In recent weeks, ACO goals were a rarer sight than seeing Rangers getting a dubious refereeing decision going in their favour. Departing from his normal cautious approach, Head Coach Stuart opted for a radical formation and personnel change by pushing Matt up alongside Guy and asking Callum to look after the right midfield area. The appearance of Steven shortly before the start was encouraging, although his ongoing recovery meant that only a short appearance could be expected.

Within a few minutes it became clear that the new formation was the right tactical choice as Stars adopted a rigid back-four lineup. This meant that the pace of Guy and Matt could be used to good effect and time and again some excellent through-balls from Lewis, Michael and Callum racing in on goals. As in previous weeks, however, it was our misfortune to be up against a goalie in inspired form and he did a great job in ensuring that the game remained goalless during the opening spell.

In one of their brief moves forward, Stars won a corner and, to the amazement of the travelling ACO support and the delight of the home crowd, their striker rose unopposed to head a simple goal past the bemused ranks of the ACO defence. This encouraged Stars no end but ACO responded well and very soon normal service was resumed with the offside trap being breached regularly but shot after shot failed to hit the target.

Another promising attack built up as Matt broke forward and played and nice ball to the side into the path of Callum who had come charging forward in support. Without breaking his stride, Callum played the ball into the middle where it was met by the top of Guy’s head. The ball soared high and, just when it looked like it might go over the bar, it dipped viciously behind the goalie to give ACO their well-deserved equaliser. As the half-time break approached, ACO were incredibly unlucky not to take the lead when Matt’s shot hit the bar, bounced high, then hit the bar again on the way down.
Half-Time: Edinburgh South FC Stars ... 1  AC Oxgangs ... 1

Encouraged by his tactical changes so far, Head Coach Stuart rang more changes by giving Matt a rest, pushing Neil up beside Guy and asking Alex to sweep up behind the solid line of Jakey, Cammie and Fraser.

The second half continued much the same as before with a couple of promising runs from Neil and Guy coming to nothing but once again ACO were caught out by a simple high ball into the area which fell kindly for a Stars forward who struck the ball into the net but, fortunately for ACO, from a position which was well offside.

The match grew ever-more tense as both sides tried to get the winner in normal time. As time wore on the beleaguered Stars defence came under more and more pressure. Matt came on with fresh legs to replace Guy who had taken a bit of a knock and he created a 3-man attack with Zippy and Neil. The Stars defence was harried into conceding a goal on the ACO left and, before the defence could get organised, Neil took a quick throw to Zippy who weaved unopposed into the box, took careful aim and smashed the ball past the goalie to shouts of delight from the ACO support and massed congratulations from his team-mates.

ACO continued to maintain pressure and Michael started finding a bit more space in midfield as Stars pushed forward in search of a late equaliser. The better chances fell to ACO and it rightly fell to Matt to put the final nail in the coffin as an astute pass from Michael released him into the area and his low hard shot was too hot for the keeper to handle as it beat him at his near post.

Neil, Callum and Lewis dropped back to close up the midfield and left Matt as the lone striker and this allowed ACO to see out the last few minutes without much threat on their lead.
Full-Time: Edinburgh South FC Stars ... 1  AC Oxgangs ... 3

A real sense of determination on the part of the boys to make sure they won this hard-fought game. Stars did all they could to win but they found that ACO were in no mood to let their abundance of chances get them down. In true Ally McCoist style the boys just forgot about all the missed opportunities and dug deep to make sure they created some more. A classic cup-tie which sees them march into the third round of the Ken Ritchie Cup.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

Being drawn against higher-league opposition for this Lothian Buses Cup clash was always going to present a stiff challenge for ACO, but the absence of Lewis, Callum and Steven meant that the squad’s resources would also be stretched to the limit. A strong wind blowing across Meggetland ensured that silky football skills would be at a premium, but at least the underfoot conditions were good considering the recent poor weather. Congratulations to both sets of players for immaculately observing the one minute’s silence prior to the kick-off.

Despite the serious personnel issues, Head Coach Stuart was still able to field a familiar line-up, with Cammie slotting nicely into the central defensive position normally filled by Callum. With Jakey and Fraser on either side of Cammie and Neil sweeping in front of Andy, it was almost like a throwback to three years ago when these five joined up for the first time in the Soccer 7s squad. Plenty of experience at the back, then, and plenty of attacking options up front with Zippy on the left and Matt on the right supporting Guy whenever we broke forward.

