Ellon Thistle v Highland Hotel

AFC Trophy, 1st Round

A late show from Ellon turned this result from hard work into flattery as 5-2 does not tell the real story of the game.

Mikey Wild had the first chance of the game after he found himself on the end of a great Beaton ball, but did not have the finish to break the deadlock. This was just the start of Steven Beaton’s game as he looked like a man on a mission to prove manager Kev Kennedy he is worth a starting spot in the squad. Over the afternoon he was to supply a range of great passing and uncharacteristic gut busting runs (leaving physio Wullie Webster on standby with the oxygen).

Ellon were down on fifteen minutes when Highlands portly number four was allowed to run fifty yards unchallenged and played in his team mate in who poked the ball past Adamson.

As the old saying goes “the worst time to concede is when you have just scored” and Highland did just that when Mikey Wild was in space on the wing and crossed to Stuart BATTY who knocked the ball home from 5 yards.

Within two minutes, ex-Ellon United man BATTY marked his competitive debut with a brace as he headed the ball into a deserted net after the keeper failed to deal with an Anderson cross putting the home side up 2-1 at half-time.

Half-Time: Ellon Thistle 2 Highland Hotel 1

Highland were handed a penalty in the early stages of the second period after Bruce Alexander handled inside the box. The kick was placed calmly into Adamsons net to level the scores. The Third Division outfit kept up the pressure and should have taken advantage of Ellon’s sloppy play, but instead they let Thistle back into the game with Gibson blasting over and also pulling a save out of the keeper with a cleverly executed overhead kick.

Adamson’s bar was clattered on sixty minutes after a great effort from a Highland midfielder but it was the Jags who took the lead after Beaton received the ball out on the right and whipped in an impeccable ball to WILD, whose finish was an equally impressive volley that left the keeper marooned to the spot.

Both Ellon goal scorers, Wild and Batty were replaced by Paul Ironside and Richard Longmuir. Cue the late, late substitute show.

With more than ninety five minutes on the clock, Michael Gibson went on a “jungle run” into the box and was unlucky not to grab a well deserved goal for himself but was foiled by not one but both posts leaving IRONSIDE to belt home from ten yards.

Ellon were not done yet. After a twenty-five pass move, substitute LONGMUIR powered a thunderous effort into the Highland net.

The Jags might have got the job done but they made a mountain out of a mole hill and RGU will prove a sterner test for them in the next round.

Final Score: Ellon Thistle 5 Highland Hotel 2

Ellon Thistle: D Adamson, A Kerr (M Cockburn), B Alexander, K Duncan, D Anderson, N Henderson, M Gibson, C Duncan, S Batty (R Longmuir), S Beaton, M Wild (P Ironside). Subs Not Used: R Birnie, S Cruickshanks