Tuesday night sport, Derek Hall’s report on 2nd August Ormiston Primrose v Hawick Royal Albert

Ormiston Primrose 4-0 Hawick Royal Albert

A wee bit of East Lothian history as Ormiston Primrose returned to the village for their first competitive fixture in a generation by playing hosts to Hawick Royal Albert and with both sides losing their opening fixture last Saturday, an opportunity to kick start their season awaited these teams. Primrose looked to use the pace of Ben Tracey through the middle in the opening stages but the visitors defence was solid. Tracey had another go after four minutes with a 25 yard shot on the turn which skewed well wide of goal before Hawick’s Daniel Duncan was instructed by the referee to leave the field to remove a piece of jewellery. A foul by Guy Kerr on Duncan in midfield gave the visitors the chance to deliver a set piece into the Ormiston penalty area and the ball broke to Tom Fowler whose first effort was blocked but he was onto the rebound and his second drive from the edge of the Primrose box took a deflection and went behind. The resultant corner saw efforts from both Duncan and Greg Ford blocked as the Borderers looked for an early breakthrough. A move down the left for Ormiston saw Matt Underhill lay the ball inside looking for Scott Walker on the edge of the Hawick penalty area but the ball ended up in the arms of visiting keeper Ross Wallace. After 13 minutes, Walker fed Tracey down the inside right channel and the Primrose no9 turned Fowler inside and then out before firing a powerful right foot drive narrowly wide from around 16 yards. A minute later, Underhill sent Tracey through again and from the edge of the box, he tried to beat Hawick keeper Wallace with the outside of his right boot but could only guide the ball wide of the far post, when a curler with his instep looked a better option. However, the home side had momentum now and after 18 minutes they took the lead when a superb run from Underhill saw him ghost past a couple of defenders at pace and into the Hawick penalty area where Fowler was tempted into an unwise challenge which sent the Primrose no10 sprawling and referee David Dickson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Walker stepped up and hammered the penalty left footed straight down the middle for a lead which the home side certainly merited at this stage. There was even better to come from the home side two minutes later when Underhill slid a lovely pass down the left flank for Tracey to play in a superb early low cross and Walker didn’t even break stride as he swept the ball home along the ground first time past the helpless Wallace for a beautifully worked second goal. Hawick were only attacking sporadically and a long Fowler free kick reached Robbie MacPherson at the back post but he couldn’t turn the ball on target. Underhill went down on the half way line for the home side but was ok to continue after being checked at the next stoppage in play. A Walker cross into the Hawick box looked to be right on the mark for Daniel Nichol at the back post, but John Shankie was there to get the merest of head flicks for Albert and prevent a great chance for the third Ormiston goal. However, with 33 minutes gone, the home side did increase their advantage when a long clearance down field saw Fowler get the ball trapped under his feet and Tracey pounced to rob him of the ball and go into the penalty area, and in trying to recover with a desperate last ditch tackle, Fowler only succeeded in pulling Tracey down and referee Dickson pointed to the spot for a second time. The Hawick no4 was rightly cautioned for the challenge before Walker once more stepped up to confidently fire home his second spot kick of the night and claim a first half hat trick as he put the home side 3-0 up. After 38 minutes, it really could have been all over for the visitors as keeper Wallace dwelt on the ball in his penalty area far too long and Underhill was in quickly to dispossess him, but the keeper then did well to back track and force the Ormiston striker wide before the final shot was turned behind by the somewhat relieved keeper. Tracey fired another 30 yarder over the Hawick crossbar as the home side continued to play with plenty of confidence whilst the visitors decided on 41 minutes that a change was required and the unfortunate Fowler made way for Jack Gammie, and he was certainly less than pleased at not lasting to half time, but was perhaps being protected after picking up the earlier caution. Visiting skipper Andy Common brought down Tracey 30 yards out after 43 minutes but Chris Hogg got right under his free kick and didn’t threaten the Hawick goals but the halftime whistle would come as some relief for a Hawick side who had found the pace and trickery of the Primrose forward line, particularly down the left flank, far too hot to handle.
Three minutes into the second period, Tracey was tripped near the edge of the Hawick box by Ryan Prentice and the home side exacted full advantage of the situation as Walker swung a lovely ball onto the edge of the Albert goal area and Sean Ballard arrived completely unchallenged to bullet home number four from around six yards out, a simple goal made all the easier by a statuesque visiting defence. Hawick responded on 52 minutes through Prentice who came forward to have a go from around 28 yards but the shot went a couple of yards over and Kieran Beveridge in the home goal had still yet to make a save. Hawick then made a double switch as Shankie and Prentice made way for Stevie Renton and Harry Fowler. With 54 minutes gone, Underhill worked his way along the Hawick goal line only to be tripped by Common just outside the box and this time Walker drove the cross low and hard but the Albert defence managed to scramble the ball clear. Two minutes later, a nice move then saw Nichol put Kacper Korpalski into the Hawick box but keeper Wallace was out quickly and stayed big to make a good block on the angled drive. Hogg’s corner was returned to him before coming back to Korpalski who this time sent a 20 yard right foot drive wide of the near post. On 59 minutes, Brandon Russell fired in a powerful 25 yard drive for the visitors which home skipper Adam Dougan bravely stuck his head in the way but he was able to carry on without requiring treatment. Fowler did well to pull the ball across from almost on the goal line for Hawick and keeper Beveridge mishandled the cross and was happy to see the ball drop onto the roof of his net. After 67 minutes we then had a couple of substitutions as Marc Scott and hat trick hero Walker were both withdrawn for the home side and replaced by Zac Scally and Reece Cochrane. Russell had another go from distance for the visitors a minute later but this time he pulled his 23 yard drive across the face of the Primrose goals and wide. On 69 minutes, Underhill won a corner off Common and Cochrane’s corner was cleared out to Nichol who sent a 20 yard half volley over the top of the Hawick bar before at the other end, Yuan Fang fired a drive from a similar distance into the arms of Beveridge for the Primrose keepers first save of the evening. The home side had got a little sloppy at the back and carelessly gifted cheap possession to Duncan but the midfielders 25 yard drive was way off target before Renton had a drive which looked to be on target but Kerr threw his body in the way for Primrose. Thirteen minutes from time, Hawick made their final changes as Russell and Ford were replaced by Sirus Davidson and Billy McKenzie and at the same stoppage, Ormiston made their own double switch with Daryl Russell and Evan Clark coming on for Tracey and Korpalski. Underhill began a move in midfield and rode a challenge in midfield from McKenzie and Russell was almost in on the end of the quick counter attack and when the ball went dead, McKenzie was warned by referee Dickson about the earlier clip on Underhill. Scally then almost profited from another Underhill pass but the Hawick defence once more managed to scramble the ball behind and from Hogg’s set piece, Dougan was only inches away from getting his head to the ball inside the Hawick goal area. Five minutes from time, Davidson won the ball in midfield and worked the ball to Gammie who side stepped his man before firing in an excellent 20 yard drive along the ground which saw Primrose keeper Beveridge fling himself low to his right to beat the ball away at his near post and protect his clean sheet with his best save of the night. In the end, the home side were able to manage the game to its conclusion fairly comfortably, having taken the game by the scruff of the neck in a blistering first half which will have delighted manager Richie Weir. The visitors now need to quickly get their first positive result on the board in order to build some confidence, but they won’t find that easy this weekend when they face a tough trip to Sygenta in the league.