LOTHIAN THISTLE AFC

LOTHIAN & EDINBURGH AFA

LOTHIAN EAST

SEASON 2008/2009

LOTHIAN THISTLE 

FOOTBALL CLUB

40TH YEARS OLD

(FOREVER YOUNG)

 1969 TO 2009

FIRST EVENT SUNDAY 5TH APRIL 2009

AT APEX HOTEL GRASSMARKET

CHAIRMAN, SPEAKER,FOUR EX HEARTS AND HIBS PLAYERS

TICKETS  £20.00

CLUB MAIN SPONSOR

CHAPLINS DISCO

GLADSTONES

LOTHIANS POOL FOR SEASON

2008/2009

PEN NOTES

Dale McCall: 

Nickname - Bash, Basher Age - 27 

Position - lazy forward

 Previous clubs - Middlesbrough, Hibs, Livingston, Half of East of Scotland!

 Worst habit - Offside, not passing 

Best Game - Under 10s v Lothian Rangers - scored 14 goals!

 Dean Walker:

 Nickname - Deano Age - 28 

Position - anywhere

 Previous clubs - Portland Star, Salveson, Lochend, Edina Hibs, Oban Saints 

Worst habit - A wee mazy run now and then

 Best Game - Pro evolution soccer 8 

Allan Dillon:

 Nickname - Dils Age - 26 

Position - Anywhere 

Previous clubs - Edinburgh City, Redhall, 

Carrick Star

 Worst habit - Lazy player

 Best Game - All games for Carrick Star - unbeaten in the league

              Chris Malone:

   Nickname - Poulter

   Age - 25

   Position - Centre midfield (not defence)

   Previous clubs - (Portland Star,

    Broughton, Portobello, Cowdenbeath,

   Edinburgh Rose, Whitson

   Worst habit - Moaning

   Best Game - v Redhall Star in the Scottish

     CUP

    Scored the equaliser.

           Terry Smith:

   Nickname - Tel

   Age - 26

   Position - Right Back

   Previous clubs - Redhall, Edinburgh City

   Worst habit - Shoot too much

   Best Game - Cairns Cup Final 2008

           Darren Rae:

   Nickname - Stinger

   Age - 33

   Position - Wherever there's a spare place

   Previous clubs - Whitehill Welfare, Lochend

   Worst habit - Not shouting enough

   Best Game - Still waiting

           Willie Edgar:

   Nickname - War wound Willie

   Age - 25

   Position - Midfield

   Previous clubs - Broomhall,Salvesen,ynecastle,

Berwick  Rangers,

   Edinburgh City,

   Worst habit - Getting injured

   Best Game - Edinburgh City v Manchester United

ANDY LEASK

TERRY SMITH

COLIN LESLIE(NOW IN HIS FOURTENTH SEASON WITH THE CLUB)

DAMIAN OTTWAY

DARREN RAE

WILLIE DARROCH

CALUM EADIE

DALE MCCALL

STUART SMITH

DEAN WALKER

STEVEN SMITH

MICHAEL SMITH

CHRIS MALONE

REES ALLAN

KEVIN SWINTON

CRAIG MACKINTOSH

DIRK OTTWAY

CRAIG DILLON

STEVE McNICOL

MATCH REPORTS

latest games now first

Monday 20 April: 

Lothian lost this vital league tie 3-1 against Musselburgh at Pinkie. 

With all to play for, Lothian looked the stronger side in the first half and their efforts paid off with a 1-0 half time lead. 

A through ball from defence found Steven Bell outrun his markers and he expertly lobbed the ball over the keeper for a deserved goal.

 Lothian seemed to run out of steam in the 2nd half and lost a goal on the hour mark when a Musselburgh striker was allowed to turn in the box and his shot found the net.

 Lothian then lost centre half Allan Dillon for an innocuous tackle which hardly deserved a yellow card. 

