Blair Atkinson rewarded gaffer Dougie Samuel’s decision to start the striker with an injury time winner against Gretna 2008 at Ainslie Park in a game that saw the visitors finish the game with 10 men following Jack Hunter’s 55th minute dismissal.

It was a match that offered the potential of a home banana skin with the Dumfriesshire side travelling to the Capital keen to secure their first win over the North Edinburgh side since May 2015.

The early signs were to suggest that this wasn’t going to be the case as wave after wave of Spartans attacks threatened the Gretna goal.

David Greenhill was denied by the woodwork after teeing himself up for a volley attempt then shortly after he had keeper John Jamieson sprawling with an effort from outside the box.

Referee Sneddon may not have had the most difficult of afternoons in the middle however he incurred the wrath of the home support when Ross Allum appeared to be bundled to the ground by the elbow of Jordan Little, only for the whistler to wave play on.

Greenhill once again reacquainted himself with the crossbar, this time with a drive that had Jamieson a mere onlooker whilst stranded to the spot and the sides going in at the break remarkably on level terms.

Half Time: Spartans 0-0 Gretna 2008

Shortly after the oranges, Blair Atkinson was causing all sorts of bother down the flank.  An early drive towards the Gretna danger area saw the striker taken out, but not in the mind of the match official.  However, there was no doubt when a similar challenge just minutes after saw Jack Hunter head for the showers as Atkinson looked set to go on and score.  The free-kick just outside the penalty box once again rattled the bar from the boot of Greenhill, a hat-trick he’s unlucky to cut out and keep in the scrapbook anytime soon.

Spartans looked to capitalise upon the numerical advantage as an air of frustration began to creep into the home side’s play.  Wave after wave of home pressure saw a siege of Alamo proportions and the Gretna goal leading a charmed life.  Indeed, the word count here would be well into four figures if all 27 chances were recorded, suffice to say any heat map technology would have left Andrew Stobie between the Spartans sticks looking cooler than a Polar Bear’s toenails!

With the game heading towards an unlikely stalemate and into injury time, Spartans laid on one fine aerial assault upon the Gretna defence.  Jack Nixon’s cross had the pace for distance yet the delicacy of a cheeky golf wedge effort to find Blair Atkinson hovering around the six yard box to slide home.   Cue relief, celebration and scenes.

The restart was immediately followed by the final shrill of the whistle and with it, three crucial points that may come in handy come the business end of the campaign.

Post-Match, an ebullient Atkinson said, “We kept going right til the end and I just knew if we got one final chance we’d do it.  It was a great ball from Jack (Nixon) and I just got myself in behind Brandon (Archibald) and took the chance.  When it went in I knew there would be no time for Gretna to respond too.

“I guess that’s the thing about us though – we just never know when to give up.  We’ve got a lot of guys like myself who have come through the Academy system, it’s in our Spartans DNA to fight til the end.”

It was Atkinson’s sixth competitive goal of the season so far. It’s a campaign that has seen the former Under 20s goal machine make considerable impact in so far, largely from the bench.  He added, “I don’t really want to have the tag as “super sub” if I’m honest so when the gaffer gives me the opportunity to start, I set out to repay him, just like today with the winner.”

Full Time: Spartans 1-0 Gretna 2008

Spartans: Stobie, Herd (Nixon), Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson, Greenhill, Atkinson, McFarland, Allum, Dishington, Maxwell (Archibald).  Subs (Not Used)

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Blair Atkinson

Man of the Match Ross Allum’s double earned Spartans a vital three points away from home as Dougie Samuel’s side defeated a stuffy Edinburgh University side 1-2 at a sunny Peffermill.

Both Lowland League matches between the sides last season failed to deliver a winner in a fixture that offers a tremendous amount of history in the life of the Clubs.

There was almost a false start with just four minutes on the clock as the match officials called a temporary halt to proceedings in order to sheepishly return to the changing rooms to replace their traditional dark jerseys for fluorescent kit due to a clash with the Students.

Yellow tops and red faces later, the match resumed in a less than rambunctious fashion however there was an early opportunity from the restart as Scott Maxwell’s cross found Craig Stevenson who shot wide.

Andrew Stobie was forced into action with a full length save to deny the Students, keen to kick-start their campaign on their home patch.  At the other end, it was a less than controlled dash from his line by University stalwart Tait, only for the angle to narrow considerably to allow Allum to benefit.

With just over the half hour played, it was a case of deja vu between the same players, this time the high flying Tait missed man and ball to give Allum the opportunity to compose himself before sliding into the empty net.

There was almost a second moments after when David Greenhill’s effort from an edge of the penalty box free kick cleared the wall, only for the ball to hit the corner of post and bar.

The lead was doubled with six minutes left in the elongated half.

Scott Maxwell weaved through the University defence akin to a slalom skier heading down the slopes of Courchevel, using the static Students like gates on the way before squaring to Allum who unleashed an unstoppable drive to put light between the sides.

