Match: Edinburgh College v Whitburn
Date: 15/04/2022
Venue: Oriam (Indoor), Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh
Competition: East of Scotland Conference X
Entry Fee: £6
Travel: £16.90
Miles completed today: 102
Total miles remaining: 37473
It’s been a few weeks since my last post. I’ve been in England for a wee holiday and managed to see Forest Green, Man City & Barnton but none of these gets on the blog as this is for my Scottish football challenge only. With that in mind I’d planned a mammoth trip to Fraserburgh on the 16th and had no intention of heading along here but a rare golden opportunity had presented itself and it’s one I couldn’t pass on.
The Oriam. Edinburgh College and Heriot Watt Uni share the same outdoor ground but standing tall just next to this is a sporting dome and senior football in Scotland was about to be played indoors!
I’m reliably informed that this is only the fifth instance of an indoor game being played in senior Scottish football – all instances at the same venue.
It’s not an opportunity that comes around often and you never know when it’ll arise again so a Friday night trip into the capital it was.
Edinburgh College’s name provide a big clue into how the club came to be but all is not as it seems. The club is ran by the college but are an independant club. I assumed that all players would be students but this is not (necessarily) the case and aren’t confined to such restraints leaving plenty of room for growth.
I’d seen them play before and would warn against using their league position as a gauge of how good the team is – they can play.
The table can definitely be used to gauge the opponents, Whitburn. They’re currently top of the league and it’s an exciting title race with four teams still in with a realistic shot at the title. With this in mind anything less than a Whitburn win would open the door to the chasing pack.
Odds:
Edinburgh College 11/2
Draw 6/1
Whitburn 1/5
I hadn’t seen Whitburn play before and was excited to see part of the title race unfold. I thought the College would be hard to beat but I did think it’d be Whitburn’s day. Then again, upsets are always fun right?
The Ground
The Oriam is a multimillion pound building of sporting excellence. On foot, the entrance is hard to find and had to scour the Uni grounds to find my way in. Once greeted by a reception area I walked past many a game of basketball before making my way up the stairs to the viewing area.
Being indoor, it’s an artificial surface but it’s absolutely massive. I had wondered what would happen if the ball hit the roof whilst in play but after seeing the place there wasn’t much chance of that.
The viewing area is along one side of the ground and there’s no scope for spectators to walk round. There are plenty of seats, all with a good view or you can stand on the concourse just as easily – I chose to stand.
My only grips is that the bistro wasn’t open although I think this is ran by the uni and probably adheres to daytime hours. Still, there was some vending machines by the reception which some used for juice and crisps at half time.
Whitburn brought a good support with them, a few of which were quite vocal. As you’re in a confined space (albeit massive) you can hear a lot more than you normally would on an outdoor pitch.
This is a top facility and I fully recognise the rarity of watching a senior game here.
I was also warned how cold the indoor arena would be but I didn’t find this to be the case at all.
The Game
Two sets of players who went full blooded into every tackle and wound each other up in between. At times it felt like the football was secondary but this makes for a great watch.
Both sides are good with short, sharp passes in the midfield but very rarely did these end with an attack – mainly because one of the opposition players had committed a foul to break up play. A few half chances went by and a couple of ‘nearly’ moments regarding the final ball occurred but there wasn’t too much to report on in the first half hour.
Whitburn then took the lead as Reece Duncan, who had been playing off the left, popped up through the middle whilst running with the ball and shot low across the keeper for 1-0.
I did say the players spent the game winding each other up. The best example of this came from the first goal. After scoring, Duncan ran over to the full back he’d been facing and celebrated in his face.
Is it good sportsmanship? No. Do I love to see it? Absolutely.
Duncan was then annoyed at being booked for his celebration. I admire his audacity but he can have no complaints.
Whitburn’s second goal was scored by Michael McGarahan. A free kick swung in from deep towards the College’s near post was met and guided inat the same post.
The roar felt deafening. There weren’t too many chances in the game before the second goal but Edinburgh College had been putting some pressure on. The loud cheer from the supporters and coaches was a mixture of elation and relief.
I felt for the young referee who had his work cut out but he handled the game very well considering there was always someone in his ear for the amount of tackles that flew in.
Not the greatest game in terms of football but a very entertaining game watching two sets of lads stick the boot into each other. It’s not a complaint, I enjoyed it but Whitburn had the better of the chances and managed to take two – a fair result.
Full time: Edinburgh College 0-2 Whitburn.
MOTM
Andrew Thomson had a fine game in the middle of the park. Full of technical prowess in a frantic game but he was also tenacious despite being one of the smaller guys on the pitch. I enjoyed watching his ability to keep the ball and admired his decision making. Well done!
Summary
If you get the chance to visit the Oriam’s indoor pitch – go. Not many can say they’ve seen a game of senior Scottish football being played indoors but I can after this.
I’ll maintain that Edinburgh College are a good team and I’ve enjoyed the two games I’ve seen them play this season. They play some decent football out from the back and aren’t afraid to get stuck in but maybe just lacked a little firepower on the day – although I’ve no doubt this is partly due to the strength of opposition.
My congratulations go to Whitburn. They rolled up their socks and battled for the victory which may turn out to be crucial in a months time when the season draws to a close.
The Oriam gets a big thumbs up from me.
**Update – Cheers to Whitburn’s Twitter admin who sent me team lines for the game. Big help!
GroundhopScot 