Nine-point haul makes it a perfect September for Edinburgh City

Edinburgh City boss James McDonaugh heaped praise on his players after a 2-1 victory over Queen’s Park rounded off the perfect September.
Alex Harris scored Edinburgh City’s second goal to make sure of the pointsAlex Harris scored Edinburgh City’s second goal to make sure of the points
Alex Harris scored Edinburgh City’s second goal to make sure of the points

The Citizens took nine points out of nine with victories over Annan Athletic, Albion Rovers and the Spiders, to remain only three points adrift of table-toppers Cove Rangers.

Second-half strikes by Scott Shepherd and Alex Harris at Ainslie Park were enough to secure City’s sixth league win this season, although Tommy Block, on loan from Hibs, did reduce the arrears with 13 minutes remaining. There is now a nine-point gap between Cowdenbeath in third, who City play on Saturday, and Queen’s Park in fourth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’ve won every game in September so it’s been a good month for us,” McDonaugh said. “I thought it would be a tighter league but Cove have blown everybody away and deserve enormous credit for that. You could see on Saturday these matches aren’t always easy to win.

“We just need to hang on to their tails and when we get that chance to overtake them we need to take it. All you can do is look after yourselves until you play each other and I think we’ve done that well since they beat us on the opening day.

“I think our play in the second half probably just merited the win but I don’t think there was much in it. I thought Scott worked his socks off and scored a real striker’s goal, great instinct to finish it and Alex showed his quality. He showed his sharp turn of pace to get through them. I didn’t think we were under any real pressure but fair play to them as they kept at it and got their goal. At 2-1 you’re just trying to manage the game and we did. We want to pass the ball, we want to be good going forward, good to watch, but when you’re not you have to find a way to win.”

Queen’s caught a glimpse of goal first, but both Nicholas Jamieson and Salim Kouider-Aissa failed to trouble Aidan McAdams in the City goal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There were some meaty challenges with players committed in the tackle, but it was a largely uneventful opening 45.

But Shepherd pounced 12 minutes after the restart, finishing well, and Harris showed his trickery to double the hosts’ advantage six minutes later.

Midfielder Block’s steered effort into the bottom corner gave Queen’s Park hope but City held on to claim the points.

Edinburgh City: McAdams, Thomson, McIntyre, Balatoni, Laird, Brown (Sinclair 86), Handling (Court 90), Crane, Kane, Shepherd (Smith 81), Harris. Subs: Beveridge, Dunn, Watson Henderson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Queen’s Park: Muir, Mortimer, Clark, Little, Jamieson, Gibson (Purdue 82), Lidouren, Block, Kouider-Aissa, Galt (Agyeman 72), Moore. Subs: Grant, McGrory, Thomson, Summers, Heraghty.

Referee: Chris Fordyce.

Attendance: 352.