CIVIL SERVICE STROLLERS manager Keith Stewart is already adopting his plan of action for his side's Scottish Cup second-round tie which has paired them with fellow First Division team, Vale of Leithen.
"Vale have three games to play before we meet them so Andy Raeburn, my assistant, and myself will definitely watch them," emphasised Stewart, who guided the Strollers to a narrow 2-1 win against Edinburgh University in the first round at the weekend.
"There was a stiff breeze blowing at Peffermill and the University had the benefit of it in the first half and led 1-0 at the break," said Stewart.
"They probably deserved to be ahead because the goal came from a well-worked free-kick. However, we created three or four half-chances in the first half but were unable to take them.
"In the second half, we scored two very good goals and had another one disallowed so in all honesty I thought that we had the better of the half.
"Gerri Burgess was given space to score from a well-flighted corner then a Ross Alexander free-kick was headed in by Craig Dickson. It was almost identical to the goal we had chalked off.
"I felt that we dominated the second half and deserved our win."
Stewart was well served by his entire team although Burgess did well in midfield, where he won the ball and moved it on, Graham Newall defended stoically on the left and Paul Greenhill was a steadying influence in his role as sweeper.
"I could not really single out any players because they all performed well. We now have to concentrate on the next round at home against Vale of Leithen. Vale are a good side and it will be a tough game.
"I don't think that Vale's results this season, where they have lost all three of their league games, show the true picture of their capabilities. They strengthened their squad with some quality signings in the summer.
"Vale will be happy to have drawn us and we are fairly happy to be playing against them. However, before then we have some major First Division league games to play."
• EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY head coach Douglas Samuel will hope his young students can bounce back from Saturday's Scottish Cup defeat when they meet Stirling University at Peffermill tomorrow (2.30pm) in what is the start of the Inter Scottish Universities Queen's Park Shield competition, which Heriot-Watt University have won for the past five seasons.
"Playing against Stirling will be really tough because they are going so well since they joined the East of Scotland League and have won all of their games," said Samuel, who will be without Fraser Munro, Scott Fusco and Darren Leslie.
The full article contains 468 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