Lothian pushed hard to gain the lead again but with 10 minutes remaining a shot from the edge of the box found its way past goalkeeper Andy Leask.

 A third goal followed for Musselburgh. In injury time

, the referee found time to send off another player from Lothian Thistle and two from Musselburgh. 

Saturday 25 April:

 Lothian drew 2-2 with Newtongrange 

in another league match. T

hey found themselves a goal down in 5 minutes when a weak clearance to the edge of the box found a Newtongrange player and he buried the ball past Andy Leask.

 Lothian grabbed an equaliser when an excellent cross from Craig Mackintosh was fumbled by the Newtongrange keeper and James Murray was on hand to scramble the ball home. With a minute remaining of the 1st half a harmless looking cross found its way to the back post. Surprisingly, a Newtongrange player headed the ball back across goal and Lothian were 2-1 down going into the break.

 15 minutes into the 2nd half another Craig Mackintosh cross was turned into a well taken goal by Lothian's best player Dirk Ottway. 

This wasn't a match for the purists with the highlight of the day being the pie and chips at Gladstones afterwards!

Wednesday 15 April 2009

 Lothian Thistle beat Pathhead 3-2 

at home in a vital league game. Two first half goals from Rees Allan, both from Mikey Smith dead ball situations, gave Lothian a 2-1 half time lead.

 Incredibly, yet another goal from a Mikey Smith free kick gave Lothian a 3-1 lead but the loss of a goal and Craig Mackintosh's sending off meant they had a "backs to the wall" last 20 minutes. 

An important result for Lothian which sets them up well for Saturday's League Cup semi final. 

Saturday 18 April 2009: 

Lothian went ahead in 45 seconds against Musselburgh United in their League Cup semi final when Steven Smith broke down the left. He hit a great cross into the box which Steven Bell slotted home. 

Lothian dominated for the first 15 minutes but between then and half time were pretty much on the back foot. Lothian started to take a hold of the game in the 2nd half with chances falling to James Murray, Steven Bell and Kevin Swinton but they failed to extend Lothian's lead. 

This led to a few difficult moments towards the end of the game Lothian held out for their fourth final in four years.

11 April 2009:

 Lothian had tougher opposition for the quarter final in the shape of Pathhead who beat Edinburgh Rose 7-2 in the previous round. 

The game started with Pathhead having the upper hand and Lothian were struggling to cope with the energy of their opponents. Gradually, Lothian pulled themselves into the game creating an opening for Dirk Ottway but he failed to capitalise on the chance.

 Lothian rode their luck a couple of times when a Pathhead player headered over the bar, when it looked easier to score and another shot hit the bar. 

Half time: Lothian Thistle 0; Pathhead 0. Lothian looked the better side as the game wore on and were unlucky not to score. Paul Watson hit an effort over the bar, James Murray forced the Pathhead keeper into an excellent save while Stuart Smith had a goal bound header unbelievably saved.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 0; Pathhead 0. 

Lothian seemed to have more energy in extra time and in the fifth minute an excellent Mikey Smith free kick was brilliantly headed home by Kevin Swinton. 

A minute later the Pathhead keeper pulled off another great save but substitute Steven Bell pounced to score from close range. A few minutes later, Lothian were three ahead when Mikey Smith scored yet again from his trade mark free kick from the edge of the box. 

The pressure was off now and Lothian started to pass the ball far better. It came as no surprise when they added a fourth goal. James Murray made a good break down the left and his cross was met by Steven Bell who headered home from close range. 

Final score; Lothian Thistle 4; Pathhead 0. 

This was Lothian's fourth win on the trot and while no-one is kidding themselves that they've played vintage football, there has been a great work ethic and determination to win.

4 April 2009

 Lothian beat a lively Penicuik side 4-1

 in the preliminary round of the League Cup. Lothian were well worth their win and were in control for most of the game.

 Dirk Ottway opened the scoring early in the 1st half when Craig Mackintosh bravely headered the ball into Dirk's path. Dirk beat the goalkeeper to the ball before poking it into the net. 

