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Penicuik 4 Pumpherston 1
Penicuik: Bald, Gallagher, McDermott, Meikle, Cunnison, McPartlin, Smith, Barr, Roxburgh, Gay and Knight. Subs,
Draper, Walker, Killin, Thomson and Harvey.
Pumpherston Juniors: Pacitti, McCall, C. O'Mara, Leckie, Brady, D.O'Mara, Johnston, Adamson, Williamson, Douglas
and Wells. Subs, McCann, Somerville, Jack and Watson
After winning three of their four pre-season friendly matches, Penicuik welcomed South Division side, Pumpherston
Juniors for their opening league cup tie in a revamped section C. The visitors had lost their opening game in midweek
by the only goal against Premier division Broxburn Athletic.
Pumpherston kicked off but it took Penicuik only five minutes to find the net with McPARTLIN netting his first goal for
the club. Two minutes later, centre forward ROXBURGH added a second as Pumpherston struggled to contain the
eager home team. Knight almost added a third in seventeen minutes when a Barr pass inside the full back sent him
through but his left foot shot passed the wrong side of the post. Immediately afterwards Johnston was booked for
dissent when disputing a throw in on the half way line. After his caution he sarcastically applauded the ref and received
a second yellow card and first use of the showers leaving his team with a now impossible task. Bald was called into
action in twenty one minutes to save a deflected Douglas shot but it was Penicuik who were well on top. There were no
takers when a Barr free kick flew across the face of the goals as Penicuik applied more pressure. On the half hour
Pumpherston replied with a corner kick followed up by a long range Williamson effort which went high and wide.In the
thirty sixth minute ROXBURGH made it three with his second goal after he tapped in a rebound from a Mark Smith
shot. Another Barr free kick was deflected for a corner and when McDermott's cross came over Cunnison couldn't
direct his header on target.
Half Time: Penicuik Athletic 3 v 0 Pumpherston Juniors.
Penicuik kicked off in the second half towards the Loan Burn and despite several surging runs from Smith could not
quite get the final delivery on target as Pumpherston held out. With eighteen second half minutes gone Penicuik were
awarded a penalty when Knight was brought down from behind after he ran onto another accurate Barr pass. Pacitti
was the hero for the visitors when he dived to his right to save Ryan Gay's right foot effort.Gay had a chance to make
amends in Penicuik's next attack but he deflected Barr's free kick wide of the right hand post. Thomson then shot past
after a good McDermott run and then fellow substitute Draper narrowly missed with a left foot drive after a flowing move
involving Gallagher and Gay. McPartlin then surged forward and found Walker in the penalty box but the Penicuik
player was unceremoniously pushed to the ground by Brady resulting in another Penicuik penalty. BARR showed Gay
how it was done with a well placed shot to Pacitti's left to give Penicuik a four goal lead.One minute after Penicuik's
goal, Pumpherston came up with one of their own. A neat interpassing move through the middle of a hesitant Penicuik
defence saw WILLIAMSON poke the ball past Bald who came rushing off his line in a vain attempt to retrieve the
position. Pumpherston then had a strong shout for a penalty claiming that Ryan Gay had pushed Williamson off the ball
in the penalty area but their appeal fell on deaf ears. With fourteen minutes remaining Bald had to be on his toes to
save a left foot curling free kick from Douglas. In the last five minutes Penicuik looked sure to add to their lead but
Dean Walker was just off target with two opportunities.
This was a comfortable win for the home side who will be glad to have got their campaign off to a welcome win while
Pumpherston will have been disappointed to have lost their opening two section matches.
Result: Penicuik Athletic 4 v 1 Pumpherston Juniors
My thanks to John Fraser for the match report and to Tony Graham for the photographs