Vale of Leithen 3
Edinburgh University 3
EoS PREMIER DIVISION
DAVE RYCE reports from Victoria Park
ANYONE who is a bit of disaster on the dancefloor – and I speak from personal experience here – knows that it doesn’t matter if you only have one move as long as it’s an effective one.
Edinburgh University took this principle straight off the beer-soaked floor of the student union and transplanted it onto the Victoria Park pitch.
The visitors’ game plan was transparent as time and again they sent quick balls in behind the defence for their speedy forwards to run on to, with Vale unable to find a way to deal with it, and even giving them a helping hand by defending high up the park.
One such move a quarter of an hour in saw Cyrus Moosavi break clear, only for Vale keeper Sinclair Inglis to come out and smother the ball.
Moments later, they repeated it, with Andrew Thomson playing in Kohei Habata.
This time Inglis remained rooted on his line and the Japanese striker had plenty of time to pick his spot.
It was a lead the students held until half-time, but two goals in the space of five minutes early in the second half saw Vale go in front.
Chris Gray launched a ball into the penalty area which Kerr Dodds got to ahead of keeper Craig Bald to glance a header home. In the 54th minute, Kayne Paterson sent a low shot into the net from the edge of the area to put Vale into the driving seat.
Paterson turned from saint to sinner on the hour mark as he upended Tim Rawlinson 25 yards from goal and Daniel Ward stepped up to send a cracking free kick curling round the wall and in.
In 69 minutes, Burgh took the lead for the second time with their signature move. Vale gave possession away cheaply deep inside the Uni half, and the ball was quickly moved forward to Rawlinson who slid a pass in for substitute Stefan Ross to find the net with a good strike.
An amazing triple save by keeper Bald kept Vale out as he denied Dodds, Paterson and Gray in the space of a few seconds. But in the 72nd minute Ryan McKenzie found Danny Noon unmarked in the penalty area and although his initial effort was blocked by Bald, Noon got his head to the rebound to send it bouncing into the net.
Vale pushed hard for a winner with an intense assault on Bald’s goal, but in the end had to settle for a point.
Vale of Leithen: S. Inglis, S. Sproule, C. Gray, R. McKenzie, J. Blaikie, K. Paterson, W. Sproule, K. Dodds, M. Smith (S. Moffat 63), D. Noon, C. Inglis.