City crumble after opener

IN THE fifth minute, a mistake allowed Jordan Caddow to run at goal but a good tackle stopped him in his tracks, writes ALEX DRYSDALE.

A long free kick was then played to Foster in the box who headed just wide before Monteith failed to hold the ball and Sproule's angled shot was cleared off the line.

City opened the scoring in the 17th minute as Clee latched on to a long pass, flicked the ball past Sives and volleyed in for a fine goal. City's lead was short lived as, a minute later, Mearns headed the ball across goal for Sproule to shoot home.

Five minutes after that, Tynecastle took the lead when Mearns passed to Devlin and he drilled the ball under Monteith. City passed up a chance when McMullen failed to handle the ball and Denholm shot wide before McNamara fouled Sproule in the box and McKenzie converted the spot kick.

In the 66th minute, McMullen did well to push away Clee's snap shot at the post and then Caddow got the better of Aird but the goalkeeper blocked his shot.

Tynecastle increased their lead in the 80th minute when the ball was cleared following a spell of City pressure and Devlin beat Ross and Bruce before firing over Monteith from 20 yards out. In the final minutes of the match, Mearns beat the City offside trap and squared the ball to Sproule who shot in. City's protests that he had been offside fell on deaf ears.

Edinburgh City: Monteith, Harrison, Ross, MacNamara, Bruce, McFarland, Caddow, Gair, Clee, McFarlane, Denholm. Subs: Stenhouse, Guthrie, Bain, Mackintosh.

Tynecastle: McMullen, Aird, M Cherrie, Sives, Foster, G Cherrie, Mearns, McKenzie, Devlin, Sproule, Thom. Subs: Alexander, Duval, Dunn, McCormack, Bingham.