Ellon Thistle v Insch

Barclay Cook Cup Quarter Final

The Jags versus Insch usually serves up high scoring humdingers with a 4-4 earlier in the season and two 5-1 Jags victories last season as examples. So this match had the makings of a classic cup tie, but would it live up to its billing.

The game started in bizarre circumstances, first of all the sun was blasting down on the Meadows turf. Usually these encounters (“the battle of the teuchters”) are fought in torrential rain on swampy mires of pitches. Secondly the referee was threatening to hand out yellow cards to both teams before the game had even kicked off. Did he love the sound of his own voice or did he just want to show who’s boss early doors.

Both teams started in the same fashion with both playing a passing game but there was an element of caginess from both teams.

But Ellons nerves were settled on seven minutes when a sublime Mikey WILD effort flew into the keepers’ top right corner. A missile like finish from the Jags top scorer. David Anderson almost notched a second later after he went on a maze up skinning two Insch players in the process but the defender was unlucky with his effort.

Insch then were presented a great opportunity to equalise when their midfielder managed to run through four confused looking Jags men only to be foiled by his own poor finishing. A real mishmash in the Thistle ranks. Once again soon after the visitors almost equalised in what could have been disastrous circumstances for Alexander who deflected a shot goal bound leaving keeper Adamson stranded but the ball ended up half a foot wide, give or take an “Insch”. A lucky escape for the big defender. This inspired Insch to come more into the game.

This match was a classic game of cat and mouse with good football shown by both sides but it was only the one goal in it at the break.

Half Time: Ellon Thistle 1 Insch 0

Ellon came out looking for a second and Keith Duncan almost got it in the first minute but a fine save prevented that. But with their forward play Ellon were left bare at the rear and Insch almost took advantage and if it wasn’t for some alert goalkeeping from Adamson it would have been all square. The Jags shot stopper raced twenty yards out of goal to challenge the striker who was clean through.

Martyn Duncan, to many people a surprise inclusion in the squad due to his unavailability to play in the next month replaced McGill to add a bit of dig in midfield, his namesake Callum should have made it two when he found himself in acres of space but headed over from close range.

Martyn Duncan, to many people a surprise inclusion in the squad due to his unavailability to play in the next month replaced McGill to add a bit of dig in midfield, his namesake Callum should have made it two when he found himself in acres of space but headed over from close range.

Insch did eventually have the ball in the Ellon net only to be ruled out for offside. This making the Insch players and sideline see red. The scorer was spitting feathers and rightly so due to the goal being clearly onside.

Things got worse for the men from the back of Bennachie when substitute David McKEITCH slammed the ball home on the volley from twelve yards leaving the keeper with nothing to do but watch the ball bore its way between himself and defender.

Ellon with one foot in the semi final were dealt a blow with only a few minutes remaining when after tormenting the Insch number 2 all game Wild was barbarously scythed down with a vicious leg sweep. The tackle was at least a fortnight late. The defender receiving a booking for this act of unrighteousness. The foul seemed as if it was just an act of sour grapes due to the striker running rings round him for eighty five minutes. So Wilds game was ended prematurely. This injury left Ellon with the task of closing out the game with ten men due to all three subs being used.

Against the ten men Insch grabbed a goal in the six minutes of injury time added on at the end but the Jags held out to take themselves into the semi-final against Stoneywood. The Jags have faltered in the semi-final of this trophy in two of the last three seasons so is this season the time to break their Barclay Cook hoodoo?

Final Score: Ellon Thistle 2 Insch 1

Ellon Thistle: D. Adamson, N. Henderson, B. Alexander, D. Anderson, R. Birnie, S. Cruickshanks, C. Duncan, K. Duncan (M. Cockburn), D. McGill (M. Duncan), S. Beaton (D. McKeitch), M. Wild. Unused Subs: A. Kerr, G. Giles