University of Edinburgh 4-1 Watsonians

Three goals in a University first-team fixture stands as an eternal anecdote which grows in its telling as time passes. With two excellently-flicked penalties and the easiest of two-yard finishes, Neil Fulton’s cool head saw Edinburgh through on a frostbitten February afternoon against a Watsonians team that lost both the individual battles and their discipline.

Despite creating the match’s first chance after ten minutes, which spat across the face of David Forrester’s goal, Watsonians were powerless to stop Edinburgh’s through balls and threats down the middle while, out wide, Fraser McCurdy was an omnipotent threat with deft touches and decent distribution. As the rain pelted down, the home side’s player/ coach Graham Moonie pelted onto the pitch only to see teammate Fulton slip to gift John Dunlop a goal against the run of play ten minutes before half time. Moonie promptly withdrew himself to return to shouting at his men, who responded with attack after attack, Jay Harman somehow sweeping wide. Eventually a penalty flick resulted from sustained play from that short corner, which Fulton converted on the half-hour.

The second half commenced with Forrester saving from Dunlop, whose chasing would draw no more goals as, henceforth, Edinburgh were on top in every department. One attack was a hair’s breadth the wrong side of the post, while the defenders were equally adept at nicking the ball off the away side’s frigid toes. As tempers and the weather grew stormier, yellow triangles were issued as warnings for both sides, the freezing temperature encouraging ill-disciplined pushes.

On fifty minutes a Watsonians player was yellow-carded for abusive language and was left languishing dejectedly behind his own goal for ten minutes. Fortunately for the home side, three Edinburgh goals flew in during that period. Andy Campbell’s weaving run was cruelly stopped by the Watsonians goalie and Fulton flicked into the net for a second time, just beating the keeper’s outstretched pad. Five minutes later a short corner was spread well, with the script written for Fulton to hammer home his hat-trick goal.

Edinburgh had two decent chances between these goals, Andrew Duke failing to convert one of them when in a one-on-one situation but, testament to the durability of his forward play and using the man’s advantage well, Duke fed Stewart Inglis to blast in his team’s fourth from the edge of the D twelve minutes from time. The Watsonians keeper was left sprawling again, a metaphor for the afternoon, as a chilly yet relieved home team celebrated another victory.