Lothian went two up on the half hour mark when Kevin Swinton scored an excellent goal from 20 yards. Just on half time, Lothian's top scorer, Mikey Smith, blasted a free kick high into the net from the edge of the box. 

Lothian played against the wind and rain in the 2nd half and lost a goal after 15 minutes; slack play allowed a Penicuik forward in to score from close range.

 Lothian almost lost another goal through slack defending, but Andy Leask pulled off an excellent save. Lothian immediately went up the park and confusion in the Penicuik defence resulted in Paul WatsonWatson scoring from the edge of the box..

Another welcome league victory for Lothian against Gorebridge. keeping them in touch with the league leaders.

 Lothian scored in the first minute when Craig Mackintosh got on the end of a Kevin Swinton cross and scored with a right foot shot. Lothian dominated the game from there.

 They were unlucky not to increase their lead but found the Gorebridge keeper in good form saving a free kick from Mikey Smith and a close range shot from James Murray.

 Lothian scored an excellent second goal after breaking quickly from a Gorebridge corner kick. Kevin Swinton back heeled the ball through a Gorebridge players legs. Steven Smith laid the ball off to Craig Mackintosh who quickly found Dirk Ottway and he kept his composure to slot the ball underneath the goalkeeper

. Half time: Lothian Thistle 2; Gorebridge 0. 

Although Lothian took the foot off the pedal at the start of the 2nd half they still created a number of half chances with Craig Mackintosh and Kevin Swinton both going close. 

Gorebridge were unlucky not to pull a goal back after some slack Lothian defending and this brought the home side to life. A good break into the Gorebridge half found James Murray with the goal at his mercy and he made no mistake from close range. Another Lothian attack found Kevin Swinton at the far post and he scored a classy goal with the outside of his foot. Lothian finished off the game when Dean Walker chased down a long ball. His cross was met by James Murray who squared the ball to Dirk Ottway. Dirk neatly beat a man and passed the ball into the net.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 5; Gorebridge 0.

 This result and last week's win have brought some welcome confidence to Lothian and it showed with a greater attempt to pass the ball. A much better performance than a few weeks ago.

Lothian Thistle beat Penicuik United 3-2 

in a vital home league game. Lothian suffered a terrible start when Andy Leask threw out the ball to Kevin Swinton, whose pass was intercepted, and Penicuik immediately took advantage scoring from a tight angle.

 Lothian struggled to put together any passing movements and confidence seemed to be at rock bottom.

 The half passed pretty much without incident until injury time. Steven Smith put Craig Mackintosh through and for once the referee did not blow for offside. Craig's cut back to Steven Bell was put out for a corner and from that, James Murray latched onto a loose ball scoring from close range.

 Half time: Lothian Thistle 1; Penicuik United 1

 Lothian started the brighter of the two sides. Five minutes into the half Lothian claimed for what looked like a stone wall penalty. When that was refused, the referee sent off Mikey Smith for swearing. 

 The sending off however seemed to galvanise the team and chances fell to James Murray - who hit the bar - and Steven Smith who hit the ball past the post.

 Lothian got their reward for effort on the hour mark when Stuart Smith was felled in the box and James Murray coolly slotted home the resultant penalty. Lothian looked in control now but a loose free kick from Stuart Smith, who otherwise had an excellent game, put Lothian under pressure. A cross into the 6 yard box fell to a Penicuik striker who placed the ball past Andy Leask. At 2-2, 

Lothian picked themselves up and continued to drive towards Penicuik's goal. Chances went begging when Steven Bell turned in the 6 yard box and hit the ball wide, then a cut back from Dean Walker to Kevin Swinton resulted in the latter putting the ball past the post.

 The third and winning goal came from "box to box" James Murray who outpaced the Penicuik defence and poked a left foot shot underneath the Penicuik keeper.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 3; Penicuik 2. 

