson was delivering driven corners with pinpoint accuracy and he repeatedly found William Cranston, who was beating his man to the ball continuously: heading one back across goal and two or three just past the post or over the bar. Heriot-Watt's defence of Martyn White, Leo Geddes and Frazer Paterson was coping well and looking extremely comfortable against a strike force that had scored five against them the week before. Right wing-back Darryl however was having real problems standing, never mind creating anything, because he was wearing boots with long studs in them. The Watt dominated the first half and at half-time everyone was very disappointed that we had not taken the lead.
Calumn Frecksick, Steve Morton and Darryl Craig came off with injuries during the second half, but this had no effect on the course of the game as Heriot-Watt continued to look for goals. Lee Jamieson hit a shot wide from the edge of the box and Pete Nicholls was causing the Dalmore defence all sorts of problems, running for everything and pressurising the Dalmore defenders into mistakes. He was determined to show Dalmore Secretary Alan Potter that he is a great striker after Alan's comments the week before on our lack of a striker! This pressurising of defenders eventually got his team a penalty for a rash challenge by a defender. William Cranston stepped up to keep his 100% penalty record going, sending the Dalmore keeper the wrong way. He hurt his back as he slipped when he scored. Heriot-Watt were in the lead.
Dalmore managed to equalise in about the 70th minute when, after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the box, a looping shot came in. Andy Sutherland positioned himself behind the ball but it went through his hands and fell in to the net. The Watt didn't deserve this and started to launch attacks more quickly and to overrun the Dalmore players by the fitness of their midfield. The injection of pace of Fran Truss at RWB seemed to be paying dividends as he and Pete Nicholls were combining down the right wing and creating chances.
It was through the right wing that the best move of the game came when the ball was played from Fran Truss to William Cranston in the midfield. He held the ball up and then played Fran Truss away down the right wing. William Cranston continued his run into the box, received the ball back from Fran Truss and laid a pass into the path of Lee Jamieson, who had a gaping goal from ten yards out. However, Lee took a bad touch and hit the ball straight at the keeper for a huge let-off for Dalmore. Leo Geddes came off injured and Frazer Paterson was also limping, so Heriot-Watt had only ten men on the park and had to think about defending for the last five minutes as Dalmore tried to sneak a winner. Andy Sutherland saved a header, but no more goals were scored and Heriot-Watt deservedly collected their first point of the season.
Secretary's Comment: Absolutely delighted with the teams performance and it was a real shame and injustice that we didn't win. All throughout the team there were excellent performances, especially from Pete Nicholls, Gilbert Patterson and William Cranston. Pete Nicholls battled so hard and chased every ball and caused endless problems for the Dalmore defence. He never gives up and is an exceptional athlete who works tirelessly to create chances out of nothing for others. Today he showed Dalmore, by such a tremendous performance, just what a great player he is.
Saturday, 27 November 2004
Heriot Watt University U21 0 Salvesen U21 3
After last week's result against Dalmore, hopes were high that Heriot-Watt could produce a win, but last weeks frosty pitch had taken its toll, with our star defender Leo Geddes injured, Calumn Frecksick and Steve Morton still carrying knocks and Fran Truss and Martyn White being unavailable, meaning we were forced to play a weakened side. Without a regular choice central defender available, we were forced into playing Johnny Cockhill and William Cranston in defence and to give Jonathon Moore a chance to stake a claim for a regular slot at the back. However, these changes didn't stop the Watt trying to win and in the first half the team played some of the best passing football it has produced all season, with Jamie Stuart playing particularly well at left wing-back. Steve Morton, Calumn Frecksick and Duncan McAlly were passing well and with William Cranston also getting involved from the back, chances were being created.
This midfield dominance was allowing John Gillen to get on to the ball up front and to play people in. He laid it off for Steve Morton, who went on a dashing direct run past several Salvesen defenders but overran the ball and his shot was at a stretch and so was weak. Duncan McAlly was causing Salveson lots of problems with his mazy skills and when he stepped over a cutback, William Cranston blasted a shot over the management building. Jamie Stuart was played in by a long ball from William Cranston and caught the ball on the volley, nearly managing to lob the advancing goalkeeper. However just before half time he got cramp and had to be substituted. This was a real shame as he was a major reason that Heriot-Watt had been dominating the game. The Watt went behind before the break after Andy Sutherland dropped a cross at the feet of a Salvesen striker, who accepted the gift.
