11/03/2017  |  South of Scotland

Edinburgh Uni   0  v  4  Cumbernauld Colts

The Colts returned to the capital for the second time in a number of weeks for this South Challenge Cup quarter final tie. It was a much changed side from the team that grinded out a good point last week against East Stirlingshire, with Fahey, Kirwan, Murray and Wilson joining Davidson and Pirrie on the sidelines, with the bench occupied by the clubs up and coming under twenty players.
On the day the Colts makeshift side ran out comfortable winners with those who came in staked a claim for another first team start.
Right from the first whistle the Colts played with a high tempo and intensity that the home side struggled to cope with. Brown and O'Neil were thorns in the Edinburgh side with the big centre recording his first club hat-trick, the midfield trio of Broadfoot, Lachlan and Barclay were industrious and the changed back four and keeper looking safe and assured.
Brown got off the mark as early as the fifth minute which had more than a bit of good fortune, put through deep into the uni box he managed to get a shot away which looked to be an easy take for the keeper, but as he went to ground the ball bobbled over his body into the net. The Colts were adapting to the heavy uneven surface by playing a longer game than usual and were very much on the front foot with George in the Colts goal a virtual spectator, and in twenty minutes their lead was extended with another bit of good luck when the under pressure centre half attempting to clear his lines sliced the ball high over his own keeper into the net, 0-2.

The home side had offered very little by way of clear chances in the first half with the Colts on top, on thirty two minutes a super ball over the top by Lachlan to O'Neil opened up the home defence once again, unfortunately his effort was blasted over. As the half drew to a close the Colts should have extended their lead when Black and Brown combined but rather than pull the trigger Brown tried to put his colleague in and the chance was lost. As the Colts pushed on the uni were trying to counter and on the stroke of half-time Black was booked as he blocked the advancing attacker.
HT 0-2

The second half started as the first with the Colts on the ascendancy forcing a corner in the first minute, Broadfoot's in swinger was flicked on by Barclay to Black with the keeper alert to snub out the danger. The home side had a short period of pressure as they tried to get back into the game, however Hunter drafted in at right back was proving more than capable in his change of role, supported by this back four colleagues and keeper.

The Colts continued to press their opponents forcing several corners and it was not long before they extended their lead. Lachlan slipped in Brown who was brought down right on the edge of the box in front of goal with O'Neil's free kick defecting off the wall for another corner. Broadfoot's resulting corner again was swung menacingly into the six yard box with a Barclay effort scrambled off the line only to fall to Brown who fired home from close range. Sheridan replaced Black directly after and the youngster went on to put in a good performance, it was from his clearance midway through the half which Broadfoot cleverly flicked on to Brown setting up another opportinuty but this time the uni centre half was up to the task clearing the danger.

McKenzie replaced the lively O'Neil who continues to regain his fitness following a long lay-off and will be an important asset for the run-in. Any aspirations the uni had to mount a recovery was put to bed on seventy minutes when the Colts made it four, Lachlan found Sheridan deep in the box, who calmly laid the ball back to Brown to fire in his third to kill the game. It was pretty much one way traffic at this point with the Colts forcing a number of corners as they reinforced their dominance. Fergus replaced the hard working Barclay with ten to go. In the later stages the home side to their credit never gave up and continued to seek a consolation forcing a couple of corners of their own, the Colts however were in no mood to concede and saw out the game as they had started on the front foot. FT 0-4

The Colts go into the semi-final draw along with East Kilbride, East Stirling and Lothian Hutchison Vale. It's back to league business next weekend when the Colts travel to Hawick Royal Albert.