However, the never-say-die attitude of the home side saw them score three goals in an 11-minute spell to grab a share of the points in what was a moral victory for them. City even scored their equaliser after they were reduced to ten men when substit
ute John Hall received his second yellow and subsequent red card.
When Spartans led 3-0 with only ten minutes of the second half played, it seemed that the visitors, in their opening game of the season, would go on to win by the proverbial barrowload.
It was at that point that City captain Ross Macnamara rallied his side "I basically told the boys to get a hold of themselves and consolidate our position," stressed Macnamara.
Not one of the large crowd could possibly have anticipated what was ahead of them when the game kicked off on a superb surface at Meadowbank. Spartans dominated the early proceedings and, in the third minute, Alex King hit the crossbar with a 25-yard shot before Nicky Walker hit a close-range effort high and wide. Omar Kader then headed over from within the six-yard box and it was the 21st minute of the game before the Spartans goalkeeper, Chris Flockhart, even touched the ball.
The breakthrough for Spartans arrived in the 33rd minute when Donal Henretty threaded a pass to Kader who angled the shot behind Duncan Monteith despite a bold effort from Macnamara to stop the ball on the goal line.
The second half was only five minutes old when City defender Kenny Ross was robbed in his own penalty box by Kader, who squared the ball to the unmarked Henretty, who scored with ease.
Almost immediately King had the ball in the net but from an offside position although another Spartans goal was only delayed for a few minutes. Walker used his pace to sprint behind the City defence and scored with a low shot under Monteith.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for City but they then began to enjoy the territorial advantage after Spartans substituted King and Henretty with Gavin Malin and Kenny Young. City brought on Jordan Caddow and John Hall and began to dominate on the right side of the park. John Niven had a shot well saved then Caddow tested Flockhart before City did pull themselves back into contention. In the 75th minute, a long Caddow throw-in was allowed to bounce in the Spartans penalty box and Jordan Hall nudged the ball in from six yards. With only seven minutes remaining, a Macnamara cross from wide on the right was headed on by Caddow to Robbie Ross who hit an unstoppable first-time volley beyond Flockhart. Danny Noon and Young both had opportunities to wrap the game up for Spartans but failed to convert.
City's last chance seemed to have gone when John Hall talked himself into an early shower but Caddow had other ideas and his early cross from the right found Jordan Hall at the back post and his header evaded Flockhart to earn City a draw, which at one point appeared very unlikely.
Shaun Steven, the delighted City manager, said: "When we scored our first goal it was difficult for Spartans to pick themselves up because they were on the back foot. Although it was a draw it actually felt like winning."
Mike Lawson, Spartans joint manager, did not mince his words when he said: "We were an absolute disgrace, all of us. There was a lack of heart and bottle. We had to make two enforced changes with injuries to Donal Henretty and Alex King and with hindsight it is debatable whether we should have taken Nicky Walker off. We had enough chances to win a few games although credit to Edinburgh City who battled away."
Edinburgh: Monteith, Speed (Hall, 53), K Ross, Macnamara, Morrison, Jordan Hall, Niven, Munro (Caddow, 53), R Ross, Clee (Calladine, 72), Taylor. Subs: Mullen, Hogarth.
Spartans: Flockhart, Gerrard, Hoskins, Archibald, Fowlie, O'Donnell, King (Malin, 61), Kader, Walker (Noon, 76), Manson, Henretty (Young, 59). Subs: Devlin, Hair.
The full article contains 722 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