A great fightback by Lothian Thistle against all the odds. They were struggling to get a fit team on the park, then went down to 10 men. All credit to the players for their fighting spirit and a great hat-trick from James Murray.

Lothian lost 3-1 away to Loanhead. 

Lothian lost the first goal after 5 minutes. Mikey Smith came closest to equalising on a number of occasions, with his best effort being a free kick that hit the bar.

 Half time: Loanhead 1; Lothian Thistle 0

 Lothian started the brighter of the sides but went 2-0 down when a Loanhead free kick at the edge of the box was spilled by Andy Leask and the loose ball was prodded into the net.

 Lothian went 3-0 down shortly after when a break down the left resulted in the cross being passed into the net.

 To their credit, Lothian kept battling and a good Mikey Smith free kick was well headed home by Rees Allan. 

Lothian created a couple of more chances but in all honesty were well beaten.

 Full time: Loanhead 3; Lothian Thistle 1.

Lothian Thistle beat Gorebridge 5-0 in their first league match of the season.

 Lothian's line up had a number of new players from the previous season, with ex Lothian senior players Willie Darroch and Colin Leslie at the heart of defence,

 Dirk Ottway and Callum Eadie in midfield and Dale McCall up front. All 5 players contributed well with old hands Andy Leask, Terry Smith, Damon Ottway, Darren Rae, Stuart Smith and Dean Walker. The game was fairly evenly matched until the 25th minute when a long through ball was picked up by Dale McCall, who shrugged off the attention of two Gorebridge defenders before rifling a great shot into the net from 20 yards.

 10 minutes later, Lothian were two ahead when a great low cross from Dirk Ottway was met by Callum Eadie at the front post and he slotted the ball home.

 Half time: Gorebridge 0; Lothian Thistle 2.

Lothian continued to control the game and it came as no surprise when Dean Walker, playing in a deeper than normal role, burst past the Gorebridge defence and cleverly chipped the ball over the advancing keeper into the net. 

Lothian were looking dangerous every time they went forward and with 20 minutes remaining Dale McCall latched onto a through ball. Despite pressure from the Gorebridge centre half, he kept his composure to header the bouncing ball into the net. 5 minutes later,

 Dale bagged his hat-trick with a scorching left foot shot which hit the roof of the net.

 Full time: Gorebridge 0; Lothian Thistle 5

. A comprehensive win for Lothian with all the new players settling in well. A great debut hat-trick from Dale McCall who has helped add a cutting edge to Lothian's passing game.

Monday 1 September

: A disappointing result in Lothian's 2nd game of the season, in which they were beaten at home 4-2 by Musselburgh. 

Lothian started the brighter of the two sides scoring the first goal in 3 minutes when Dean Walker smashed home a cross from Callum Eadie. In the 20th minute, Lothian went two ahead when good link up play between Dean Walker and Dale McCall ended with Dale slotting the ball into the net. In spite of such a good start, 

Lothian failed to keep control of the game and it came as no surprise when they lost a goal 10 minutes from the interval when a through ball eluded the defence and the ball was lobbed over Andy Leask into the net. 5 minutes later Andy Leask pulled off a spectacular save from a Musselburgh penalty.

 Half time: Lothian Thistle 2; Musselburgh 1.

 Lothian were pinned back in their own half for the early period but just when they thought they had survived, a cut back from the bye line was fired into the net by a Musselburgh midfield player. At 2-2, Lothian were struggling. A defensive error then led to Musselburgh's third goal and with a minute remaining tired defending led to Musselburgh's fourth.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 2; Musselburgh 4.

 Not a great night for Lothian and it looked as though two games in three days was too much for them - a bit of work to be done on the training ground! 

Saturday 6 September:

 A better performance from Lothian in a must win game v Newtongrange Star. Lothian won 5-3 with an excellent first half performance but nervy second half. Lothian were the better of the two sides throughout the first half with Craig Mackintosh causing all sorts of problems for Newtongrange with rampaging runs up the left wing. He made a number of crosses which weren't converted. 

