NASL FC Edmonton

Eddies Open Scotland Preseason Trip with 2-0 Victory over Partick Thistle

Published on March 13, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


FC Edmonton Run Training Drills
FC Edmonton Run Training Drills
(FC Edmonton)

GLASGOW, SCT - FC Edmonton (1-0-0) opened up their 2016 Scotland preseason trip with a 2-0 win over Glasgow's Partick Thistle FC, May 13 at New Tinto Park. A near wholesale change at half saw virtually every member of the Eddies squad receiving 45 minutes of play by the final whistle.

Midfielder Nik Ledgerwood and teammate Jake Keegan registered their first goals as Eddies on Sunday afternoon, while goalkeeper Matt VanOekel, Tyson Farago and Nathan Ingham shared duties between the woodwork in a clean sheet victory.

Facing a young Partick Thistle squad, the Eddies imposed their physicality throughout large portions of Sunday's match, with ball possession-and opportunities on net-favouring the visitors heavily at the end of 90 minutes.

Eddies all-time leading scorer Daryl Fordyce nearly picked up where he left off after a strong 2015 Fall Season, redirecting a well-placed cross from teammate Pablo Cruz with a header that would go wide right of the net.

It didn't take long for Ledgerwood to make an impact with his new club, converting a strike from the edge of the 18-yard-box on 18 minutes of the first half. The Canadian international made good on his opportunity after being denied a goal just minutes prior, sending a low strike to the left of 'keeper Conor Cullen's net for the 1-0 advantage.

A relatively quiet afternoon in net for VanOekel was highlighted late in the opening frame, when a rush from Partick Thistle's Kevin Nisbet forced the veteran 'keeper to make a split-second decision to pounce on an incoming ball and negate a potential scoring opportunity.

Keegan doubled the Eddies lead on 49 minutes with a goal of his own, sending another ball past Cullen for the New York native's first goal of preseason. It was all Eddies following Keegan's tally, as an abundance of fresh legs were able to overpower a young Partick Thistle side for the majority of the remaining half en route to a 2-0 win.

It's a quick turnaround for the Eddies, who will now prepare to face Scottish Professional Football League's Airdrieonians FC, Tuesday, March 15 at Excelsior Stadium. Kick-off in the match is set for 1:45 p.m. MT. Following Tuesday's fixture, the team will travel to face Newcastle United U-21, before finishing their trip with a match against Queens Park FC.

Join the Eddies on their two-week preseason trip! Use the hashtags #FCEinScotland and #FCEd to stay connected and view exclusive content straight from Scotland. To learn more about the Eddies' preseason trip, please click HERE.

Following their trip to Scotland, the Eddies return to Edmonton for just over a week before opening up their North American Soccer League (NASL) season on April 2 versus Rayo OKC. The team faces Minnesota United FC, April 10 in their Canadian Tire Home Opener, 2:00 p.m. MT at Clarke Field. For tickets and more information, please call 780.700.2600, visit www.fcedmonton.com.

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North American Soccer League Stories from March 13, 2016


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