Our resident media official, Jack Harris, was at the game yesterday. Here is his report.
It was heartbreak at home for Edinburgh South as they bowed out at the semi-final stage of the Alex Jack Cup, following a bitter penalty shootout defeat to Kirkcaldy and Dysart on Saturday.
Red and white scarves streamed through the gates of the Saughton Enclosure for this highly anticipated match-up: with both teams boasting similar standings in the East of Scotland league table, this cup tie promised to be a tight, evenly matched affair.
South got off to a rocky start, conceding a free kick not long after the referee’s whistle signalled the beginning of play. Kieran Millar did well to initially head the set-piece out of danger, but the ball trickled its way to Keane Whittet who rifled it into the top corner to put the visitors in the lead.
Conceding early in a cup tie often heralds disaster, but South approached this setback with a determination to get back into the game. Ciaran Vaughan and Kenny O’Brien both had chances within the opening 10 minutes, the latter heading just shy of the top right corner. The hosts displayed real confidence in possession, forcing Kirkcaldy to sit deep and seek their opportunities on the counter.
After a tough test in Newtongrange last weekend, the South backline – and, particularly, goalkeeper Lewis Whitelaw – enjoyed a real renaissance, leading the push for an equaliser with calm, effective and controlled defending. Jack Blaney, Adam Uphill and Kieran Millar were dominant in the air, ensuring that a Kirkcaldy midfield looking to play long balls into dangerous areas were kept in check.
This defensive solidity allowed South a foundation from which to chase the game. Jordan Cropley and Cammy Young, both of whom enjoyed fantastic individual games last weekend, displayed real class in the midfield, the latter delighting the home support with a beautifully dinked pass over an on-rushing Kirkcaldy player to avert pressure on the defence. Vaughan and Fletcher Hendry both narrowly missed equalising opportunities, while O’Brien’s phenomenal tackle on 38 minutes nearly found a goal-scoring move to close out the half. South went back to the dressing room behind, but their sustained pressure and momentum had the revealed the cracks in Kirkcaldy’s defence.
As the second half began, those fissures didn’t take long to burst open. Vaughan capitalised on a defensive error by Kirkcaldy, pouncing on the loose ball and stroking a wonderful cross into the box, with Hendry prowling unmarked to thunder in a smash-and-grab header. An unfortunate error for South allowed Kirkcaldy to retake the lead moments later, as Whitelaw was left one-on-one with Finlay Shearer. However, Blake Wales was on hand to equalise yet again on 51 minutes, curling in a cute ball from Hendry that bent well beyond the reach of Kirkcaldy goalkeeper Dion Gear.
A tense period ensued, with both teams failing to capitalise on good opportunities to seal the victory. South made sure to put on a show for their fans: Ainslie Hunter had his side playing some utterly scintillating football in the second half. Cropley played the role of conductor on numerous occasions, marshalling sweeping attacking play inside the Kirkcaldy box, before South’s attacking display was topped off by a symphonic performance of one-touch passing between Reece Ferguson, O’Brien, Vaughan and Young that desperately deserved a finish.
With nothing to separate the two teams, an extra thirty minutes was in order. As the tension reached a nail-biting level, it was Lewis Whitelaw who cemented himself as the hero of Edinburgh South. Whitelaw had, but for an incredibly unlucky first couple of minutes, been imperious in the first half: he backed this up with wonderful saves in the second half, but it was his extra-time performance that had the Balon d’Or voters doubting their ballots ahead of Monday night’s ceremony. He made no fewer than five essential saves, a jaw-dropping glove to tip an inbound shot onto the bar being the pick of the bunch. Hunter’s introduction of Lee Taggart to the fray was crucial, with Taggart delivering a fantastic performance in defence to keep a spirited Kirkcaldy at bay. Both teams had the chance to snatch a place in the showpiece event at the death: Vaughan with two opportunities to win the game for South, while Whitelaw denied Kirkcaldy a winner through a stunning save with his outstretched left foot.
The penalty lottery can be so utterly cruel. Whitelaw made yet another heroic save, while O’Brien, Vaughan and Blaney dispatched their spot-kicks to keep South in the game until the end. It was a gutting way to end the cup run, especially after such a dominant display, but penalties are a game of luck and don’t always reflect the reality of a match. South can console themselves having played out of their skins, displaying immense resolve and courage alongside a cohesive brand of football and some seriously impressive play in both attack and defence. They will look to translate this stunning form into the league, as they travel to Pennypit Park to face Preston Athletic on the 2nd of November.
FULL TIME: Edinburgh South 2 (3-4) 2 Kirkcaldy and Dysart (AET)
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