The most Lothian had to show in the first 20 minutes was a Dale McCall header off the post. It came as a bit of a shock when Lothian found themselves a goal down after a Newtongrange midfield player found space 20 yards out and his shot hit the roof of the net.

 Lothian fought back in style though, scoring 3 goals in 7 minutes. The first came from the alert Dale McCall; a cross into the box was brilliantly controlled and he quickly shot into the net. 3 minutes later a typical Dean Walker run past defenders found him reaching the ball before the goalkeeper and he deftly chipped it over the keeper into the net. 

On the 40th minute, a Dale McCall corner was converted by Willie Darroch with a spectacular left foot volley. 

Half time: Newtongrange Star 1; Lothian Thistle 3.

 As in the previous game, Lothian failed to dominate in the 2nd half and Mikey Smith was sent on to steady the ship. He had an immediate impact; he took a good pass from Damon Ottway then sent a defence splitting pass to Dean Walker who cut the ball back for the ever aware Dale McCall to slot the ball home.

 Lothian failed to control the game after this and a long throw into the box was headed past Andy Leask. 

Further Newtongrange pressure resulted in a scrappy third goal being conceded. At this point Lothian were not looking good, but did work very hard to keep in the game. They were rewarded with a fifth goal when a huge "up and under" by Willie Darroch from his own half resulted in the Newtongrange goalkeeper surprisingly dropping the ball for Dean Walker to score his 2nd of the game. (Not bad Willie - a goal and an assist in one game!!) 

Full time: Newtongrange Star 3; Lothian Thistle 5.

 A better performance from Lothian but sluggish 2nd half performances will need to be worked on.

Lothian fought back from a goal down to beat Musselburgh 3-1 for a valuable 3 points.

 Lothian were on the back foot for the opening spell and in 10 minutes found themselves 1-0 down when Rees Allan gave a away a penalty. Andy Leask was close to saving the spot kick but the well placed shot just beat him. 

Lothian were slow to respond but the in the last 20 minutes of the half, they pretty much hemmed in Musselburgh with Willie Darroch hitting the bar and Darren Rae having a header tipped just over.

 Half time: Lothian Thistle 0; Musselburgh 1.

 Lothian continued to pressure Musselburgh without creating any clear cut chances. In the 15th minute of the half, however, captain Mikey Smith brought Lothian back into the game when he curled a great free kick round the wall into the net. 

This galvanised Lothian and they were unlucky not to go ahead when Dean Walker failed to connect with a Dale McCall corner. A few minutes later the ball bobbled in the box and Dean Walker was first to it to hit a great shot past the keeper. 5 minutes later, a great cross from Dean Walker was brilliantly headed home by Dale McCall. 

Lothian were pretty much in control towards the end of the game with Mikey Smith, Chris Malone and Craig Mackintosh prominent for the home team.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 3; Musselburgh 1. 

A vital 3 points for Lothian. They played well in patches with some good signs of passing football. Still some room for improvement which will be worked on.

LOTHIAN THISTLE 2 PENICUIK 1

Lothian Thistle laboured to a 2-1 victory over close rivals Penicuik in an away league game.

 The first half was a dull affair with neither side playing any quality football. 

Over the piece Lothian just shaded the half with territorial advantage but there was no cutting edge to their game.

 Half time: Penicuik 0; Lothian Thistle 0.

 Lothian took the game by the scruff of the neck in the 2nd half and could have been 3 up within the first 10 minutes when, firstly,

 a cut back found Dale McCall whose shot went narrowly wide. A second chance fell to Dirk Ottway whose well struck shot was brilliantly saved by the Penicuik goalkeeper, then Dale McCall found himself in space at the edge of the box only for his shot to miss the top corner of the net. Lothian went ahead on the hour mark when talisman Mikey Smith stepped up to sweep a 30 yard free kick past the despairing goalkeeper.

