Hazeldine double sees Edinburgh come up trumps

Edinburgh University FC kick-started their campaign in the East of Scotland Premier Division with an impressive display against Easthouses Lily. Having secured a mid-week victory against Stirling, manager Dougie Samuel opted to rest a number of players in what was expected to be a highly physical encounter. After a scrappy start to the match, it was the away side that drew first blood. A short corner from the right-hand side was played to the edge of the penalty box and a powerful, albeit wind-assisted, shot found its way into the back of the Edinburgh net after just 8 minutes. The home team, however, kept their focus and played their way into the game with some impressive crosses and tidy passing. Their efforts were soon rewarded when in-form Michael Hazeldine slotted in the equalizer on the half-hour mark. With the wind behind them in the second half, Edinburgh soon began to assert their authority on the game. The prolific Hazeldine gave the home side the lead shortly after the re-start, firing home from the edge of the penalty area; his fourth goal in as many days. Tempers flared from the Easthouses players immediately after the goal, culminating in a viciously high tackle, which earned its perpetrator a straight red card. The resulting free-kick from Scott Fusco found Stuart Hogg, who volleyed ball off the bar and into the Lily net with 20 minutes still to play. With a two-goal cushion and a one-man advantage, Edinburgh confidently played out the remainder of the game, continuing to trouble the Lily defence from wide positions. In the dying seconds, substitute Chris Woods was brought down in the box, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty. On return from injury, Club captain, Steven Maxwell, coolly converted the spot-kick to wrap up a well-earned victory for the Edinburgh side.