Edinburgh Academicals V DUNEDIN ATHLETIC, Wednesday 21 August 2013, Wardie Playing Fields: The superb surface at Wardie was unfortunately let down by a poorly lined park at Wardie, making refereeing decisions difficult at best and at times impossible. This caused a stuttering start to the game by both sides with little football played until both teams got used to conditions. Once the game settled down, Dunedin looked the stronger of the two sides with early chances from Gemmell, Rodgers and Falconer almost leading to opening goals. At the other end, Jackson, Boyle and Arthur Martin making his league debut for Dunedin were looking solid. Unfortunately an early injury to Hurd saw Darren Berwick, fresh from the Cypriot sun, making an earlier than anticipated return to action at Centre Half. Good passages of play co-ordinated by the no.6 and no.10 from Accies were causing Dunedin problems in the middle of the park but there was little goalmouth action in the first 45 minutes. HT 0-0 The second half started with Accies pressing for an opener, the Dunedin back four losing their shape for the first time in the match and chances being made by the home side. Only block tackles by Berwick and Martin on the edge of the 18 yard line preventing shots on goal. The home side had a legitimate claim for a penalty in a bizarre incident when Lee Jackson, mistaking a whistle from another playing field as the referees, picked the ball up in his own box and threw it to an Accies player believe it was a throw in. Animated protests from the home bench and Accies players fell on deaf ears, the referee adopting a ‘common sense’ approach and playing on, Boyle receiving a yellow card for remonstrating with teh away dug out in the process. The game now opening out saw Dunedin carve out opportunities through the pace of Gemmell down the line, firing crosses across the Accies box with only some desperate defending to thank for the home side not conceding. Accies made some changes to personnel and managed to create their own opportunities, with Burnett dealing well with cross balls and dealing with long range efforts superbly. Dunedin had their own claims for a penalty waved away when a complete miskick by the Accies centre half bobbled up onto his arm – again, the referee insisting it was accidental and therefore no penalty, potentially weighing up his earlier decision. The addition of Chalmers (Seaton, 70) and Sanderson (Boyle, 75) proved to add another dimension to the Dunedin attack. No less than four corners were conceded by Accies in the final ten minutes, with Gemmell coming close with a header from range only to see it hit his own player with Berwick trying in vain to turn it home. Dunedin disappointed not to take all three points in a tough fought encounter, but a solid point gained away from home, another clean sheet and a battling team performance all bode well for the season ahead. Team: GK Burnett, Martin, Jackson, Hurd (Berwick 20), Boyle (Sanderson 75), Seaton (Chalmers, 70), Binney, Munro (C), Falconer, Rodger, Gemmell. Unused subs: Finn, Bateman. MOTM: Lee Jackson, with Arthur Martin & Ali Burnett contending. Dunedin are proudly sponsored by Balbeggie Steel Structures – balbeggiesteelstructures.co.uk
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:40:43 +0000
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