Attacking options, however, were limited during the opening 10 minutes as the ACO defence came under sustained pressure but some calm work by Jakey and Neil combined with solid tackling from Cammie and Fraser meant that Andy had no direct shots to deal with. Despite the wind, Cammie was putting in some tremendous clearances, not least from goal-kicks and free-kicks. This solid platform gave ACO the confidence to launch a couple of attacks and one delightful pass from Guy split the defence and allowed Matt to race through but the United goalie got there just in time. Not long afterwards, Guy chased a 50-50 ball with two defenders but they just managed to crowd him out.

ACO were playing very well despite the conditions and their First Division opponents slowly began to realise they were in a real match. A couple of corners from United gave them a chance to work some pre-rehearsed moves but ACO defended in numbers and were able to clear to safety on both occasions. With half-time approaching it looked like ACO would be able to turn round and get a slight benefit from the wind in the second half, but United were able to break on the right and their dangerous winger cut in to fire a hard shot towards Andy’s far post. Andy leapt full length and managed to palm the ball away, but it only went as far as a striker lurking unnoticed beside the post and the ball was tapped in to give United the lead.
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 0   Edinburgh United FC ... 1

Although it was disappointing to go behind after containing United so well for most of the half, the boys showed at the start of the half that they still had a real appetite for the game. No change was made to the formation as it was expected that sooner or later ACO would get the break of the ball in attack – United had handled everything well so far.

Although ACO managed to push the game further into the United half, it was United who scored next by clinically finishing off their first real attack. Two minutes later and it looked worrying for ACO as a soft goal was conceded go give United a three-goal lead. This meant a radical change to tactics as ACO did all they could to rescue the tie – Jakey and Neil were pushed forward and Matt joined Guy through the middle, leaving Cammie, Alex and Kai to do a lot of covering at the back. Almost immediately this had the desired effect as Matt latched onto a pass from Guy and, despite being forced wide in the box, managed to drive in a hard shot which the goalie did well to turn past.

Next, a break by Peter on the right saw the ball played into space in the box and Zippy was just a fraction late to make contact. After all this pressure, it was a bit of a killer when United broke away and yet again managed to convert their chance. Still ACO came back and first Neil fired in a shot from 30 metres which the goalie had to clutch high above his head, followed by Matt making some space on the edge of the area and chipping the ball high towards the goal, only to see the ball once again being held firmly by the keeper.

United kept all their forwards on the pitch which meant that the diluted ACO defence had to work really hard to keep them out, but even the excellent defending seen throughout the match could do nothing to prevent the next goal as the United striker killed the ball with one touch, then swivelled and hit it high into the net. Andy was later left exposed as the tiring ACO conceded the final goal.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 0   Edinburgh United FC ... 6

ACO matched their more illustrious opponents in the first half and the result was in doubt until the third goal went in. Even then, a weaker goalie could easily have conceded two or three of the ACO attempts but ACO had no luck at all in front of goal while United showed a clinical touch to the openings they created. Full marks to the depleted ACO squad for a great effort in very tricky conditions on a cold day. Good luck to United in the next round of the Cup.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

After yet another two-week break it was good to get back to a proper match even if the heavy underfoot conditions failed to live up to the excellent overhead conditions. Unbelievably this was only our second league game of the season and it was the reverse fixture of our opening game which had been won in fine 8-1 style. Surely a home banker then, but as we all now know with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, bankers are not the sort of people to put any money on in these credit crunch times.

During the opening minutes it became clear that this Bonnyrigg side was determined to avoid any repetition of the previous scoreline. Their defence put in a series of firm tackles to thwart the marauding ACO forwards and, when gaps appeared, their goalie showed he was in no mood to hurt his back by picking the ball out of the net eight times. With only the occasional ball coming near the ACO penalty area it looked only a matter of time before the Bonnyrigg defence cracked. Zippy and Guy were linking well up front and one smart move saw Zippy break clear into the box but the goalie stood up well to the onrushing striker and collected the chipped shot comfortably. Next to go close was Matt who burst in from the right, rode a couple of desperate tackles and shot towards the corner, only to see the ball skip past the post.

The Bonnyrigg defending became ever more desperate in the face of continual ACO pressure. One dangerous ball to the edge of the area had to be cleared by the goalie rushing quickly from his line and clearing it, but the ball only went as far as Lewis. From 35 metres, Lewis saw the vacant goalmouth and hit a first-time shot over the defence and past the goalie but once again the ball slipped narrowly past. Just when it looked like the half might finish goal-less, Steven picked the ball up in midfield, shaped as if to go wide but instead cut quickly into the box. Evading one tackle he found himself with a clear shot and he didn’t waste it, sticking it well away from the goalie and into the net to give ACO a long overdue lead.
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 1   Bonnyrigg Rose BC Reds ... 0

Andy had only rarely had a touch of the ball in the first half so it was difficult to see where any threat could come from, especially as the early stages of the second half evolved into a grim midfield battle. With Cammie and Alex joining Neil and Calum in the defensive line in front of Andy, it looked like it would need something out of the ordinary for Bonnyrigg to get back into the game, but with only a one goal lead ACO knew they really needed a second goal just to tie things up. Jakey and Kai were pushed into wide attacking roles to support Guy in the middle.

