EOSFL Haws v Broxburn Match Report

MATCH REPORT

HAWS 1 BROXBURN ATHLETIC 0

It was a dreich day at Keir’s Park as the Haws were hoping it was third time lucky to complete a match, after the late postponement against Berwick Rangers followed up by the abandonment of the previous weeks game at Tynecastle. 

Broxburn arrived fifth in the table but on a poor run of form and the game started on a real glue pot of a pitch, definitely playable but very sticky. The rain came and went as the match progressed, but not at serious enough levels to seriously threaten the games course. The opening exchanges were to be honest pretty dire, as both teams struggled to get to grips with the conditions, and chances were at a premium. 

The first serious effort on goal came in the 7th minute and it fell to the visitors. Craig Newall’s deep cross was prodded goalwards by the lively Greg Binnie, but James    Donaldson in the Haws goal was equal to it and punched to safety. Paul Quinn was the first to register an effort on target for the Haws, but his tame header lacked the power to trouble Connor Wallace. 

The visitors had the ball in the net in the twelfth minute but the assistant referee had flagged early and despite the lengthy protestations from the Brox it was all a bit of a storm in a teacup, in keeping with the conditions. 

The shadow boxing continued as the game struggled to come to life. A wayward shot from Jonathan Galloway for the hosts, a blaze wide from Ross Alum for our guests, but all Much Ado about Nothing. 

There was a genuine scare for the Haws in the 23rd minute when Gordon Donaldson headed narrowly over, while on the half hour mark Russell Grierson fed Ryan Connelly and almost put him through on goal. The half ended  pretty much as it had started with Ross Allum’s effort lacking the power to seriously trouble Donaldson in the home goal. H-T 0-0. 

There was one change at the break as Lee Reid joined the fray in place of Connelly. With the audience suitably lubricated with pies and beverages they hoped to see the teams go about it with more gusto during the second 45. 

The early signs were not encouraging as more of the same fare seemed to be on offer, until in the 52nd minute step forward the pantomime villain Daniel Nimmo to warm up the crowd. Firstly the burly centre half, who didn’t look the type who would back out of a fight, introduced himself to the Haws faithful by wailing like a lamb when the  diminutive Grierson had the audacity to put his foot within five yards of him in a challenge for the ball. His histrionics earnt poor Grierson a Yellow Christmas card, even though contact hadn’t been made. 

Contact certainly was made five minutes later as Nimmo conducted the second act of his seasonal villainy, driving right through Michael Fleming in a two footed challenge that had the enraged homesters screaming for a red card. ‘Oh No it wasn’t’ said referee Ryan Lee. ‘Oh Yes it Was’ they yelled back but to no avail. But our wronged hero was to have the last laugh. 

Calum Adamson entered for Quinn in the 62nd minute and almost had an instant impact. He showed a turn of pace that belied the conditions and broke clear of the Brox defence only to fire narrowly wide of Wallace in a rare clear sight of goal for either side. 

The visitors always looked purposeful going forwards, but there was never really any end product from their forays into the Haws half and, aside from a dangerous looking long throw from Grierson that caused real problems, the visiting defence also remained generally untroubled. 

However, as the game entered the final minute we were to witness the thrilling denouement. Galloway’s corner from the right led to a real stramash in the penalty area with a scene that would have been more at home at last weekends venue Meggetland, home of the oval ball. Finally the danger appeared to have been cleared, but a quickly taken throw saw Shaun Leishman deliver the ball back into the mixer, where it was chested down by Daniel Watt to set up Fleming for the sweetest of low strikes to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Now THAT is what you call theatre! F-T 1-0. 

HAWS: Donaldson, Leishman, Grierson, Forbes, Fleming, Galloway, Connelly (sub. Reid 45 mins), Quinn (sub. Adamson 62 mins), D. Watt, Elder, Kellichan. Subs Not Used: M. Watt, MacLachlan, Morgan. 

BROXBURN: Wallace, Newall, Donaldson, D. Nimmo, Townsley (sub. Murray 50 mins), Nichol, R.Nimmo, Cowley, Allum, Binnie, Gillen. 

Referee: Ryan Lee  Attendance: 121 

SHOTS ON TARGET: Haws 5 Broxburn 3 

SHOTS OFF TARGET: Haws 3 Broxburn 3 

CORNERS: Haws 8 Broxburn 5 

YELLOW CARDS: Haws 1 Broxburn 1 

RED CARDS: None 

HAWS MAN OF THE MATCH: MARK FORBES.

Dave Edler