Report by Derek Hall’s report on the Haddington Athletic v Ormiston game on 30th December 2021

Derek Hall
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Haddington Athletic 5-0 Ormiston

A perfect, still night for football and Millfield was looking superb under the floodlights as Haddington welcomed fellow East Lothian neighbours Ormiston for a derby ending to a 2021 of opposing fortunes for these two clubs, with Ormiston looking for points to start moving themselves up the table, but Haddington looking to avoid defeat to go unbeaten in the League in a calendar year. After two minutes, Guy McGarry got into the Ormiston box but was forced to turn away from goal and laid the ball back to Aaron Congalton whose 14 yard shot had the pace taken off it by a defender and was well handled in the end by visiting keeper Kieran Beveridge. Two minutes later, Ross King found McGarry and his cross into the penalty area saw Shaun Hill arrive to send a nine yard half volley over the visitors crossbar without making keeper Beveridge work. The home side continued to make the early running and after seven minutes, Ali Simpson got to the goal line before his cut back deflected up off a defender and keeper Beveridge pushed the ball behind at his near post. Ormiston registered their first effort a minute later as Darryl Russell made the space to fire in a 25 yard left foot drive which went over the top without troubling home keeper Robbie Stirling. McGarry sent an angled 24 yard left foot drive over the Ormiston bar after cutting in from the right flank and then on 17 minutes, an Alassan Jones corner kick was cleared out to King who pulled his 25 yard left foot strike across the face of the visitors goal and wide. Two minutes later, King and McGarry combined again with the final delivery to the far post being met by Hill whose downward header from eight yards was comfortably gathered on the first bounce by keeper Beveridge. Another McGarry effort was turned behind by Beveridge as a well organised Ormiston back line continued to frustrate the home side and when the corner came over, Cammy Watson met it full blooded on the half volley from 20 yards but once again the effort was high. On 27 minutes, Ormiston keeper Beveridge distinguished himself with a brilliant double save when Jones worked his way to the goal line and his perfect cutback picked out Hill whose low nine yard drive was brilliantly blocked by the keeper at point blank range and when the ball was scrambled clear to the edge of the box, he was up off the ground to throw himself to his left and turn behind the follow up 20 yard drive from King. After Jones received a quiet warning on the half hour from referee Michael Addy for going down a little easily near the Ormiston penalty area, he then showed what he could do when he stayed up with a rasping angled left foot 22 yard drive which keeper Beveridge did well to shovel behind at full stretch as the ball bounced wickedly right in front of him. However the deadlock was finally broken after 37 minutes after a sustained attack had brought out a couple of excellent blocks from the committed Ormiston defence but the ball finally broke to Hill who showed real composure to plant the ball home in the corner from around 12 yards and on balance of play, it was no more than the home side deserved. Four minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage with the simplest of goals as yet another inswinging Jones corner saw McGarry rise highest to power a seven yard header in off the under side of the crossbar with keeper Beveridge hopelessly exposed and despite the possession dominance, the visitors would probably feel a little hard done by as a resolute defensive performance had now been undone twice in quick succession. Two minutes from the break, a long ball to the back post was controlled by Jones who then went to ground in a challenge but referee Addy saw nothing amiss and at the break, the home supporters in the crowd of almost 300 would feel reasonably satisfied with their teams position whilst for Ormiston, it was stating the obvious that the next goal in this contest simply had to be theirs.
Within 30 seconds of the restart, Ormiston gifted cheap possession to Haddington, something they hadn’t done in the first half, but Jones failed to take advantage as he sent his 24 yard drive over. Josh Winnik then relieved the pressure on the visiting defence with an enterprising 50 yard forward run but he was crowded out by force of numbers. The visitors again got forward and a cut back found Ben Pritchett on the edge of the Haddington box but his shot was blocked before reaching keeper Stirling. However after 50 minutes, the visitors defence was breached again as Hill took a quick throw in to McGarry who got to the goal line with a lovely change of pace and his far post ball saw King roll the ball into the path of Simpson who took a touch to control before looking up and then placing a beautiful right foot guided strike into the far corner from 25 yards which even a keeper on top form like Beveridge couldn’t get near as it nestled in the net. On 53 minutes, Haddington made a double switch with Robbie King and Seamus Russell entering the fray to replace Congalton and Evan Watson. Haddington again pressed and Hill fed Zach Szemis whose cross saw McGarry fire in a right foot effort which was again turned behind, despite the contact on the shot not being the best and from Jones’s inswinging set piece, keeper Beveridge was there to punch clear under pressure. McGarry sent another effort into the keepers arms shortly afterwards, and then Hill disappointingly got under a 28 yard free kick which went well over the Ormiston crossbar. A nice combination move begun by Simpson saw him feed Ross King and he found Hill who flicked on towards Simpson who had continued his run but once again keeper Beveridge was alert to the danger and saved at the feet of Haddington no6. On 61 minutes, Beveridge got a bit of luck which his performance certainly deserved when a high ball into the box saw McGarry out jump the keeper who was attempting to punch clear, but the header slipped wide of the post. Four minutes later, Watson played a dangerous cross into the heart of the Ormiston box and Sean Ballard did well to send an excellent defensive header over his own crossbar. The corner came to nothing but two minutes later, it was 4-0 from another Jones corner which struck a defender six yards out and dropped right in front of Russell who wasted no time in toe poking the ball home to put the contest firmly to bed. Before the game restarted, Haddington made their second double switch as Simpson and McGarry made way for Jack Neilson and Anes Subasic. Beveridge then brought off another superb save when he turned a low 10 yard Neilson drive round the post and was then in action minutes later saving at the feet of Russell. Another 30 yard drive from Russell sailed wide after 75 minutes as the Haddington substitute clearly fancied another, just before Ormiston made their own double switch with Pritchett and Russell, who looked to be carrying an injury, going off and two fresh forwards, Mark Afedzie-Hayford and Matthew Underhill coming on. Another effort by Russell flew over the top and nine minutes from time, Hill had a pop from around 25 yards but could only emulate the earlier effort from Russell. With seven minutes remaining, Underhill sent Ronnie Fleming down the right flank for the visitors but Afedzie-Hayford was stretching and just couldn’t control the inside pass on the edge of the home penalty area. Six minutes from time, a Hill head flick looked to be finding Jones but Ballard made the interception with his arm for the visitors and referee Addy had no hesitation in issuing what proved to be the games only yellow card to the Ormiston centre half despite his protests. Jones then stepped up to curl the 27 yard free kick left footed round the outside of the defensive wall and in at the base of the post past keeper Beveridge who was rooted to the spot and seemed to have been unsighted. Hill sent another sixteen yard left foot drive wide with four minutes remaining and then sixty seconds later the same player got to the goal line before standing the ball up beautifully at the far post where Neilson’s close range downward header was again magnificently blocked on the line by the over worked Beveridge. At the final whistle, a comfortable victory for a home side who were made to work hard by a determined and well organised Ormiston side and who in keeper Kieran Beveridge had the games outstanding individual performance despite losing five goals. The home side displayed the flair and team work which has seen them go through 2021 undefeated in league fixtures, a tremendous feat well worth highlighting, but manager Scott Bonnar will doubtless also be well pleased on the night with the goals being shared around and another clean sheet. Everyone involved in EOS football can now only hope that 2022 sees something resembling normality return to the game and in around five months time, we can get a fitting finale to a brilliant season in front of safe and unrestricted crowds, now that would really be something !