Any chances continued to arise at the Bonnyrigg end as more last-minute tackles brought ACO a couple of free-kicks, both of which were well dealt with by the goalie. Corners for ACO came and went with both Matt and Steven putting over good quality crosses which glanced off heads, shoulders and knees but just failed to get the finishing touch which their delivery deserved. Instead, it was a corner to Bonnyrigg which eventually led to the next goal. The ACO defence once again looked like it had cleared the danger but play was brought to a halt by the shrill blast of the referee’s whistle. The referee indicated that one of the Bonnyrigg players had been pushed so a penalty was awarded and then duly driven past Andy.

To their credit, ACO surged forward with a determination to restore their lead. A couple of corners were won, but came to nought and intense pressure just didn’t see the ball fall kindly. After yet another fruitless corner for ACO the whistle went to bring the match to a close.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 1   Bonnyrigg Rose BC Reds ... 1

A big change in the Bonnyrigg side from the one which ACO faced a couple of months ago and a big change in the standard of pitch combined to make this a far more difficult fixture than we had expected. Once again the boys’ profligacy in front of goals came back to haunt them – a one goal lead at half-time was scant reward for all their good lead-up play. The tackling in midfield and defence was good and Andy had a very quiet match apart from the penalty. All in all, a hard lesson for the boys that one goal is never really enough when just one decision can create an equaliser out of nothing.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

With Head Coach Stuart announcing himself unfit (still sick as a parrot after watching Scotland struggle against Norway) it was left to Mrs Head Coach to play a blinder by turning up with the boys’ new red and black away kit, courtesy of new co-sponsors Belmont Vauxhall. A big thanks to Belmont for their generosity. Even in the absence of Joe and Steven, and with Peter and Neil declaring themselves unavailable for the whole match (due to pining for their Head Coach), your writer still managed to put together a side along familiar lines. Good to see Andy back after his recent injury, his return meaning that Cammie reverted to his left-back role.

The ground conditions were heavy but Loanhead had done well to get the pitch into playable condition considering the large puddles behind one of the goals. Unusually, Loanhead opted to change ends after winning the toss leaving them kicking slightly uphill in the first half – the ACO coaching team wondered if this was a tactical move ranking alongside Hibs’ historic preferences for using the Easter Road slope in years gone by.

Play kicked off and all the early pressure came from ACO. Whenever Loanhead pushed forward they found Guy time and again being given too much space and the striker managed to race away from the defence a couple of times only to find the goalie in good form. Michael, Lewis and Matt were providing good support and it seemed to be a matter of time before one of the loose balls in the area would be stuck away. To give more hope of an ACO boot putting the finishing touch on all the good lead-up play, Zippy was moved from his left-wing role into a more central role alongside Guy.

Still the chances came and went and, with the Loanhead goalie holding everything thrown at him, it began to look like ACO would have as much chance of scoring as a Scotland front four made up of Chris Iwelumo, Chris Iwelumo, Chris Iwelumo and Chris Iwelumo. With Alex playing well as sweeper, Neil was brought on to give the hard-working Liam a breather. Peter’s pace was also added up front as ACO pushed to get the goal their play deserved but, as half-time approached, Loanhead broke forward. Neil raced back to put in a tackle and, as the ball broke loose, the referee blew for a foul. A difficult call but ACO took it on the chin. If that was a thump to the chin, the next kick was a knockout blow. From 20 metres, the Loanhead player hit a beautiful free kick over the wall and Andy was helpless as it dipped a couple of inches under his enormous bar – impossible for a 12-year old goalkeeper to reach but fair play for the quality of the strike. 10 seconds after the kick-off the referee blew for halftime.
Half-Time: Loanhead Miners YFC ... 1  AC Oxgangs ... 0

In an effort to bring even more forward power into the game, Kai was brought on at the start of the second half but, as play re-started, it became clear why Loanhead had been kicking uphill at the start. They flew out of the traps clearly determined to get on the front foot and push home their 1-goal advantage. Before ACO had a chance to settle down Loanhead made progress down the right and, from an ever-tightening angle, their winger managed to knick the ball past Andy to double their lead. If ACO felt they had been mugged in the first half, they now wore the look of poor wee souls who had been mugged twice in the space of five minutes.

