With 5 regulars out and Jason possibly out for 3 months, today was always going to be a hard game for us against an Ellon team who had only lost 1 league game before today, even with crowd favourite Couttsy on the bench !

We didn't start off well, after only 3 minutes Ellon had a header hit the bar off a corner and less than 2 minutes later they were 1 - 0 up when a low ball was fed into the box on the right and finished off before we had chance to regroup. Just afterwards Gav had a shot from 25 yards but it was well wide. Our first, and only shot that the keeper had to save was after 16 minutes when John Willox got the ball on the edge of the box, he threaded it into Stevie Whyte who shot was well hit but the keeper was right behind it. Neil Cowie was having a good game at right back after months out injured and he kept on putting really good balls into their box but we never got on the end of any of them. Paul had to be alert after 38 minutes when they broke and he had to turn the resulting shot past the post. Just before half time a long ball down the middle seemed to catch them out and as Gibby and Willox tried to get to it, it was handled by a defender. The resulting penalty was easily dispatched by John and thats how the half ended level.

The 2nd half was not much better with nothing really happening up front in fact it took until the 24th minute when Ritchie took the ball along the edge of the penalty area, fed it to John but his shot was wide. Just after Gibby fed Stevie on the right and he put a really great ball into and across the goal but nobody gambled to meet it and it went out. Gibby again got it and laid it off to Usher but his shot was blocked by a defender. Just as we seemed to be getting on top we were hit with a sucker punch. After 30 minutes their No. 9 had the chance to score from a cross from the left but it went harmlessly by, but then a couple of minutes later they broke, Paul came out to make a great save when 1 on 1 but the ball broke wide and was again crossed into our 6 yard box where this time he looped a header over Paul for the winner. we huffed an puffed but bugger all was happening and the game ended in a really disappointing defeat.

Although we didn't play well, neither did Ellon and a draw would have been a fair result, however sod all is fair in football so we'll have to take it on the chin and hope that when all the players return for the Turriff game next week we are  bit more positive going forward because after 90 minutes the goalkeeper only had to make one save that was on target.

 

Grahams 'proper' Report

POOR FINISHING BEATS MAUD
With a brace from Craigie of Ellon and with only a penalty goal from Willox in reply, an under strength Maud took nothing away from this game. Ellon started the better of the two teams and immediately unsettled Maud. As Ellon built up their attack, Maud survived a scare in the second minute from a crossed in ball from the left corner was thundered off the underside of the crossbar and finally gathered up by Leask. A further three minutes later Maud's luck ran out when they were caught on the bounce when a long diagonal ball out to the left was crossed in to be knocked into the net by Craigie. Play then settled down with both teams making foray's upfield but neither keeper being tested. Maud's first chance came from a free kick, launched in by Middleton but well held by Bowman. Maud had claims of a hand ball inside the box area turned down and waved aside by the ref. S Whyte could not find the net as his shot went straight into the keepers arms. Winning a free kick, Ellon took it quickly and the floated in ball was flicked on by Noble but straight into the safe hands of Leask. A great chance for Maud was missed when a diagonal crossed ball from Cowie to Usher who set off down the left wing. Cutting in at the bye line he could only watch as his final shot went into the side netting. Again Maud were on the defensive from an Ellon corner and only a scrambled clearance kept the score the same. Up at the other end Maud nearly caught out Ellon but their defence recovered and tidied up the danger. A half chance from Usher saw the shot go over the bar. A crossed ball into Ellon's box was blatantly handled and this time the ref clearly saw it and pointed to the penalty spot. With three minutes of the first half remaining up stepped Willox and sending Bowman the wrong way brought Maud back into the game. Ellon fought back and in the dying minute a ball across the box was headed back in by Craigie only to be sent over the bar by Ellis.
The second half started off again with Maud on the back foot as Ellon stepped up a gear. Solid defending from Davidson denied Ellon a great opportunity to take the lead again but the resulting corner came to nothing. Again a quickly taken free kick launched in to the far post by Craigie was headed into the hands of Leask by Macnamara. Ellon replaced Macnamara in the 65th minute with Whyte. Good play on the right by Stephen whose cross into Willox who could only fire into the side netting. Ellon on the attack with a crossed in ball which shaved the head of Craigie and out for a goal kick. Stephen fed an excellent ball out to S Whyte on the wing who sent in an excellent cross along the front of the goal but with no one gambling it went passed for a wasted chance. Great defending under pressure by Clark denied Usher a clear shot on goals. In the 76th minute Craigie had the chance to increase Ellon's lead when slack defending saw him send the shot past the post. Two minutes later a crossed in ball was well dealt with by Leask as the striker came one on one with him but the cleared ball was floated back in to Craigie at the far post who headed over the hands of Leask to give Ellon the lead. Finally time wound down and Maud suffered their second defeat in the same amount of weeks. Too many players missing and with the rest having their eye off target we need to bounce back next week against Turriff United at home with a 1.15pm kick off.

 

Thanks to Ted Bartlett for the photos