Ellon Thistle v Great Western United

North of Scotland Cup

The Jags had a challenge on their hands as Great Western United were the visitors in this North of Scotland tie. The game was initially set to be played at Woodside but the Premier League side gave up their home rights due to difficulties to gain access to their home pitch.

Ellon boss Kevin Kennedy made formational and personnel changes to the squad that played Turriff Thistle the previous week. Out went Steven Cruickshanks and Neil Murray (both on bench), and Graeme Giles who sustained a cracked shin bone in the previous game. In went Stevie Beaton and back from bans came Bruce Alexander and Marty Duncan. The game started with Great Western in Argentina-like blue and white stripes attacking the car park end and the Jags in the Banana Yellow kit that has become the team colour this season.

The first half an hour was much and such the same all the way through with both teams having spells of control with United having the better of the chances with their number 9 being the culprit of sum substandard finishing, the worst being from four yards out after connecting with a perfectly placed corner. The match ball was lucky to be found after it was cannoned over the bar. Great Westerns inability to score seamed to annoy a couple of their players with the number 8 spitting the dummy on numerous occasions and even taking it out on the Ellon sideline, which was returned by the shout of “You look like Frankenstein” much to the enjoyment of the home support.

After watching a few tame efforts go over and wide, goalkeeper Dickinson was called upon to show some real bravery when a slack ball left him one on one with an attacker, the young shot stopper dived at the feet of the man and denied him while taking a sore one in the chest in the process.

Half-Time: Ellon Thistle 0 Great Western United 0

The second half kicked off with the visitors looking to break down the Ellon rearguard, especially Neil Henderson who was playing as if his life depended on it.

The breakthrough was made on fifty five minutes when a shot hit Duncan and dropped at the feet of the number 8, who seemed to have screwed his head on again from the first half. He looked up and curled a decent effort into Dickinson’s left hand corner from eighteen yards. Advantage Great Western United.

As Ellon looked for an equaliser the three man defence was left exposed at times but Henderson, Alexander and Anderson were up for the challenge with a few superb goal saving challenges. On eighty minutes the game should have been done and dusted as the ball was played behind the Thistle defence and with only the keeper to beat the striker shaped his body to fire the game beyond Ellon when from out of nowhere David Anderson came in with an excellently timed challenge to snuff out the danger.

In the last ten minutes Great Western were happy to see out the game with a one goal cushion and succeeded. It was a good effort by Ellon against Premier Division opposition, but the Aberdeen sides experience shone through and deserved their place in the draw for the last sixteen.

Final Score: Ellon Thistle 0 Great Western United 1

Ellon Thistle: A Dickinson, N Henderson, D Anderson, B Alexander, R Birnie, M Duncan, S Beaton (S Cruickshanks), N Mitchell, C Davidson (N Murray), M Wild, B Dailly. Subs Not Used: N Birnie, M Cockburn, R Longmuir

Eye-witness account by G Giles