Edinburgh Uni 1 Colts 2: Cumbernauld win league opener

Featuring five new signings making their debuts, Colts started brightly at Peffermill, passing the ball round well in the early stages.

But it was the home side who took the lead on 15 minutes against the run of play from the penalty spot, with Colts appeals for handball in the build-up controversially waved away by the referee who then adjudged keeper Sam George to have brought down the Edinburgh forward. The penalty was dispatched well despite George diving the right way.

Colts continued to dominate possession and the equaliser came on the brink of half-time as the Edinburgh full-back was caught out of position and Craig Holmes showed his pace to drive into the box and recover from the defender’s challenge to fire in a shot which was deflected past the keeper.

The visitors Colts started the second half as they had left off and a fierce Holmes shot from the edge of the box looked netbound, only for the keeper to pull off a save high to his right.

Sean Brown was a thorn in the home defence all afternoon and came close from inside the box only to see the inspired keeper make the block.

But Colts were not to be denied. On the hour mark Craig Murray broke into the box and he drilled the ball low at an angle across goal.

The ball struck the lunging defender in his effort to block, a penalty was the result and Murray stepped up in the absence of Stephen O’Neill to slot home.

The visitors had another penalty claim for a challenge on Andy Hunter waved away by the referee, but saved for a last-minute long-range effort which Geortge had to tip over had little to concern them.