That gap was halved however just two minutes later when the visitors failed to deal effectively with a cross into the box and Murray made his mark from close range.

Half Time: Edinburgh University 1-2 Spartans

It was a second half for the purists, the main highlight being the traditional home baking fayre from the MacKinnon family.

There was one final opportunity at the death for substitute Blair Atkinson who raced in on goal, only to be denied by the shoelaces of Tait.

Full Time: Edinburgh University 1-2 Spartans

Blair Atkinson’s goal a quarter of an hour from full time set up a grandstand finish against Northern Irish Champions Linfield FC in an intriguing Irn Bru Cup 2nd Round tie at Ainslie Park however it was David Healy’s side who held on to progress into the hat next week.

It had been just six weeks since the Ulstermen had taken part in the Champions League and with that, a trip to face Celtic in front of a crowd of some 58,000. Saturday brought them across the M8 to the Scottish Capital and to North Edinburgh where 902 supporters, including 350 visiting supporters enjoyed a day out in the sunshine and an exciting climax to a game that was a lot closer than many pundits anticipated.

Whilst Linfield showed composure in their ability to build from the back and play possession football well in the opening half, it was Spartans who had the first opportunity, Ross Guthrie sending the ball over from long range with a speculative half volley.

Joshua Robinson came close for the tourists in front of his own fans when he sent his shot wide of the post as the visitors dominated the opening stanza.

It was the tale of two penalties that saw the deadlock broken. The first was one that Welsh whistler waved aside claims for as defender Chris Casement looked to have clearly handled in his own box after falling to the ground in a challenge with Ross Guthrie.

The second claim for a spot kick was successful, only for it to be awarded at the other end just two minutes later and in controversial circumstances too. It was another ball-meets-hand or hand-meets-ball debate however Referee Petch deemed it worthy of a penalty, which Louis Rooney stepped up to dispatch, sending Andrew Stobie the wrong way.

HT: Spartans 0-1 Linfield FC

Just three minutes after the break, Linfield doubled their lead. Quick thinking at a free-kick just outside the home box saw the ball find its way into the path of Stephen Lowry who despatched beyond Stobie.

Two goals up and dominating proceedings, Linfield fans were in confident mood of their men adding to the tally. Instead, it was Spartans who rallied and an air of confidence in their play offered hope for the bolstered home support around the ground.

Another loud appeal for a penalty resulted in a similar outcome for Samuel’s side as Ross Allum looked to have been upended, but not before he’d released the ball for David Greenhill who found the side netting with his effort.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Blair Atkinson replaced Willie Bremner and within three minutes, the youngster made an immediate impact on the game. David Greenhill’s shot from distance looked to be a comfortable save in store for Gareth Deane only for the Linfield keeper to spill and Atkinson to swoop and find the roof of the net with his rebound.

Andrew Stobie was once again called into action as he denied Stephen Fallon with his shoelaces from close range. It was his opposite number who then prevented a likely additional period of play following fine play by David Greenhill and Blair Atkinson in the build up, only for Deane to throw himself in front of a Ross Allum effort and with that, the comeback was curtailed and it was the visitors who will progress into the next round.

Despite the result, Spartans gaffer was full of praise for his side. Speaking post-match Samuel said,

“We didn’t get many breaks during the course of the game. It must be a subconscious thing because it happens too often that the bigger clubs get the decisions. Probably people in our league will laugh at that as they’ll think we get them when they play us! Its swings and roundabouts.

“No-one will remember the penalty shouts if we took our chances. I think that’s the thing – I think we can be pleased that we created lots of opportunities and perhaps enough to take the game into extra time. Our goalkeeper made a couple of good saves, but that’s to be expected. I think if we had managed to take the game into extra-time, no-one would have begrudged us that.

“We are really proud of the fact we’ve got a number of young players who have come through the youth section. Jamie (Dishington), Blair (Atkinson) and now also Adam (Corbett) who has stepped up this year and that was a big learning experience for him today.

“The goal will do Blair’s confidence the world of good. He’s been a boy who has been banging the goals in for our youth section for years and last year he scored 19 on loan at Vale. It’s just about timing for him – there’s no doubt he can play for the first team.

“It’s not often we’ve got people standing outside at 2pm waiting to get in for one of our games! The players and staff have all enjoyed this week. Going up against someone of the pedigree of David Healy, that’s hopefully going to bring out the best in you too, he’s been a class act all day.

“We’d love to obviously play against big teams on a more regular basis – and that’s what matters this season, it’s giving ourselves the chance to do that.”

FT: Spartans 1-2 Linfield FC

Spartans: Stobie, Corbett, Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson, Greenhill, Dishington, Herd, Allum, Bremner (Atkinson), Guthrie (Maxwell). Subs: Nixon, Wilson, Archibald.