University Strollers v Ellon Thistle

Barclay Cook Cup 1st Round

This Barclay Cook tie was finally given the go ahead after a number of call offs which gave Inverurie Locos a run for their money in the postponements stakes.

Ellon’s usual front pairing of Ironside and Wild were missing due to injury and suspension respectively, leaving Steven Beaton and Duncan McGill to lead the line.

The game was fairly even in the opening minutes with both teams exposing gaps in each others back lines. This not being hard due to the shear magnitude of the park as Balgownie has some of the biggest playing surfaces in the area. And in it was Ellon who took advantage of the gaps when stand in striker McGill found space to turn and hook in a ball which found team mate Martyn DUNCAN (the Jags bookies favourite for first goal) who implanted the ball into the net. 1-0 to the visitors.

It really should have been two seconds later when Strollers’ bizarrely numbered number 1 (taking into consideration he was a midfielder) lost possession to Birnie who squared the ball to Beaton on the edge of the box, Beaton then threw his untrustworthy right hoof at it and subsequently hit nothing but fresh air.

Almost straight away Uni were up testing a so far untroubled Jags keeper Adamson who showed his awareness by tipping a decent effort over.

Michael Gibson had the chance to add a bit of breathing space between the sides but fired his shot straight at the keeper and the rebound fell to Beaton, this time on his trusty left hoof and instead of putting his laces through it he went for placement and the ball ended up innocuously wide.

Ellon did find a second before the interval when McGill threaded a pass to Birnie who crossed to BEATON who was left to side foot it past the keeper from twelve yards. The striker celebrated his first of the game which could have been his hatrick.

Half Time: University Strollers 0 Ellon Thistle 2

Ellons new recruit David McKeitch was introduced at half time for a sooner than expected debut at the expense of McGill who picked up a slight knock.

Uni started the second half as if they had resigned themselves to defeat with internal arguments and hard late challenges with Ryan Birnie on the end of the most unscrupulous of the lot. The Strollers number 9 (who was half wolf) and their number 3 (who was just half a man at three foot) were lucky not to see yellow in this spell. But their submission was premature when on fifty five minutes they plucked a goal back. There may have been a hint of offside but the defending was still below par.

Then Ellon’s debutant stepped up to the plate with a marauding run into the box, McKEITCH hit a peach that the keeper couldn’t reach. 3-1 and daylight between the teams again.

It was close to being one goal in it again when the Uni striker hit a decent effort that fizzed past Adamsons post. Strollers did grab a second when their striker was in acres of space leaving Adamson to pick the ball out of his net. The goal seemed to rattle Ellon.

Then for the referee to make a mockery out of football being a contact sport. This summed up the man in blacks game. Neil Henderson put in a hearty challenge on the left back and won the ball for all to see. A great challenge by the defender or so he thought. A yellow card was brandished. Truly baffling.

The Uni threat was stifled late on when Ryan BIRNIE controlled a ball over the defence with his first touch and volleyed home with his second. A great way to finish off this hard earned victory.

Final Score: University Strollers 2 Ellon Thistle 4

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