 Lothian controlled the game for a spell after that, then fell out of it a bit. Andy Leask pulled off a fantastic one handed save at this point then Damian  Ottway hit the ball from the half way line deceiving the goalkeeper and it flew into the net.

 Damian's version is that it was a 60 yard thunderbolt which hit the top corner of the net!! Some others would say it was a fluke!

 Lothian simply fell out of the game from then; they defended well until the 85th minute when a ball was played into the 6 yard box and Penicuik pulled one back. The last 5 minutes were a bit hairy.

 They nearly found some relief when Steven Smith almost put the game beyond doubt for Lothian but his shot hit the post. Full time: Penicuik 1; Lothian Thistle 2.

In all honesty, not a classic performance from Lothian, but they are grinding out results. 

One major plus point was the performance of the defence - on the whole they were rock solid. Wednesday's training will have a passing theme!!

Lothian beat Cabrera 8-3 in the 2nd round of the Scottish Cup 

on the astro turf pitch at Saughton. Despite the different surface, Lothian went 1-0 up within 3 minutes when a Mikey Smith through ball found Dale McCall and he poked the ball through the keepers legs into the net..

 Cabrera put Lothian under a little pressure from then but in the 20th minute, Dean Walker put Lothian further ahead with a clever right foot shot. Shortly afterwards a Cabrera forward went in heavily against Andy Leask who reacted and got himself sent off. 

With 10 men, Lothian went 3 ahead when a tenacious piece of work from Allan Dillon found him scoring his first competitive goal for the club. Just before half time, Dale McCall outsprinted (yes - outsprinted!) the Cabrera defence and coolly slotted the ball into the far corner.

 Half time: Cabrera 0; Lothian Thistle 4. 

Lothian were quickly 5 ahead when Craig Mackintosh, who had been a thorn on the Cabrera side, shot home from the edge of the box. Dale McCall then got his second hat-trick of the season with another cracking left foot shoot. 

That's a brilliant 10 goals in 6 games. Damian Ottway scored number 7 when a Craig Mackintosh shot was parried by the keeper for his 2nd goal in two games.

 The referee then mysteriously gave a penalty against Lothian which was scored, then sloppy play by Lothian resulted in Cabrera pulling another goal back. Lothian promptly went up the park and a Mikey Smith cross was missed by everyone, finally landing in net. Mikey's third goal in 3 games.

 Cabrera scored a third from a long range shot which Dean Walker........well Dean we'll just leave it at that!

Full time: Cabrera 3; Lothian Thistle8.

Lothian beat a plucky Pilton Albion Wanderers 2-0 11th October

 in the 1st round of the Challenge Cup. Lothian's performance never really hit the heights of the previous week with the defence again showing resilience in the face of pressure. 

Pilton had the wind at their backs in the 1st half and had most of the territorial advantage without showing too much incision. In the last 10 minutes of the half however, goalkeeper Andy Leask was called into action bringing off 3 excellent saves.

 Lothian had their moments with Steven Smith and Dean Walker both having good shots well saved by the impressive Pilton keeper.

 Half time: Lothian Thistle 0; Pilton Albion Wanderers 0.

 Lothian stepped up a gear in the 2nd half dominating the play but failing to get the necessary breakthrough. 

As the half wore on, frustration started to creep into Lothian's play particularly when the Pilton keeper denied them again when he saved well from Dean Walker. Midway through the half Pilton started to gain an upper hand and only the woodwork and poor finishing denied them the lead.

 In reply, Lothian brought on Willie Edgar and Dale McCall and this seemed to swing the game in Lothian's favour again. With 12 minutes remaining a great through ball found Dale McCall in the clear and his lob was saved by the Pilton keeper, however as he was outside the penalty box he was sent off.

