South Challenge Cup 2nd Round – Saturday 15th October 2022
Edinburgh United 0
Blackburn United 6 Gould 10, Devine 17, 35 & 60, L.Meikle 82 & 86
With ten minutes gone, a Laurie Devine free-kick just outside the area was palmed away by Andrew Smith but Michael Gould was on hand to knock in the rebound to open the scoring.
Seven minutes later the lead was doubled when Laurie Devine got on the end of a Scott Richards through ball, Smith half blocked his shot which looped up and into the net. Smith blocked another Devine effort on the half hour mark but five minutes later it was three when a Luke Meikle corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Devine smashed the ball into the corner of the net.
There was still time for a John Binnie lobbed effort to sneak just past.
Second half started with the first real chances for the home side when Craig Ferrier had his effort blocked by Craig Saunders, the John Lamond also brought out a save from Saunders. Edinburgh were reduced to 10 men on 54 minutes when Calum Henderson was sent packing for a second yellow.
Daryl Meikle flashed a shot wide before Laurie Devine completed his hattrick on the hour mark when he blocked Smith’s clearance and stroked the ball into the empty net. Smith redeemed himself moments later when he somehow got a hand to a Richards shot and tipped it over the bar.
Calum Heath had an effort cleared off the line with ten minutes left before Luke Meikle converted a cut-back from Richards to make it five, and then a few minutes later he angled a drive past Smith for his second.
Edinburgh United: Andrew Smith, Reece Wyllie, Daniel Kay, Calum Henderson, Findlay Tough, Declan Paterson (Ross Aitken 29), Jack Egan (Jack Wilson 60), Harris Mackintosh, Ross Nicholson (Nathan Johnson 60), Craig Ferrier, Josh Lamond. Unused subs: Fraser Taylor.
Blackburn United: Craig Saunders, John Binnie, Joe Osborne, David Wilson (James Mildren 72), Marcus Millar (Adam Forrest 66), Daryl Meikle (Calum Heath 66), Michael Gould (David Howe 66), Scott Richards, Laurie Devine (Richie Hutton 66), Danny Campbell, Luke Meikle. Unused subs: Emre Karaduman, Jakub Welna.
Referee: Ralph Gordon