Spartans held as students fight back

Heriot-Watt University’s Jamie Forsyth fired home from eight yards to give the students a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Spartans at Ainslie Park in their East Seniors Central Taxis Premier Division encounter.

Spartans looked like holding on for a narrow win until, with only six minutes left, Simon Ferrie did well to set up Forsyth, who showed great composure to drill the ball into the net.

Michael Renwick, the Heriot-Watt head coach, said: “I thought that the very least we deserved was a point. I thought also that it was also a game of two halves in which Spartans were slightly ahead in the first half and in the second we were ahead of them. We got our just rewards and I am very pleased because this is a very difficult place to get a point, although I was hungry for all three. We had chances to do that and the boys showed great spirit to come back from one-nil down.”

Spartans led on the half-hour when Neil McCuish bundled home the rebound after Robbie Manson’s effort was blocked.

The pendulum swung firmly in the students’ favour in the second half when they seemed to increase their energy levels and pressed Spartans all over the park in what developed into a highly competitive match.

And they drew level in the 84th minute. In the closing stages, Spartans’ Kevin Sivewright was sent off after receiving his second yellow card.

Spartans: Gilpin (Flockhart 73), Manson, Cennerazzo, Sivewright, McCuish, Grant, Martin (Anderson 66), Whatley, Bremner, Beesley, Henretty (Finnie 80). Subs: Seeley MacKinnon.

Heriot-Watt University: Saunders, Ferrie, Lawrenson, Forbes, Paterson, Napier (Donnelly 68), Forsyth, Ewing, Dahle, Muhsin (Myatt 86), Webster. Subs: Burke, Connor, Kerr.

lTonight, Easthouses Lily 
entertain Edinburgh University in the Image Printers East of Scotland Qualifying Cup round one at Newbattle with an early kick-off time of 6.00pm. Easthouses manager Dave 
McQueenie has Stuart Love, Craig Downie and John Baigrie all unavailable.