On a warm, humid afternoon, a cracking EOS Premier Division match was in prospect at Olivebank with two teams playing for the opportunity of going third in the table, and also for the home fans, their first sight of new player manager Joe Hamill wearing the blue of Musselburgh.
However, the home side made a dreadful start and conceded two avoidable goals in the first 11 minutes.
Firstly Connor McLaren bent a free kick round the defensive wall and straight into the hands of home keeper Ross McRae who inexplicably allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp and Chris McLeish snapped up the gift from six yards.
Straight from the restart, Musselburgh captain John McManus was too casual on the edge of his box and McLaren robbed him of the ball before slamming the second goal past McRae from 17 yards.
McManus missed a great chance to get one back, shooting wide after 14 minutes from seven yards before Gary Fergus sent a header wide from eight yards which could have put the visitors three up.
This miss proved crucial because just a minute later, Nathan Evans showed real composure to draw keeper Mitchell and slot home on the angle from ten yards to get the home side on the scoresheet.
McLaren and Fergus both brought out excellent saves from keeper McRae in the home goal within the space of two minutes but in the last minute of the half, Jordan Orru was brought down in the box by Jamie Reid and the home side had the chance to get themselves level.
Darren Downie stepped up but saw his spot kick brilliantly held low to his right by Mitchell and the visitors retained their advantage at the break.
Evans brought out another good save from Mitchell from 14 yards as Musselburgh began on the front foot before a wayward defensive header from Jake Dolzanski had Mitchell scrambling back to grab the ball almost under his crossbar, only for Evans to be penalised as he bundled both the keeper and the ball into the net.
However Evans wasn’t to be denied and after 74 minutes, he raced clear into the Jeanfield box and from a tight angle, he smashed an unstoppable low right foot drive into the far corner of the net past the helpless Mitchell to bring the home side level.
Chances continued to come at both ends but with two minutes to go, the home side got the clinching goal as a long throw found the head of Liam Reid who cleverly looped a seven-yard back header over Mitchell and into the net and Olivebank roared its approval.
An excellent afternoons entertainment for a very healthy crowd who enjoyed a really competitive game which produced six cautions, five goals, iffy defending, top class finishing and a brilliant climax, basically the perfect Saturday afternoon at the fitba’.
