Website designed and maintained by Jim Dick Arniston 0  Penicuik 2 Arniston Rangers: Rachowski, Munro, Moriarty, Cherrie, Rollo, Nisbet, Gallacher, McLennan, Thornhill, M Stevenson and Forster. Subs: Leishman, McCormack, McCaul, R Stevenson, Opilka. Penicuik Athletic: Bald, Gallagher, McDermott, Meikle, Reid, Gay, Roxburgh, Brigain, Harvey, Thomson and Knight. Subs: Smith, Draper, Reilly, McPartlin, Sub g/k Porch. Referee: Jordan Stokoe Penicuik went into this local derby with some key players missing but came through with flying colours against a determined Arniston Rangers side. A goal in each half was enough for Penicuik to make the short journey home with all three points. Cunnison, McPartlin and Barr were all unavailable but Knight, Thomson and Draper were all back fit. Moriarty has returned to Arniston and with Scott Nisbett taking his place in the starting line up it was an experienced Arniston team who took the field looking to register their first Premier league win of the season.Arniston were slow to start and almost fell behind in the sixth minute when Roxburgh rose unchallenged to head a McDermott free kick over the bar. The home team wakened up and a snap shot by Forster passed wide of Bald's right hand post. Mark Stevenson then shot over the bar as Penicuik failed to cut out a through ball. Thornhill was next to try his luck with a header from a Moriarty cross. The Penicuik defence made a hash of a clearing free kick and the ball went straight to Moriarty who found Munro wide on the right.  Bald safely held the ex-Penicuik man's cross. McLennan was fouled in midfield and Nisbet had to stretch to get his head to Rollo's free kick but the ball went harmlessly past the post. Penicuik lost the ball in mid field and Bald had to look lively to save a Thornhill header. With twenty minutes gone, Nisbet was shown a yellow card for a heavy midfield challenge on Gallagher before Penicuik's Meikle and Arniston's Mark Stevenson were lectured by the referee as play became tousy in mid field. Ryan Gay set Roxburgh free and he was stopped at the expense of a corner. Knight's inswinging kick almost broke the deadlock but was cleared off the line for another corner. Penicuik kept up the pressure and won another three corners but all were cleared. McLennan who had already been spoken to by the referee was cautioned in the thirtieth minute after another foul followed by some verbals in the referee's direction. Arniston best effort came in the thirty third minute when a looping Moriarty header was tipped over the bar by Bald. The Penicuik defence cleared the corner only as far as McLennan but he ballooned his shot high over the bar. A long Cherrie free kick was headed out of play by Meikle before the visitor's defence easily cleared Moriarty's throw in. Arniston's defence had been winning all of their challenges but in the thirty eighth minute Thomson skipped past Rollo and sent KNIGHT rushing in on goal from the right. The Penicuik forward's cute lob nestled in the back of the net to score the all important first goal and give Penicuik the lead. With the deadlock broken Penicuik settled in to some attractive football while a stunned Arniston struggled to regain their composure. Four minutes before half time Mark Stevenson was booked for a challenge on Meikle in midfield. Meikle headed another long ball out for a throw in and this time Thornhill controlled Moriarty's throw but Bald easily saved the Arniston man's shot. Right on half time, Roxburgh almost doubled Penicuik's lead when he cut in from the right but his net bound effort was somehow cleared off the line and out to safety. Half Time: Arniston Rangers 0 v 1 Penicuik Athletic The home team got a roasting in the dressing room at half time and came out in determined mood in the second half but it was Penicuik who came nearest to scoring. Knight, however, slipped as he shot from a Harvey lay off and the ball flew high over the bar. With ten minutes of the second half gone Thornhill tried a right foot shot from distance but it went well wide of Bald' right hand post. Nisbet was replaced by McCormack as Arniston attempted to push forward. Long clearances were switching play down to Penicuik's end but Meikle and Reid were standing firm at the heart of Penicuik's defence. Knight set Thomson free on the right wing and Harvey flicked his pass on to Gay in space. Gay's shot was charged down and Brigain's shot from the rebound went narrowly past as Arniston breathed a sigh of relief. Draper replaced Thomson as Penicuik held the upper hand and with fifteen minutes of the half gone, added to their lead. A Gay challenge in midfield saw the ball break to HARVEY and the Penicuik forward set off on a run from the half way line with the Arniston defence trailing in his wake. He rounded Rachowski before side footing the ball into the net to double Penicuik's lead. Arniston were continuing with the long ball down field and Reid was shown a yellow card when his claims for an off side decision upset referee Stokoe. Arniston went to three at the back when Leishman replaced Moriarty and Penicuik almost made immediate use of the extra space. Roxburgh set Knight free on the right and when his cross came over Harvey was fouled giving Penicuik a shot at goal with the free kick just outside the eighteen yard box. Gay's effort, however, sailed over the bar.  Arniston tried to reply but after a few ricochets in the Penicuik penalty area, the ball was cleared. With thirty second half minutes gone, Smith replaced Knight for the visitor's and continued to exploit the extra space in the Arniston defence. A McDermott free kick was cleared to Gallagher but Rachowski safely held the cross into the box. Harvey completely fooled Munro wide on the right and the Arniston defender was cautioned for grabbing Harvey's jersey once he realised where the Penicuik player was. In the seventy eighth minute the Arniston goal had a real escape. After a surging run Smith cut the ball back to Harvey in the six yard box but he did not make the best of contacts and the ball squirmed past the wrong side of the post. Arniston were struggling to cope with Smith and Roxburgh down the right and Cherrie was penalised for bringing Roxburgh down on the edge of the box. Rachowski pulled off the save of the match when he somehow deflected Gay's header from McDermott's free kick over the bar. Another long ball into the Penicuik box resulted in another series of ricochets and when the ball was finally cleared it was apparent that Arniston were not going to get back into the game. Smith surged through another two tackles on the right and passed inside to Roxburgh who laid the ball into the path of Gay. However, Gay's left foot effort went well wide of the goal. With time running out, Penicuik had a series of throw ins in the corner frustrating Arniston who could not get the ball back. The referee brought proceedings to a close after allowing an additional three minutes of play. Gay of Penicuik and Rollo of Arniston were shown yellow cards as the teams left the field after getting involved with each other. Arniston finished the match still looking for their first league win but it might not be far away if the same level of commitment is produced each week. Penicuik were delighted to make the short journey back to Penicuik with all three points. Result: Arniston Rangers 0 v 2 Penicuik Athletic         My thanks to John Fraser for the match report and to Tony Graham for the match photographs