Edinburgh in buoyant mood after four-goal win

Three goals from penalty corners and two more marked with the touch of individual class and finesse won Edinburgh this fixture in an eventually one-sided affair.

The clouds came out to look upon the sides, and nearly saw a goal in the first half-minute, the ball lacking a faint touch to coax it into the Stepps net. Some early sloppiness at the Stepps back was coupled with hectares of space, it seemed, given to Edinburgh’s midfield to run into, something Edinburgh would exploit several times in the game. The vocal veteran Graham Moodie, with almost a century of international caps, stood out for the home team, with at least four clear-cut first-half chances, flicking his wrists skilfully and tangoing around the opposition, always finding space for a shot of his own creation when needs must. David Forrester did have to make a crucial save with his feet after nifty work by Stepps’ potent midfield playmakers and, moments later, the Edinburgh goalie was spread like an albatross to somehow prevent a tap-in from finding the backboard. Edinburgh, their own attacks snuffed out, were adept at turning attack into defence with some wayward passes along the back line; when they did hit the target, the Stepps keeper made a terrific stop with his paw, watching the double deflection well, and then made a close-range double save. A short corner for feet, however, yielded goal one right on half-time; a low and firm shot by Edinburgh’s Steven Morrison evading all defenders.

Pressing up too much at the start of the second half, a Stepps counter-attack led to a shortage in the Edinburgh half, enabling David Hitchon to tap in a well-taken equaliser. With five Edinburgh substitutes to Stepps’ one, freshness of leg was always going to triumph over firmness of mind, and, after elastic dribbling from Michael Witchell, a Leo Messi-like flick from Moodie’s stick fed Stewart Inglis, who made the goal swallow the ball for 2-1. With the Stepps’ star men losing their touch, Jay Harman swept in number three from another short corner and, after sustained pressure and mirror-image short corner, Paul Heron found some space for number four. Confident shots and regenerating forward lines muted the opposition, who commendably kept their discipline as they remembered how losing felt. There was still time for Paddy Thompson to strike number five home, Moodie’s brilliant run meriting a goal of his own after his brace of assists and masterclass performance.