Credit to the boys, however, as they continued to push forward with Peter, Guy, Zippy and Matt seeing plenty of the ball on the edge of the box but just unable to make the crucial breakthrough. After seeing countless intricate passing moves coming to nought, Matt decided to take matters into his own hands by beating two players and bursting into the box only to be brought crashing to the ground. An easy decision for the referee as he pointed to the spot. Despite the trauma of missing a crucial last-minute penalty in last season’s Meadows Festival, Neil stepped up to take the kick and brought ACO back into the match by placing it low into the corner in scenes reminiscent of Stuart Pearce scoring in Euro 96.

ACO now started playing with real confidence and time and again they made their way into the box only to be denied by some stalwart last-ditch tackles or by some stunning saves. The four-man attack was doing everything possible but the ball just wasn’t running for them – something special was clearly needed. After another fine move amongst the main strikers, the ball was played from Guy to Kai and, from 15 metres out, he hit a high curling shot to the far post and saw it loop over everyone and into the net – a stunning way to get his first ACO goal and the whole team celebrated with him.

Rather than wait for extra-time, ACO pushed for the winner and, after another couple of good saves from the goalie it looked like they had finally made the breakthrough when Guy controlled a difficult pass on the edge of the 6-yard box, steadied himself and then blasted the ball wide of the goalie. Unbelievably, the goalie leapt to his side and somehow got a firm hand on the ball to palm it away – a stunning save which brought applause from around the park. ACO by now were looking faster than the tiring Loanhead side but the home team dug deep to protect their goal and then, in a rare venture forward, they were awarded a free kick on their left wing. With shouts coming from the ACO supporters to protect the back post and to get a head on the ball, it came as no surprise when the deadly free-kick taker floated the ball in to his striker at the back post and the ball was bundled into the net to restore Loanhead’s lead.

ACO threw everything forward in the last couple of minutes – an excellent free kick from Matt was headed narrowly over by Cammie and the big man came very close again when he reacted quickly to get a shin on an attempted clearance, only to see the ball skim past the post. Very close but another equaliser remained out of reach.
Full-Time: Loanhead Miners YFC ... 3  AC Oxgangs ... 2

A few tough lessons for the boys today as they learned that they really need to take their chances when well on top in a game, especially when it was clear from early on that they were up against an inspired goalie who wasn’t going to give away any cheap goals.

The set-piece warning signs were clear for ACO right from the warm-up when there was no conviction in going for cross balls. This came back to haunt them in a match which, unusually saw three goals from set pieces and only two from open play. On the positive side, to come back from two goals down in the second half of an away fixture was no mean feat and against most other defences the ACO attacks would have produced several goals. Right to the end the boys continued to play good football going forward and kept the travelling support right on their toes until the final whistle.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

Head Coach Stuart appeared at a sunlit Meggetland smug in the knowledge that he managed to shuffle his squad to cover up for the significant absences of Peter and Michael for this Lothian Buses Cup match. His smugness proved to be unjustified however when the hobbling figure of Andy appeared (slowly) over the horizon. The goalie had sustained a bit of a knock in a minority sport he had played yesterday but he had bravely turned up ready for action. However, a quick fitness test from the Head Coach showed that Andy was some way short of his cat-like best. Fortunately, Cammie had brought along his goalie gear and willingly stepped forward to take Andy’s place, while Andy tried to find a spare place on the packed terraces so that he could enjoy the game along with the huge ACO support. Refreshing to see a friendly spirit amongst the crowd as one ACO dad turned up wearing Cavalry Park colours – he claimed to be a genuine ACO supporter but he didn’t look like one.

On a perfect surface both teams enjoyed knocking the ball around and the opening 20 minutes saw a bit of pressure at both ends, with ACO having the balance of play. Matt was unlucky to be caught offside a couple of times as Guy tried to play him in behind the defence but it was a dangerous game Cavalry were playing. The next opportunity Matt had for getting forward he timed his run brilliantly and hammered a low ball right across the 6-yard box. It was missed by the Cavalry defence and Joe just failed to make contact at the back post after sprinting in from the left wing. Joe’s moment was only delayed – a couple of minutes later the ACO midfield won a ball midway inside the Cavalry half. T surged forward into the box and, just when it looked like he might have a crack himself, he slipped the ball to Joe who hit the ball first time with his right foot and it went low into the net. A minute before half-time ACO deservedly doubled their lead when Steven picked up a loose ball in the middle of the park and, from just outside the box, placed the ball just inside the post to give the goalie no chance. 
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 2  Cavalry Park SC .. 0

Cheered on by their enthusiastic supporters, Cavalry started the second half very fast but, by this stage of the game, Cammie had started to make his presence felt with some firm handling and good positioning. His clearances were excellent and often helped turn defence into attack. The fresh legs of Zippy and Lewis had also made an appearance and it wasn’t long before this twosome were making their presence felt as they slotted into the smooth ACO midfield.