 Mikey Smith stepped up to take the resultant 30 yard free kick and for the 3rd time in 4 games scored directly from the set piece - an astonishing record. 2 minutes later a good through ball from Mikey Smith found Craig Mackintosh and he calmly rounded the substitute keeper to slot the ball home for his 2nd goal in 2 games.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 2; Pilton Albion Wanderers 0.

 A sloppy display from Lothian and once again the defence held firm. The pivotal moments in the game were the sending off of the Pilton keeper and the introduction of Willie Edgar and, then, Dale McCall. All credit to the team for achieving 6 wins in 7 games but more improvement required!

Lothian continued their winning streak with a hard fought 

5-3 extra time away win in the Logan Cup against West Lothian. 

Lothian played the early part of the match on the back foot and went behind in the 9th minute when an Allan Dillon kick out was picked up by a West Lothian player 35 yards out. He seemed to walk through the Lothian team to side foot the ball into the net. 

Lothian fought back and in the 25th minute equalised when they fought hard to retain the ball at the edge of West Lothian's box. Craig Mackintosh sent in a dangerous cross which ricocheted into the net off Willie Edgar. Lothian started to battle back territory wise but were still looking vulnerable. With 10 minutes of the half remaining, the referee awarded West Lothian a penalty which was hotly disputed by the Lothian players. West Lothian went ahead through a well taken spot kick and Lothian found themselves on the back foot again.

 Half time: West Lothian 2; Lothian Thistle 1.

 Lothian started the 2nd half with much more purpose, putting the home side under a great deal of pressure so it came as a shock when they went further behind to a dipping 20 yard shot. At 3-1 down, 

Lothian pulled up their sleeves and, while it was one way traffic, they were being frustrated by a stubborn West Lothian defence. With 20 minutes remaining, however, Lothian pulled one back when Willie Edgar accurately headered home a cross from the left. Lothian continued to press forward and with 10 minutes remaining a Mikey Smith cross was met by Rees Allen in the box and his deft touch (aye right - it bounced off him) was met by big Stu Smith who hit his shot into the top corner of the net. Later, big Stu was quoted as saying he only scores goals that matter!! Lothian pressed for the winner but the game ended all square.

 Full time: West Lothian 3; Lothian Thistle 3. 

Lothian looked the more likely to score in extra time but couldn't find a way through in the first half. With only 3 minutes of the game left, another Mikey Smith cross again found Rees Allen and he bravely headered the ball over the keeper for the decisive goal. A great reward for Rees who'd had a brilliant game.

 The drama hadn't finished though when, with a minute remaining, Lothian were give a free kick 20 yards inside their own half. Chris Malone asked the referee if the foul was direct and got a quizzical look in response. Chris then bulleted the free kick all of 70 yards into the top corner of the net. An unbelievable goal. A great comeback from Lothian and, from the 2nd half onwards, probably their best performance of the season.

FULL TIME 5-3 extra time away win in the Logan Cup

In absolutely horrendous conditions, Lothian Thistle beat Barca Milton 2-0 at home in an East of Scotland 1st round tie.

 Lothian shot against the wind in the first half and controlled the game from the start of the game until half time.

 They passed and pressed really well and were troubled on only one occasion when Dean Walker, in goals for the injured Andy Leask, pulled off a great one handed save . 

Lothian went close on a couple of occasions when Stu Smith had what looked like a good goal chalked off for offside and Dale McCall sliced a shot wide.

 With 4 minutes of the 1st half remaining good build up play found the ball at Craig Mackintosh's feet and he smashed a great shot high into the roof of the net. 

Half time: Lothian Thistle 1; Barca Milton 0.

 With the wind at their backs, Lothian expected to quickly add to their score but a combination of slack play and a stubborn Barca defence kept the chances to a minimum. As the half wore on, Lothian started to create some openings with Chris Malone having a cracking shot from 20 yards hitting the post, Dirk Ottway coming close twice, Dale McCall having a curled shot just over and Mikey Smith having a free kick well saved by the Barca keeper. 

