Ross Allum’s spot kick and a poacher poke from David Greenhill earned Spartans the bragging rights with a 1-2 win in the North Edinburgh derby at Christie Gillies Park.

It was the same starting XI from gaffer Dougie Samuel as Spartans looked to build on Saturday’s impressive win over Hawick Royal Albert and a shuffled bench served to utilise the squad in what is a jam packed period in the opening month of the campaign.

Spartans kicked off in what were pleasant conditions, a surprise considering the early downpour, traces of which glowed from the surface of the lush green surface that only the finest of Coos could hope to graze on all day long.

Back to the game…

The opening half was a frustrating one with both sides making chances akin to the surface – decidedly half cut.   Ross Allum was the closest to breaking the deadlock when he leaped above a Civil defender only to direct his header over the bar.

A lung bursting run from the pacey Alan Brown through the middle offered another opportunity for the striker however keeper Stuart Burnside was equal to the task.

HT: Civil Service Strollers 0-0 Spartans

There was just the one change at the break, with the Midgies out in force in time for the second half as the sun began to set behind the wall of trees behind the Strollers stopper.

Just eight minutes after the break, the visitors took the lead from the penalty spot.  David Greenhill was the intended recipient of a ball flighted into the six yard box however he was the Spartans salami in the Strollers sandwich and was bundled to the ground leaving the match official with an easy decision in pointing to the spot.  Up stepped Ross Allum who thundered the ball into the top corner out of the reach of the keeper to make it three in two games.

Only six minutes had lapsed and Civil were on level terms.  Stephen Froude netting for the hosts after being played in by ex-Spartan Davy Stewart following a steal in midfield.

Both sides were pressing to net would could prove to be an important winner as the season progresses.  A stramash in the box saw the ball ricochet off bodies aplenty, with various parts of anatomies preventing the leather spherical finding its final resting place.  It finally popped up into the path of David Greenhill who netted from close range for what proved to be the winning goal.

As the game slipped into its fifth minute of added time and calls for fans to switch on their smart phone lights around Christie Gillies Park moments away, the home side had one final effort.  A free-kick was awarded on the corner of Blair Carswell’s area however the dead ball attempt came to no good and with that, the final whistle sounded.

Match winner David Greenhill commented after the game, “I thought we started off well and dominated for the opening fifteen minutes however we couldn’t find the net.  Naturally Civil came back into it and it was pretty evens to half time.  It was kind of deja vu in the second to be fair and fair credit to the boys who defended well in the final ten as it’s tough when you are only a goal up, especially away from home, and the opposition are firing at you.

“I was a wee bit frustrated at not scoring at the weekend but it was ideal to be in the right place at the right time to get the winner tonight.  They don’t always have to be 40 yard screamers every time you know!”

FT: Civil Service Strollers 1-2 Spartans

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Michael Herd

Spartans: 1. Carswell 2. Herd 3. Stevenson 4. Tolmie 5. Thomson 6. Brown 7. Dishington 8. Greenhill (14. Khutsishvili 74) 9. Allum (16. Wilson 84) 10. McFarland 11. Guthrie (18. Bremner 63).  12. Atkinson 15. Nixon 17. Corbett 18. Bremner GK. Stobie

Spartans emphatic 3-1 victory over Hibernian saw them make it two wins out of two and lift the Ronnie Swan Trophy at Ainslie Park.

The opening forty five minutes saw the woodwork rattled, fine saves and a bizarre goal that earned Spartans the lead at the break.

It was a solid start by the home side, fielding no fewer than five trialists in a squad much changed from 24 hours previous.

Hibs keeper Dabrowski was called into action early on with a flying punching save to keep Spartans at bay.

Ross Guthrie came close to opening his account midway through the half when he looked to capitalise just inside the box however his shot narrowly evaded the base of the post.

The breakthrough came with six minutes left in the half.  A cross from the Spartans Trialist wearing No.8 was intercepted by Jamie Gullan.  His pass back caused the keeper to get into fankle and the ball found its way into the net.

HT: Spartans 1-0 Hibernian

Scott Maxwell almost doubled the lead early in the second half when he produced a lung bursting run into the box, only to be denied by a fine stop by Dabrowski.

That lead was to extend six minutes after the restart.  A corner kick by Jamie Dishington landed into the six yard box causing Dabrowski to collide with one his defenders and Trialist No. 9 nudged home from close range.

With an hour on the clock, Lewis Allan capitalised on a defensive faux-pas and halved the deficit as his effort flew past an exposed Andrew Stobie.

Spartans rallied and were passing the ball around with some panache in the rain.  Jack Nixon almost prospered from one such move, only to see his strike ruffle the outside of the net.

Then, with the game heading into injury time, Blair Atkinson ensured the Ronnie Swan Trophy stayed at Ainslie Park when he unleased a powerful low drive that left Dabrownski with little chance.

FT: Spartans 3-1 Hibernian

A sublime first half strike from Captain Adam Corbett was enough to earn his side silverware as Spartans lifted the Under 20s Challenge Cup against East Kilbride at K-Park on Friday night.

Les Atkinson’s plans were dealt a blow ahead of selection as striker Cameron Dawson failed to recover in time from injury to make the squad however there were spots on the bench for promising youngsters Gabriel Hill, Owen Logan and Callum Wales.

It was almost a perfect start in the sunshine for Spartans as Lewis Temple broke the high offside line only to be thwarted by the hands of the home keeper.

The opening exchanges were frantic and at a pace unlikely to be maintained in the Costa Del Kilby evening heat.

Jordan Pettigrew between the Spartans sticks was next to be called upon to make a definitive save as the hosts looked to take early lead.  The goalie making his frame big to block at close range.

Then, after 20 minutes, came the decisive goal.  Matt Brady’s charged down effort fell to the talismanic Corbett who used his strength to shrug off the efforts of two East Kilbride defenders on the edge of the box before composing himself to send a powerful shot that bulged the onion bag, sending the travelling Spartan Army support wild.

The next biggest attack of the evening came in the form of the local midgies who were out in some force.  Even the pair of faux Kestrels on the roof of the stand couldn’t scare these biting bad boys away.

Spartans almost doubled their advantage when Matt Brady showed great pace and power only to see his sweetly struck drive hit the base of the post.

HT: East Kilbride 0-1 Spartans

The hairdryers could be heard in the home shed at the interval and it was a busier start to the second half from East Kilbride who had lifted the league title earlier in the week.

A sea of pressure after the break however was marshalled well with Danny Sutherland showing his experience throughout in the heart of the visitors’ defence to thwart a couple of dangerous attacks.

Ahead of the hour mark, Owen Logan replaced Matt Brady who had run himself into the ground.  It was almost an inspirational substitution from the Spartans dug out as Logan beat the keeper who had strayed the corner of his box, only for the netbound effort to be launched into the neighbouring Country Park by the boot of  defender under his own crossbar.

Murray Hand was next up to have a pop, only to see a scrambling keeper get down well to push his shot round the post for a corner.

With the game deep into injury time, East Kilbride were offered one final opportunity to take the tie into extra time.  A free-kick some 22 yards out was lined up and struck well, only for Pettigrew to pull off a fantastic fingertip save to push the ball over the bar.

FT: East Kilbride 0-1 Spartans

The sides meet again next Wednesday in the Final of the Knock-Out Cup at Ainslie Park, 7.45pm KO.

Team: Pettigrew, O’Neil, Sutherland, Allan (Hill 88), Corbett, Currie, Hand, Laing, Brady (Logan 58), Temple, Hall.  Subs (Unused) Clark, Wales.