Duncan McAlly was substituted at half-time as he had a flight to catch. In the second half Heriot-Watt missed the two departed players and lost control of the centre of the pitch as the shape of the team vanished and John Lowry and Steve Colquhoun struggled in the middle of the park. Having collected the ball from a throw-in at the back, William Cranston's attempted clearance was charged down and he then fell over, giving a Salvesen striker an opportunity one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he missed the target. However, Salvesen scored a second goal after their tall striker miscontrolled the ball, deceiving William Cranston, and fired in a cut back which Jonathon Moore was unable to avoid turning into his own net. Salvesen scored a third when their striker dinked the ball over the advancing keeper very deftly. Heriot-Watt's only second-half chances of note were John Gillen's forty-yard strike, which just missed the junction of post and bar by a yard, and a header from the same player which also came close.
Secretary's comment: A real game of two halves. The first half was full of positives and the second was full of negatives, apart from the performance of John Gillen, who was a constant menace throughout. He showed today things that I didn't think he was able to do. He showed his skills and also, most importantly, for the first time he showed that he could perform the target man's job by holding up the ball for as long as required until support arrives. He was rarely dispossessed. Another player who played particularly well was Jamie Stuart, who played his best half of football for Heriot-Watt, coinciding with it being one of the team's best too. He linked up defence to attack very well - but only for half a game, as he is plagued by cramp. We can't afford to play lame ducks so it is important that he goes away and works on his fitness over the holidays then maybe he will be able to solve our left hand side problem. These were the positives. The negatives involve the complete lack of shape and the inability to beat the weakest side we have played so far.
Saturday, 4 December 2004
Penicuik U21 3 Heriot Watt University U21 2
John Gillen
Declan Doherty
Darryl Smith and Jamie Stuart had gone home to Montrose for the pre-exam weekend and Leo Geddes was still injured. However, Declan Doherty was playing his first game back for the University after coming back from a serious injury that had kept him out since last season. So we had the luxury of him playing up front. Heriot-Watt travelled in style to this game, going by the 37 bus, as we didn't have enough cars - but to be honest it was quite good fun. Lee Jamieson and Stewart Harkins sang songs on the bus but had to watch carefully their choice of lyrics, being on a public bus, when they looked at how young some of the passengers were.
It was really really windy and in the first half Heriot-Watt had the wind in their faces. The Penicuik 'keeper was booting the ball and landing it just in front of the Watt box, causing the defenders real problems. Penicuik mounted constant pressure on the Heriot-Watt goal and scored when a striker took on Jonathon Moore and finished with a strike into the bottom corner. Penicuik scored a second when Jonathon Moore was again beaten, the striker lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. William Cranston looked to have got back to cut it off on its way to the net but didn't manage to keep it out and followed the ball in to the net.
It should probably have been more than two in the first half, but it was Heriot-Watt who added to the scoring with a goal on the stroke of half time to pull them back in to the gam. William Cranston hit a fifty-yard pass to play in Fran Truss on the right wing and his cross found John Gillen, who then smashed the ball in from six yards out. Declan Doherty was causing the Penicuik players problems with his running with the ball. Everyone was delighted to be just losing 2-1 at half-time considering we had been against the wind in the first half and many players such as Steve Morton were encouraging everyone to believe that the game was there to be won, as we knew the wind would now help us and cause problems for Penicuik.
Unfortunately, however, the wind died down - but Heriot Watt didn't and kept looking for the goal to bring them level. They thought they had found it when Gary Sinnet played in Lee Jamieson, who was through one-on-one with the advancing 'keeper, but struck his shot wide of the post. There were other chances too and it looked as if it would only be a matter of time until it was even, but Heriot-Watt was caught on the break by a quick counter-attack to make it 3-1. This goal didn't change the momentum of the second half and the Watt continued to battle and look for a way back in to the game, having a few scrambles in their opponents' box. A fine save from the Penicuik keeper kept a William Cranston header out and Declan Doherty and John Gillen had shots saved, but it wasn't until the 89th minute that Declan Doherty ran through on the keeper and slotted the ball in to the net. By this time it was too late to save the match and Penicuik managed to hold on for a win.
Secretary's comment: This was a really exciting game to be a part of; it was so even and could have gone either way. The wind in the first half was terrible and we did very well only to concede two goals. I'm sure if the wind had continued to blow they would have had major problems as well. We were just unlucky when the conditions changed. The whole team played well and on a different day it could have gone our way. Stewart Harkins played well in the middle and John Gillen played well again. Fran Truss also put in a lot of effort and hard graft. Not forgetting Johnny Cockhill and Martyn White, who organised the defence and tried to keep me in position. The defence had a really hard task in the first half. In retrospect, the central midfielders should have dropped deeper so that their heads would have been where the goal keeper's kicks were landing. This was the last game of the first term.
Saturday, 15 January 2005
Heriot Watt University U21 5 Dalmore U21 3
Barry Maddox
Euan Lachlan*3
Lee Jamieson
Saturday, 22 January 2005
Heriot Watt University U21 2 Preston Athletic 8
William Cranston (Pen)
Aiden Blake
Saturday, 5 February 2005
Lochend U21 4 Heriot Watt University U21 0