With 15 minutes remaining a break down the right found Dirk Ottway and his cut back into the box was swept home by the impressive Stu Smith who scored his 2nd goal in 2 games. (It's actually 3 in 3, as he scored in a midweek friendly on Wednesday against Spartans, but that doesn't count!).

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 2; Barca Milton 0.

 A workmanlike performance from Lothian who extended their winning streak to 7 games. All credit to both sides for playing out a game in awful weather conditions. Lothian came out worthy winners and still more to come from them..

Lothian Thistle won 9-0 in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup against Ellon.

 Lothian went ahead in the 1st minute when Steven Smith scored his first goal of the season. A Craig Mackintosh cross was placed into the box and Steven scrapped for the ball before placing it underneath the keeper. Within 10 minutes, Lothian scored again through the prolific Dale McCall. He found his way past the Ellon offside trap and comfortably beat the oncoming keeper. A few minutes later, Lothian were three ahead when Mikey Smith pushed a free kick to Chris Malone and he buried an angled shot into the net. 

The best goal of the half came with a well worked one - two between Dale McCall and Steven Smith, with the former cleverly scoring Lothian's fourth. With half time looming Lothian netted another goal when Dale McCall slotted home a Mikey Smith corner.

 Half time: Lothian Thistle 5; Ellon 0.

 The best goal of the game came 5 minutes into the 2nd half when Dale McCall again worked a one - two, then sprinted past the Ellon defence before smashing the ball into the net.

 Lothian had to wait for another 25 minutes for the next goal and it was veteran Mikey Corner who scored it after ghosting in at the back post and coolly passing the ball into the net. Mikey Smith scored the remaining 2 goals; his first came after he dribbled past defenders at the edge of the box and effortlessly shot past the keeper into the far corner of the net. Mikey's final goal came from his trademark penalty.

 Full time: Lothian Thistle 9; Ellon 0. 

A fine performance from Lothian; they played the game at a high tempo and passed the ball well throughout. All credit to Ellon - they travelled 4 hours for the game and even when it was beyond them they never gave up trying.

A 3-0 away win for Lothian Thistle against a stubborn Musselburgh United

 side saw them move into 2nd place in the league. Lothian were never at ease on the tight pitch but showed some real battling qualities to keep another clean sheet. 

Lothian were on the back foot for the first quarter of an hour; a great diving save from Dean Walker and having some good fortune when Musselburgh hit the post from a long range effort meant they remained all square. 

Gradually Lothian gained a foothold on the game, making use of the flanks and stretching the Musselburgh defence. Dale McCall had an excellent low shot brilliantly saved by the Musselburgh goalkeeper and Darren Rae had a header plucked out of the air by the keeper.

 Lothian deservedly went ahead on the half hour mark when a Mikey Smith corner was excellently headed home by Rees Allan

. Half time: Musselburgh United 0; Lothian Thistle 1.

 Although Lothian looked the more likely to score when they attacked, they spent more time in their half than was comfortable. On the hour mark, however, the pressure was eased when a cross to edge of the box found Steven Smith. He headed the ball into the 6 yard box and, with the goalkeeper distracted by the svelte Dale McCall, the ball bounced into the net. (Steven described it as a 20 yard bullet header for his 2nd goal in 2 games!! Maybe no big man).

 With 20 minutes remaining, new signing Kris Brown came on for his debut and he nearly scored with his first touch of the ball, gathering it in the box and having his shot well saved.

 Lothian continued to live dangerously but still looked lively on the break with Craig Mackintosh and Dirk Ottway both coming close. As the game drew to a close Lothian scored a 3rd from a fantastic move. Damien Ottway pushed the ball into Dale McCall's feet. Dale quickly moved the ball wide to Craig Mackintosh whose low cross was met by Dirk Ottway and his low shot found the net.

 Full time: Musselburgh 0; Lothian Thistle 3. A really good result for Lothian without ever excelling. They battled hard on a tight pitch and got their reward.