Ellon Thistle v Kintore

AFC Trophy 4th Round

The league was on the backburner this week as the Jags hosted first division Kintore in the last sixteen of the A.F.C Trophy. Ellon started the game without top scorer Mikey Wild due to suspension and were also without Mark Cockburn who was embroiled in the most drawn out house move ever. But they were boosted by the return of defensive behemoth Graeme Giles after over eight months out due to a career threatening injury, but the big centre half had to settle for a place amongst the substitutes.

Ellon started the game the brighter team with more of the possession but with very little end product. But that changed on the thirteen minute mark when the Kintore back line was breached. An Adamson kick out found Gibson on the wing who played the ball to Ironside who beat his marker and found McGILL whose quick footwork was too much for the defence and the finish was majestically executed.

Kintore’s first opportunity came when their striker took a blatant dive, the free kick was awarded in a dangerous area, but Thistle were lucky that the kick was poor. As the age old saying goes “cheaters never prevail”.

Thistle received a couple of bookings in the first period with Ironside seeing yellow for a verbal tirade directed towards the referee. Bruce Alexander was also cautioned for a clothesline challenge on the Kintore man.

Ryan Birnie could have and maybe should have doubled the score when he found himself in space in the box, but credit to the defender who made it back in time to snuff out the chance. The last action of the half saw the Kintore keeper coming a cropper when he went into a fifty fifty challenge with Ironside who showed a bit more studs than he should of which resulted in the snapping of the goalies shin guard and a fair bit of blood.

Half Time: Ellon Thistle 1 Kintore 0

Kintore came out fighting in the second half and looked like a new team. It wasn’t long before they had Adamson picking the ball out of his net. There was a suspicion of offside but it was all square.

Ironside was guilty of an uncharacteristic miss when after a great ball from McGill the usually deadly striker scooped the ball over the bar. But the second did come when a fantastic ball from Anderson found Martyn Duncan, whose control was equally impressive, squared it to IRONSIDE who buried it past the helpless deputy keeper.

Kintore were a lick of paint away from a second equaliser when the number tens twenty yard effort went harrowingly wide. Ellon managed to stretch their advantage to two goals in dubious circumstances. After collecting the ball the keeper seemed to be fouled by Martyn Duncan who jumped into him, but the keeper took offence and had a swipe at the midfielder. Then without anyone realising the penalty was awarded, then the victim of the “infraction” Duncan yelped “it’s a penalty, it’s a penalty” in his best six year old school girl impression. Up stepped ALEXANDER. Bang 3-1. The defender fired The Jags into a tricky quarter final away to Dyce.

Final Score: Ellon Thistle 3 Kintore 1

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