WFH in the morning, before a (failed) quest ot find solder at Criagleith (10km racked up tho)

Boys arrived for lunch; and I settled into domesticity.

With the trauma of relegation / DY sacking receding into the background, we decided to tenatively dip our toes back into the world of football and discounted what promised to be a one sided affair at Broxburn (Athletic v Dalbeattie Star for the dubious honour of promotion to the Lowland League) and instead plumped for the EOS League Cup semi final between Preston Athletic and Haddington Athletic.

The boys bussed it (8 to town, 26 into the heart of E Lothian's coastal strip); I took the bike and stopped off at Halfords at Seafield and got the aforementioned solder - car shop sells electrical paraphinalia?

I timed it well as the rain started to fall as I hit Potsandpans and we comsumed our prematch meal of seaside fish and chips in the bus shelter opposite the Goth.

Then off up to the Pennypit and squeezed ourselves into the stand along with 279 others trying to keep out of the deluge.

The only goal of the game came early and the weather / conditions played a big part - the Panners keeper came out of his box and cleared a through ball; however his clearance got stuck somewhat prematurely in a pool of water in the centre circle and the Hihis striker dinked the ball back over the keeper and into an unguarded net. 

A fiercely contested game with a little bit of guile on a slippery pitch made for a good watch. Thankfully the rain abated in the 2nd half and we decamped to the grassy bank opposite the stand.

Despite a couple of close things at either end (I think Preston probably had the better of the chances; hitting woodwork twice) the higher placed Haddington progressed to the final v Sauchie who demolished Arniston 5-0. Wonder where the final is? Before the boys boarded their bus, we checked the Broxburn - Dalbeattie score - 8-1 / aggregate 12-2; we'd have seen more goals but most likely a mismatch, so we were happy with our lot. 

I stopped at Musselburgh's Lidl for a loaf of bread and a tin of craft ale that would come in handy when quenching my thirst when I got in. 

I got a 5 minute head start on the boys but was home - half an hour? - before them. 50km; 50th match of season 23/24.