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The Game 06 Festival Inns Trophy
Tynecastle Stadium Hearts 3 Hibs 2
The internet is a wonderful thing. Few if any who witnessed the first instalment of the Edinburgh Charity Game would argue with that as members from the two main messageboards of Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian met to contest the Festival Inns Trophy at Tynecastle Stadium. Internet teams are not a new thing, Real Maroon and Erin Hibs represent our respective clubs in the British e-league. However this match was possibly the first of its kind to be played purely for charity and appropriately it came about as a messageboard conversation between Steve Jones (Lacostelad) of JKB and Stewart Robertson (Fat Stu) of .net. The lads got themselves embroiled in a debate about who was best and ended up challenging each other to a game of football with the fans representing the clubs.
Initially it was thought they’d do well to get Saughton Enclosure and try and get a few bob from players and their families. Steve thought he’d try his luck with Phil Anderton and was gobsmacked to receive a positive reply. From then on the project grew arms and legs culminating in 1,300 fans turning up on a freezing March afternoon to assist in raising an impressive £8,200 for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. Who’d have thought a (knowing the two involved) drunken conversation would lead to such an amazing event? It’s probably a fair assumption that not many of the people directly involved in the playing of this match got an awful lot of sleep the night before the match but you would never have guessed as both teams took to the field at 1.55pm following enthusiastic warm up routines. The players’ were joined by young relatives for a photo session and then exchanged fair play style handshakes before getting ready to commence. At 39 years and 363 days Garry Murray was the senior Hearts man but was far from the oldest player. Bill Rodger surely claimed this title? Bill says he is in his forties but it is claimed one of his team mates found Bill’s bus pass on the floor of the away dressing room after the match shattering that illusion.
The match itself started and as expected the opening was tentative with everyone making sure their first touch was solid. Hibs.net had the majority of the opening quarter without creating an awful lot of chances. The game’s best chance had fallen to Derek Bellany of JKB who fired just over after good work by Elliot Fleming. The game burst into life as Hibs.net took the lead in the 21st minute. Duncan Smith who had looked lively in the early stages gathered in midfield before attempting a diagonal ball over Gordon Hanratty’s head to Ross Anderson. The balding full back could only head the ball back towards his own box. Kenny Baillie left it for Brian Whitson to clear, unfortunately Whitson’s clearance went straight to Harry Crombie who steadied himself before firing past Bruce Pringle with the outside of his right foot. At that stage Hibs.net deserved to be in front and started to play with a bit of confidence. Perhaps that confidence was a bit too apparent just five minutes later as Rorie Cowan was dispossessed by Jim Murray on the halfway line. The JKB number 7 showed impressive pace and control as he burst into the Hibs.net penalty area and fired the ball for the top corner only to be denied by a fabulous flying save from Graeme Banks. Scott Moore floated the resulting corner for the far post where, under pressure from Garry Murray, Rorie Cowan conceded another corner. Gordon Hanratty’s inswinger was again aimed at the dangerous Murray and somehow deceived Banks in the .net goal and flew straight in. The JKB boys took an enormous lift from their fortuitous equaliser and started to take the game to .net. Aston Sloan latched on to a through ball from Hanratty and rounded Banks before hitting the post from an outrageously narrow angle, unfortunately for JKB the ball rebounded from the post just out of reach of the inrushing Fleming. Half-Time JKB 1-1 Hibs.net JKB started the 2nd half the way they finished the first and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 49th minute. What was surprising was how it came about. Jamie Adams conceded JKB’s first corner of the half and Scott Moore stepped up to emulate Hanratty by firing the kick straight into the .net goal. In fairness to Banks he seemed to be impeded by team mate Iain Connolly as the ball swung in just under the bar. In a mirror image of the first half it seemed the boys in maroon were going to take control when they conceded an equaliser on 58 minutes. Baillie conceded a corner under pressure from Howie Pearson and from the kick John Anderson challenged Brian Whitson before pouncing on the loose ball as it landed to fire past Scott Moncrieff. It was anybody’s game at this stage and there were scares at both ends before a stroke of managerial genius led to JKB bringing on Graham MacKay for the tiring Fleming and the young man with the famous Hearts name was to settle the tie in the 79th minute. Jim Murray won a Banks goal kick on halfway and headed the ball down to Aston Sloan who controlled instantly before feeding MacKay on the edge of the .net box. MacKay cut back on to his left foot before curling an unstoppable shot beyond Banks. It was a quality finish that was fit to win any match and was not dissimilar to Benji’s first in the CIS cup final. I’m sure Graham will be happy with that comparison! Hibs.net committed men forward from then on but could not find a way through as the JKB defence stood firm. So from a (probable) drunken challenge what did we get? A five goal thriller played in tremendous spirit in front of an unsegregated crowd. It’s what football is all about. Can Hearts hold on to the trophy or can Hibs finally get green and white ribbons on a trophy with just TWO handles? Let’s hope it’s as exciting as last year. Enjoy the match.
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