Tomassi’s men topple Tynie to cap winning week

Posted on Saturday, August 29th, 2015

Spartans leaped to the top of the East of Scotland table with a 0-2 win over Tynecastle at Saughton Enclosure.

With Lothian Thistle HV not in action until Saturday afternoon, Colin Tomassi’s side took advantage to leapfrog the early pacesetters and were on their way after just nine minutes.

Sean Stewart may well have had a case for a spot kick after being upended in the box, whilst the Tynecastle defence stopped, perhaps waiting on an evitable shrill of the whistle, the ball made its way back across the penalty box for Chris Anderson to header home from 12 yards.

In what proved to be a rare venture into the Spartans danger zone, Milligan forced Ross Gilpin into a decent stop as Tynecastle looked to get back on level terms.

The home defence were certainly keen to knock the ball about at the back but on a surface that offered more bobbles that a Tom Weir wooly hat exhibition, their Barcelona-esque style play more often than not caused possession to be overturned.

Then, with 29 minutes on the clock, Spartans doubled their lead.  Blair Atkinson’s speculative effort looked like it was a comfortable save in the making for McMullen however the ball squeezed in between the keeper’s glove and the post to nestle in the net.

HT: Tynecastle 0-2 Spartans

The second half failed to live up to its opening course with the tempo a bit like the temperature in late August Edinburgh, dipping considerably as the evening wears on.

John Grant continued his comeback from injury by replacing Ger Rossi at the interval.

Seasoned campaigner Danny O’Donnell made a well-timed tackle to thwart Coleman in the 53^rd minute as Tynecastle – who on the whole played with more gusto in the second stanza – looked for a way back into the game.

Midway through the half Iain Thomson came on for Chris Anderson as Spartans looked to freshen things up.

A delighted manager Colin Tomassi said, “The lads done everything they were asked to do in the first half, including scoring a couple of good goals.  Maybe the three games in the week caught up with them in the end.  I don’t think we ever looked in danger of losing the game however it would have been good to have added to the total in the second half.  Although I can’t really complain as that’s another three points in the bag.

“It was great to see Blair and Ando continuing to knock the goals in and I was delighted to see the other guys all contribute well including Ger Rossi who I felt has been terrific for us since he joined.”

It was also his side’s first clean sheet of the season so far. “I mentioned to the guys at half-time that it would be good to get through the game without conceding.  Apart from losing at least a goal a game, we’ve given away four penalties so it was good for Gilps not to have to face a spot kick too.”