After seeing off the initial Cavalry charge, ACO started to carve out a couple of openings and after some neat build-up play on the right, Guy worked his way along the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Joe to claim his second of the day. Zippy was beginning to cause havoc on the left wing with his quick twists and turns and one particularly sweet nutmeg. He was a nightmare for the defence to deal with in the box and one mazy run brought a sublime finish when he laid the ball off for Guy to finish with a well-placed shot from distance which hit off the base of the post before trundling over the line.

Nothing at all slow-motion about the next time the ball crossed the Cavalry line as a nice lay-back from Guy in the area was met by the onrushing Lewis who absolutely creamed it into the net to wrap up the scoring.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 5  Cavalry Park SC .. 0

A deserved victory for ACO who really enjoyed themselves on the great surface – some of the passing in the second half was great to watch as the boys seemed to realise that the movements they regularly put together in training can also be used in a competitive match. The ACO defence was solid throughout the match and time and again the dangerous Cavalry left-winger and their big number 6 found all their good efforts foundering on the defensive rocks. On the few occasions when they managed to get shots in, they found Cammie to be in great form. As well as stopping the shots, Cammie’s distribution was excellent – his high clearances from hand caused no end of trouble for the Cavalry midfield while his clever use of short clearances meant that Cavalry could never be sure of what defensive formation they should take up. A well-deserved clean sheet for the stand-in goalie and stand-in captain and a good victory for the whole squad.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

Forget about games of two halves – this Ken Ritchie Cup match was a game of four quarters. The first quarter belonged to ACO as some sweet passing movements kept the bigger Spartans side constantly on the turn. Guy was a constant nuisance to the Spartans defence as he chased down each ball, causing a lot of indecision amongst their defenders in and around the penalty box. His efforts were rewarded after 15 minutes when a long ball forward bounced around various defenders before Guy got a foot to it, raced past two defenders and stuck it into the net.

The goal was no more than ACO deserved at this stage. Spartans responded well and immediately lifted the pace to put the ACO defence under some real pressure. Just when it looked like Spartans were running out of ides they equalised in great fashion when their dangerous number 10 moved onto a ball on the right wing. From the corner of the penalty area he hit an absolute screamer of a shot past Andy and into the net.

It was now Spartans’ turn to exert influence on the game and within two minutes they were unlucky not to take the lead when a shot from just inside the box flew past the ACO defence, crashed off the bar, hit the ground and bounced to safety. As if this wasn’t enough, the same tactic was used again shortly afterwards as another long-range shot saw Andy get his hands to the ball only to see it run loose and come firing back goalwards. A Neil header off the line and a good block from Jakey were required to keep the ACO goal intact. Half-time came with Spartans on the ascendency.
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 1  Spartans FC Whites .. 1

Head Coach Stuart shuffled his pack and brought on Peter up front, Matt on the right, Kai on the left midfield and Cammie into left defence.

The fresh legs had the desired effect and ACO were first out of the block as they once again started asking questions of the Spartans defence. Their left-back was put under pressure first by a strong run by Peter and then by Matt sprinting past on the touchline. Both runs were brought to a halt by strong challenges which brought shouts for a penalty and a foul, but the well-positioned referee waved play-on both times.

Steven and Michael were also finding space in midfield to probe away at the defence but, after all the good combination play, the breakthrough came from a more direct route. An outswinging corner from Matt found Cammie unmarked and his first-time shot was true and straight and gave the goalie no chance. The element of surprise of Cammie sneaking quietly into the box and then hitting the ball true and straight was a devious ploy which nobody had been expecting.

However, the large ACO support fully expected another Cammie celebration and the big man didn’t disappoint as he raced back to his defensive position. All of a sudden it looked a simple game as Zippy and Matt began to find plenty of space down the wings. The two combined to great effect as Matt beat a couple of players, hit the bye-line and pulled a hard low ball right across the face of the goal. Just as it looked as if it would evade any touch, Zippy raced in from the left and met it in the air to place it neatly into the net. This gave the wee winger a real boost and he started causing havoc for the Spartans defence. After a couple of close things he chased an apparently lost cause, caught the ball right on the line and pulled it back into the path of Guy who stuck it into the corner, well away from the goalie.

