GK1Sam George Yellow Card 
 RB2Liam McCrory   
 LB3Jeff Fergus   
 CB4Stephen Kerr   
 CB5Greg Pascazio   
Off70CM6Jordan Marshall   
Off75RW7Andy Hunter   
 CM8Jamie Waddell   
 CF9Sean Brown   
 CM10Craig MurrayScorerYellow Card 
 LW11Craig HolmesScorer  
On70 12Gavin Lachlan   
  13Robbie Kelly   
On75 14Trialist   
  15Ryan Milne (u20)   
  16Conor McKenzie   
  17   
  18   
 

29/07/2017  |  League

Edinburgh University   1  v  2  Cumbernauld Colts

The Lowland League season kicked off on Saturday with the Colts making the away trip to Peffermill to face Edinburgh University. The new look Colts saw league debuts for no less than five of their new signings, with Pascazio the clubs new captain.

Colts looked to have started brightly passing the ball around well in the early stages but it was the home side who took the lead on 15 minutes against the run of play from the penalty spot, with the Colts appeals for hand ball in the build up controversially waved away by the referee the Colts failed to clear, and keeper George rushing out to claim the ball was adjudged to have brought down the Edinburgh forward. The penalty was dispatched well despite George diving the right way.

The Colts continued to dominate possession and started to create more in the final third testing the opposition keeper on a number of occasions, midfielder Waddle had a few efforts from distance as well as Marshall forcing the keeper into a good save from long range, however it was the uni who could have stretched their lead if it was not for George at the other end making a good save to keep the score the same.

The Colts continued to press and the equaliser came on the brink of half time as the Edinburgh full-back was caught out of position and Holmes showed his pace as he got on the end of a long diagonal ball to drive into the box, the defender recovered in time to make a challenge, with the Colts claimimg for a penalty, Holmes reacted the quickest firing the ball goal ward which defected off the scrambling defender past the keeper to draw the Colts level.

Half Time 1-1

The teams emerged for the second half the Colts started as they had left off and had a few opportunities to take the lead but the home keeper showing impressive form between the sticks, denying the colts on several occasions, a fiece Holmes shot from the edge of the box looked net bound only to see the keeper pull off a save high to his right, Brown was a thorn in the home sides defence all afternoon and came close from inside the box on a couple of occasions only to see the inspired keeper make the block. However on the hour mark the Colts were not to be denied when Murray broke into the box, he drilled the ball low at an angle across the goal with the ball strcking the lunging defender in his effort to block, penalty was the result and Murray stepped up in the absence of O'Neil to slot home the second penalty of the game and give the Colts the deserved advantage.

Moments later the visitors had another penalty claim waved away by the referee, Hunter got round his defender who again lunged in from an awkward angle but the officials judged that he got enough of the ball for it to be deemed a fair challenge much to the discontent of Hunter and the Colts contingent.

With Colts now in the lead and control of the game, the hosts struggled to create in the opposite half and give the Colts defence little cause for concern for the remainder of the half with their only real effort coming in the last minute when the Edinburgh full back forced George to tip his long range effort over the bar.

A good three points on the road for the Colts, and impressive debuts by the new signings, next up the University of Stirling at home on Wednesday.

Full Time 1-2