MATCH REPORT
Date : 18th March 2023
Opposition : Heriot Watt University
Venue : Home
Scorers : None
Booked : Joao Vieira, Drew Cummings, Jack Jones
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 56
Referee : Michael Dixon
Team Lineup :
Niall Frampton
Joao Vieira
Jack Forster
Evan Smith
Rhys Dixon
Rhys Bloomfield
Drew Cummings
Regan Graham
Jay Atkinson
Craig Bell
Jack Cummings
Subs :
Adam Newton
Jack Jones on for Jack Cummings 61 mins
Jake Gibson on for Jay Atkinson 83 mins
Match Report :
Heriot-Watt moved up to third spot in the East of Scotland Second Division table by completing a League double over Tweedmouth.
With Craig Heath still injured and Kieran Cromarty away, Rangers’ manager Neil Oliver moved Jack Forster to partner Evan Smith at centre back. Although Forster conceded a second half penalty, it proved an astute move with the 20 year old following up last week’s performance at West Calder with another impressive display.
In contrast to the previous meeting of these sides in Edinburgh early in the season when Watt won with the only goal of the game late on, this time the students were ahead after just four minutes. Niall Frampton was forced out of his area when Nandom Domyil found himself free on the right. Rangers’ keeper blocked the Nigerian’s first shot but the ball came back to him to direct into an empty net.
Half an hour later, Domyil was poised to score again after collecting a superb defence splitting pass but Frampton now came out on top saving both from him and stopping Charlie Stewart’s follow up strike.
Heriot-Watt always looked comfortable on the ball to the extent that it wasn’t until the later stages of the first half that the odd pass went astray, one of them almost costing them an own goal three minutes from the break.
They challenged Frampton on several more occasions before then. Opposite number Alex McMahon was also in action, first catching a deceptively soft but high curling shot from Regan Graham and then holding Rhys Dixon’s effort from further out after Rangers moved the ball across field from right to left. The referee’s whistle for offside saved him from having to deal with Jack Cummings after he took a through ball as good as Watt’s earlier one from brother Drew.
The second period began with Tweedmouth hinting they might be able to turn around the game. Drew Cummings now put Craig Bell through, McMahon initially spilling his shot before recovering. Heriot-Watt though went on to dominate possession. It was testament to the work of the home back four in particular that their other goals came from set pieces rather than by opening up the defence in open play.
In the 75th minute, replacement Barney Stewart claimed their second goal following a free kick taken by Justin Hogg. Six minutes later, Jamie Kennedy, booked earlier for a dangerous challenge on Rhys Bloomfield, netted from the spot. Before time up, Frampton tipped a shot from another sub, Matteo Crolla, over his bar to keep it at 3-0.