At 4-1 it looked like the match was all over but we were now moving into the last quarter so it was time for Spartans to take over again. After some good defending by ACO to defuse an attack, the ball was given away by being played right into the path of the Spartans’ number 10 who once again almost lifted the net from the posts to bring Spartans right back into the match.

ACO had clearly not learned to mark the danger man as the very next attack saw a cross being met by the number 10 and he was unlucky to see his header smacking against the bar. It was now all hands to the pump as the Spartans midfield took control of the centre of the park. With less than 10 minutes left Spartans set up a grandstand finish by pulling another goal back after more sloppy ACO defending. With the gap down to only one goal ACO suddenly woke up to the prospect of being denied victory. The Iron Curtain defence finally closed the door on the Spartans attack and the midfield started to move forward again in numbers.

Only three minutes remained as the ball was played out to Zippy on the left. With the crowd hoping he would take it into the corner to run down time, Zippy showed he had other ideas as he fired a ball along the 6-yard box right into the path of the fast-arriving ACO midfielders. Amazingly, the ball was missed by all four (nameless) midfielders despite the shouts of “somebody hit it” from the anxious ACO support. Just as it looked as if the ball would drift too far to the right, Jakey arrived from his wing-back position and got a good contact on the ball. The goalie got a hand to it but the sheer power on the shot saw the ball trickle slowly over the line to give ACO some breathing space. This time, ACO were to give no further chances to Spartans and the final whistle blew not long afterwards.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 5  Spartans FC Whites .. 3

A very close match which see-sawed from side to side. Spartans will feel aggrieved at hitting the metalwork twice while ACO were almost left to rue several scorable chances. If the ACO finishing had been a bit more clinical it could have been a more relaxing morning for their supporters, but the boys deserve a lot of credit for refusing to be overpowered when the match looked like it was swinging Spartans’ way.

The football played by ACO at the start of both halves was a joy to watch and it was these two fruitful 15-minute periods which eventually allowed this ACO side to claim their first-ever win against Spartans.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

With his squad already heavily depleted by injuries Head Coach Stuart was delighted to see Guy turn up for this Scottish Cup match, kitted out to play if required. His joy was short-lived, however, as T struggled onto the pitch, obviously the worse for wear after one of the infamous sleepovers chez Cammie – watching DVDs and eating popcorn until 6am is clearly a bit too much for mere mortals, although Cammie bounded onto the pitch fit and raring to go. The 11 fit players took to the field, leaving T and Guy on the touchline discussing their respective ailments.

The match kicked off in bright sunshine, which was a pleasure in itself. Even more of a pleasure as the game settled down and both teams began to pass the ball around. ACO had opted for a highly experienced back-line of Callum, Cammie and Jakey with Neil sweeping up in front of Captain Andy. This looked to be a wise selection as time after time in the opening 10 minutes Strollers pushed forward with some neat moves. Their left winger in particular looked very sharp and Jakey had to be on top of his game to keep between the winger and the goal. Several times the winger tried to speed towards the touchline but Jakey was so quick on the turn that he was always able to knock the ball to safety.

This confident showing at the back gradually gave ACO the confidence to push forward and Joe and Michael slowly started imposing themselves in midfield. Much to the frustration of Peter, Matt and Zippy, Strollers were playing a well-drilled offside trap and on a couple of occasions one or two ACO forwards fell straight into the trap. However, this was a dangerous game for Strollers to play and eventually they came undone when Zippy won the ball in the middle of the park, played the ball to the edge of the box, beat a defender to the ball and then nipped it under the goalie as he came out to give ACO the lead.

Two minutes later and Zippy claimed his second as Michael played a delightful ball into a big space in the area. Zippy ran through unchallenged and then blasted the ball just under the bar and into the net – nothing as simple as rolling the ball behind the goalie. The ACO defence was still being put under pressure but Andy’s handling was immaculate – a couple of shots were hit hard from distance but Andy made no mistake in smothering the ball and holding onto it. After an extensive warm-up period, Guy was unleashed in place of the hard-working Peter. It didn’t take Guy long to make an impression as Joe, not for the first time, won a tackle on the left side and then played a defence-splitting pass just short of the penalty area. Guy latched onto it, ran into the box and passed the ball into the corner to give ACO a bit of breathing space. That breathing space extended further shortly before half-time as the two goalscorers combined to devastating effect – Zippy picked up the ball wide on the right, moved along the bye-line and then pulled the ball back for Guy to finish in style.
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 4  Civil Service Strollers Colts .. 0 

