First win of season is a real relief for management

City's agonising wait for their first league win of the season finally came to an end at Peffermill.

After a goalless first half against the Students, City struck through former University players Ruaraidh Scott and Euan Black, before youngster Ryan Wilson blasted home the third to complete the Meadowbank side's maiden win in the league this season in an impressive second-half performance.

The result is a huge boost to City joint managers Gary Jardine and John Green, who had witnessed their side notch up seven draws from nine league matches.

"We're absolutely elated," said Jardine. "It has been nearly three months since the season started and we've gone without a win in the league, so this is a really important result for us.

"We have a cup tie next week, so if we hadn't won today we'd be looking at the end of the month or even into December before we could get another chance to get that win and move up the table.

"We've never been outplayed in any of our matches. We have only lost two out of our nine games, which shows you we've never been far away from getting a result.

"But there's a group of teams towards the bottom of the table who all have a similar number of points, and we don't want to see ourselves get dragged into things. So it's an important win for us. As the old cliche goes, it's going to be a case of taking things one game at a time, but hopefully this win is now going to be the first of many."

Rain during the week had wiped out all other Seniors fixtures from around the Capital and surrounding area and, although the Peffermill surface held up well during the match, the rain returned just before kick off and stayed for the duration.

The Students gradually took control of a stop-start opening half, but out-and-out goal-scoring opportunities were few and far between. Benji Antoni provided the biggest threat for the Students, whipping in low crosses from the left wing on several occasions but he either failed to find a body in the box, or he found a City player on hand to steer the ball away.

Mark Gair had the home side's cleanest chance with a 25-yard free kick in the 15th minute which got up and over the wall but landed straight in the keeper's arms.

At the other end, City tried to test Mark Tait with a couple of mid-range efforts. Dougie Gair and Ian McFarland had the pick of the chances but failed to find the target.

Following the introduction of the pacy Ryan Wilson, however, City looked much sharper as the second half got underway. In the 54th minute, Gair tried to make his way into the box from the left wing and forced a corner off his marker. The resulting set-piece was swung in and fell to Scott, who managed to squeeze the ball between goalkeeper and defender from ten yards out.

City added a second in the 70th minute when Black guided in a cross from the right wing with the outside of his left foot, and five minutes later the visitors were home when Wilson made it three with the pick of the bunch, a fizzing strike from the right edge of the box which gave the goalkeeper no chance.

The Students could offer no response to City's attack and, if anything, more goals for the visitors looked the likeliest outcome as their confidence continued to grow.

In contrast to City's reversal of fortunes, Edinburgh University, who emerged as genuine title contenders this season after opening with five straight league wins, have now not won a league game since the start of September.

It's a poser for head coach Douglas Samuel, whose developing side's recent results have not matched performances.

"We're having a spell just now where it's just not falling for us or breaking for us and there's a wee bit of a shortage in confidence," he said. "But there's not a huge amount wrong with our game other than getting the ball into the back of the net when we're on top.

"I think we were the better side in the first half but what this young side have to learn is that when you're on top you have to score. If you don't do that you get punished for any individual error you make.

"The first goal was always going to have a big impact on the outcome and it came from a set piece which, from our point of view, makes it a disappointing one to concede."

Edinburgh Uni: Tait, Scott-Woodhouse, Gair, Main, MacKinnon, Irvine, Antoni, Irvine, Brownie, Beck-Friis, Munro, Cameron. Subs: Milne, McCuish, Hunter, Beecher, Murray.

Edinburgh City: Stobie, Dingwall, Harrison, McNamara, Scott, Vanson, Howat, Gair, Stenhouse, McFarland, Black. Subs: Vinelli, Wilson, Moonie, McFarlane, MacKintosh.

Edinburgh University 0

Edinburgh City 3