An evening trip to Ellon 48 hours since our last game, our 3rd game in 5 days, a squad missing players through injury, a squad carrying players with injuries, a run that has seen us lose 5 games in a row and confidence low. No problem. its only Ellon Thistle, not Man United. Once again we found ourselves waiting about whilst opponents fine tuned their troups, we should really by now be feeling like top players as apparently we are facing huge clubs every week, at least tonight our opponents stayed out on the park !! Into the game then and we had a decent squad albeit injury plagued. Sct Marlow was in his customary position. Wood jetted back from Holland to fill the right back slot along side G.Fulton, Simpson and N.Duncan. Mutch carrying a back strain was wide right, R.Fulton and Morgan in the centre and Jaques wide left. Webster another not 100 per cent fit joined West up front. On the bench were, a half fit Marlow, a 25 percent fit Bews and fully fit S.Duncan, Hamilton and Wallace. The Meadows pitch was in excellent condition and seemed to be smaller than most of us had remembered.

The game got under way and Halliburton quickly mounted the first attack down the right. R.Fulton controlled and rolled back to Wood, he found Mutch who moved it onto Webster. The ball was played back to Mutch and his cross went just too deep for Jaques. Wood made a good challenge on the flank then N.Duncan did likewise on the other wing. A good ball through off Morgan was just over hit for Webster then in 12 Ellon drilled a ball across our goal Wood heading out for a corner. When the ball came in Wood stretched and pulled a groin muscle resulting in the full back being replaced by Wallace who went into midfield, Mutch dropping back. Ellon had the assistance of the wind but Halli were doing well against their attack. Indeed R.Fulton had a free header off a corner kick which he sent over the bar in 25. Wallace raced through however failed to find a pass, then Sct Marlow did well grabbing a shot come cross. G.Fulton was weak in a challenge wide left however retrieved the situation as he chased his man. R.Fulton saw another headed chance come and go when he knocked his effort wide of the far post. (H.T.0-0).

Doing very well so far however as always the first goal would be crucial. We now had the wind at our backs and Sct Marlows first kick out of the half sailed right through and out for a goal kick. Halli were well up for it and took the game to the home side. In 55 Jaques was desperately unlucky when he hit a superb curling shot from the left only for it to crash off the crossbar. It was all out attack from Halli at this point and following a corner by Morgan Simpson drove forward to pick up on a loose ball. He went past two men as he forced his way through the middle. The centre back hit a good shot which cannoned back off the far post almost straight back to him. He again collected and sent in a second effort which was blocked. Moments later R.Fulton ran onto another loose ball at the edge of the area and drilled in a shot that ricocheted off a defender. In 58 Webster rose unchallenged for a corner but headed just over. Hectic stuff as Ellon desperately held on. Sct Marlow ran off his line only to be flattened by an attacker then in 60 Halli finally opened the scoring. Morgan called for a long ball off the keeper who responded with a magnificent assist sending the ball over the last man for Morgan to run onto and half volley low into the net. In 65 the wind almost played a cruel trick when after good defending by Simpson the ball blew and curled back across our goal. A forward blazed it over however Sct Marlow looked to have had it covered had he hit the target. Morgan had to produce a top drawer tackle in the box in 70 to block a good chance. Halli continued to battle away and won a free kick on the half way line. G.Fulton swung in a great ball however the home defence cleared on this occasion. In 76 Ellon grabbed the equaliser. A left wing run saw a cross into the area and Sct Marlow was beaten. We had to keep the heads up and our incentive was intensified with a schoolboy error shout off the homeside’s number 9 “ This lot are happy with a draw” !!! That was a great shout for us and we set about righting the result in style with a stunning reply. Only 2 minutes later the home keeper came out of his area to clear, he did not get full purchase on it and it fell to Wallace inside the centre circle. With out thinking, he controlled and nailed a left foot drive which flew into the top corner of the net and sent the Halli sideline into raptures. As if that had not shoved number nine’s words far enough back down his throat, then they were shoved right back in and out of his A**E 120 seconds later when a marvellously flighted free kick from G.Fulton arrowed into Webster who rose to thunder a header into the net. GET IN!! West took a heavy ankle knock and was replaced for the closing stages by Hamilton. no sprint champ but he looked like Ussain Bolt when he was partnered up front by Marlow in place of Webster. Halli were buoyant and strolling as the ref blew for time (F.T1-3) PERFECT !!

Great win thoroughly deserved. Topman really shared by all but Wallace had his best game yet for Halliburton. This was an important win in terms of confidence which had dissolved. We now need 3 wins from the last 3 games