A four-goal lead was probably a bit of an unfair reflection on a Strollers’ performance which carried a constant threat to ACO. The solid in-depth defending from ACO contrasted with Strollers’ offside trap which, although largely effective, left the goalie exposed on the few occasions it was breached. This pattern continued shortly after the break when Guy once again managed to break through the defensive line and, although he managed to get a shot on target, he clearly hurt himself in the process and was immediately withdrawn as a precaution. T had come on for a short time in the first half and, even though he had managed to put in some solid tackles, he was well short of being 100%.

It was therefore left to the 11 on the field to see out the rest of the game but one after one the players started suffering from the intense heat, fast pace and hard tackling. Jakey, Michael, Neil and Matt all reported various knocks but each of them slotted back into their positions to avoid their team-mates being left short-handed. Zippy came on to replace Guy and soon made his presence felt as yet another astute ball forward from Michael caused some hesitation in the Strollers’ defence. No hesitation from Zippy as he latched onto the ball and hit it low into the next to claim his hat-trick. As he wheeled away in celebration the crowd watched with baited breath as he made as if to take off the famous black and blue shirt. This was just a Zippy wind-up and he settled for a kiss of the badge and a wave to the applauding spectators.

The players had done well to establish a lead but the injuries were beginning to take their toll. Thankfully for ACO, Cammie, Joe and Peter were still full of running. For the umpteenth time, Cammie won the ball in the left-back position and played it forward to Peter. Joe was quickly up in support, called for the ball and Peter played it exactly right to break through the defensive line. Joe, despite having run from halfway, was strong enough hold off a determined challenge in the box and drive the ball past the goalie to wrap up the scoring with a well-deserved goal.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 6  Civil Service Strollers Colts .. 0

A great result for ACO against a well-organised, fit and strong Strollers who never gave up trying. Very hard work for the depleted squad but everyone did their bit for the team and showed how quickly they could learn to deal with offside traps. Encouraging for the defence and Andy to come away with a clean sheet after facing up to dangerous attackers for so long. Onto the next round …

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

Summer signing Calum made his debut today as the boys made their first appearance in the Belmont Vauxhall Cup. With Guy still suffering from the knee injury sustained on Thursday evening he had to drop out, leaving Peter to operate as the lone striker. The rest of the team had a familiar look about it with Michael and Matt being asked to get up and support Peter whenever possible.

It soon became clear that we had two very evenly-matched teams on display. ACO did most of the attacking at the start but the Craigroyston defence was impressively solid. On several occasions it looked like Matt or Peter would break free but last-ditch tackling and good positional play from the defence meant it was virtually impossible to get a clear shot on goal.

At the other end, Craigroyston started to carve out some chances. Their midfield were very quick to get up to support their strikers with the result that the ACO defence looked stretched from time to time. As half-time approached, another good spell of ACO pressure once again foundered on the rocks of the Craigroyston defence and a quick breakout saw their attack outnumbering the ACO defence. Andy could do nothing about it as the ball was passed to an unmarked striker in the box and he stuck the ball away. This was a hammer blow as ACO had enjoyed the bulk of possession but just couldn’t get a clear sight of the goalmouth.
Half-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 0  Craigroyston BC .. 1

The second half began in much the same fashion as the first with ACO pressing but the Craigroyston defence handling everything that could be thrown at them. In contrast, Craigroyston looked much more of a threat when they moved forward in numbers and before long another break saw them double their lead. This was followed shortly afterwards by what appeared to be the killer goal as a dangerous ball was played in from the left. Kai did a great job of getting back a split second before the forward and managed to toe-pock the ball away. Most days the ball would have gone safely past the post but today it decided to sneak in at the far post.

At three goals down with only fifteen minutes left the boys could be forgiven if their heads had gone down but they showed great spirit to once again turn the pressure on Craigroyston. The midfield really got the bit between their teeth, especially when Steven picked up the ball in the middle of the park, strode past a couple of challenges and then hit the ball from the edge of the area well away from the goalie and into the net. Five minutes later and another spell of ACO pressure paid off – Matt threw over another tempting corner which caused a bit of panic in the Craigroyston defence. After bouncing off a few legs, the ball broke to Calum who saw his firm shot being blocked on the line by a defender’s arm. Before the shouts of “penalty” could reach the referee’s ears, the ball dropped down and rolled slowly over the line to reduce the deficit to one goal.

