EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY 1
GFR 0
FERARRI PACKAGING LOWLAND LEAGUE
Gala Fairydean Rovers slipped to a disappointing last-minute defeat to Edinburgh University in a game of few chances at Peffermill. The game was dominated by the howling wind, with both sides struggling to battle the elements, never mind each other.
The first chance of the game fell the way of the visitors after seven minutes, with Grant Rose working himself some space twenty-five yards from goal, before firing high and wide of Mark Tait’s goal. Gala FR could have taken the lead after twenty-two minutes, as the returning Rhys Craigie threaded a wonderful pass through for Sean Paliczka, but his shot was straight at the keeper.
The home side forced their own opportunity just after the half hour mark, with a quick short corner catching out the GFR defence and allowing Mark Gair to fire a stinging drive inches over the crossbar. Gala came within millimetres of edging ahead seven minutes after half time, as Darren Smith’s corner was met by the onrushing Kieran Ainslie six yards out, but his corner smashed agonisingly back off the crossbar and over.
An even better chance presented itself to the visitors just two minutes later. Rhys Craigie took the ball on the edge of his own box and drove fifty yards up the field, before squeezing it through again to Paliczka but his shot was too high. Patrick Martin was forced into his first save of the game with fifty-six minutes on the clock, with talented winger Rafa Calbacho finding space on the edge of the Gala box and firing right down the throat of the on-loan Hibs keeper.
Gala began to throw everything at the game in the closing stages, and Sean Guiney’s teasing cross on eighty-three minutes was begging for a connection, but it flew inches over the head of striker Fraser Malcolm at the back post.
Patrick Martin almost had as assist to his name in the final minute of normal time, as his long ball was well controlled by Malcolm who drove into the box well, but he just couldn’t find space for a shot, and the ball was cleared. Edinburgh University took the lead deep into stoppage time through substitute Nathan Evans, who found himself with an open goal at the back post following Mark Gair’s cross, which evaded everyone apart from Evans, who had acres of space to complete an easy finish.
GFR: Martin, Guiney, Aitchison, Ainslie, Craigie, Smith (Kelly 81’), Miller, Paliczka, Rose (Malcolm 63’), Heugh.