Ten minutes to go and only one goal behind – it looked like the momentum was with ACO and the equaliser would be the next goal. Unfortunately this was not to be as the threadbare ACO defence was left exposed and Craigroyston rattled in their fourth to effectively seal the match. With ACO continuing to press forward, Craigroyston once again broke away to score a fifth.
Full-Time: AC Oxgangs ... 2  Craigroyston BC .. 5

A step up in class for the boys today as they struggled to break down the strong and well organised Craigroyston defence. We had plenty of opportunities to score before Craigroyston got their opener but we lost out in umpteen 50-50 challenges. Although their goalie had one superb save in the first half, that was the only time he was tested. Some of the ACO lead-up play was very good to watch but the finishing will need to get a bit more clinical to make sure we make the most of the few chances which will come our way when up against good opposition. Well done to the boys for upping their game in the last quarter of the match and for putting Craigroyston under some real pressure – for a few minutes it looked like a Liverpool-esque comeback was on the cards.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.

After umpteen weeks of heavy rain and postponed matches, at long last we got to make our debut in the league. A glorious evening and a great pitch at Bonnyrigg made the postponed matches a distant memory. Captain Andy led the team onto the field, everyone looking very smart in their new kit (courtesy of sponsors: Kidd Personalised Products).

The match was only two minutes old when the glory of scoring our first league goal went to Cammie as he glanced a header in off the far post courtesy of Matt’s tempting corner. With Michael beginning to spray passes around in his midfield role, it was no surprise that he was the one to set up the next goal – as the Bonnyrigg defence pushed up towards the half-way line, Michael spotted Guy with acres of space in front of him. A quick ball into space was collected by Guy and he strode into the box and hit the ball home.

Guy was replaced soon afterwards by Peter but the speedy attacking was repeated before half-time as Cammie played the ball forward for Peter to race onto, shrug aside his marker and coolly slot the ball home.
Half-Time: Bonnyrigg Rose BC Reds .. 0  AC Oxgangs .. 3

Turning round, the boys were faced with kicking into a strong wind so they were reminded to keep things simple at the back and to clear the ball firmly. Bonnyrigg made a big effort at the start of the half to get something back but instead it was ACO who scored again, courtesy of the Cammie-Guy combination as a ball behind the Bonnyrigg defence saw Guy sprinting away from his marker to claim his second in some style.

Bonnyrigg never stopped trying and their strong number 11 was a constant threat with his powerful running and accurate shooting. He was the last player to leave unmarked but, in a momentary lapse, the ACO defence allowed the ball to bounce around their area and nobody closed down the number 11 as he hammered the ball past a helpless Andy to pull a goal back. Their tally was almost doubled soon afterwards as a net-bound shot was diverted by Alex and the ball skipped narrowly past the post.

Thankfully the next goal fell to ACO as a dangerous ball from Michael was met by a Bonnyrigg defender and Zippy. Many felt it might have been an own goal but a quick check with Zippy confirmed that it was definitely his goal. The Bonnyrigg heads now dropped a bit and a couple of fouls were committed. From one of these, two metres outside the area, Matt curled a great shot over the wall but the goalie managed to get across to save it. However, the ball ran loose to Matt who took delight in smashing his shot into the net.

Our first hat-trick of the season came soon afterwards as Guy latched onto a shrewd pass from Matt and once again showed his beleaguered marker a clean pair of heels as he raced away and stuck the ball home. His fourth wasn’t far behind as Cammie made his umpteenth excellent tackle in defence and played the ball into the channel for Guy to chase. Despite being second favourite, he beat the defender to the ball and, from an ever-tightening angle, slotted the ball past the goalie. Guy hurt his knee in the process of scoring and had to leave the field soon immediately. A few minutes later and the referee brought the game to an end.
Full-Time: Bonnyrigg Rose BC Reds .. 1  AC Oxgangs .. 8

An excellent result from a match where the ACO defence really came into their own in the second half when facing a determined Bonnyrigg side and a strong wind. Good to see the boys starting to look for their passes when breaking from midfield and very encouraging to see how they have maintained their speed and stamina over the summer break.

Iain Middleton

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Please Note: Our match reports are written from an AC Oxgangs FC perspective and are primarily intended for the benefit of ACO players, officials and supporters. Understandably, our team of volunteer reporters will focus on our own players/team performance - this does not imply that the contribution of the opposition team has been deliberately undervalued. If you would like to comment on the above Match Report you can do so by emailing web.admin@acoxgangs.com  Current child protection guidelines prevent us from naming opposition players unless we have express permission to do so.