My Report
 

After a couple of disappointing results in the build up to this game it was important that the lads found the belief again but it wasn't going to be easy today against a physical team in difficult conditions.

There were also a few changes to the team today with Mark starting in goal for the first time and Kris Milne also leading the line for the first time for a long time. We started off brightly enough, Gav having a a shot wide of the goal after only a minute but to show that we were in for a hard game 2 minutes later their nippy winder was through on our goal with only Mark in the way, he stood up and made a great save to stop us going a goal ehind early on. The just after the first of 2 soft penalties today was given to New Elgin when their forward was allegedly brought down in the box, they then scored from the spot kick to put us on the back foot after only 3 minutes. Neil Cowie had a chance from a long way out down the middle when they cleared the ball from deep, he took it on a few strides but his shot was well over. After 11 minute Gav took a free kick wide left about 30 yards out, he put it into the box toward the far post where it was nicked off our head and away for a corner from which nowt happened. After 14 minutes a great bit of football down the left again when Ush laid the ball to Gav and he played it into Kris on the goal line, his lay off to Ush who was following in was met with a great low shot from John but the keeper saved low. Then on 16 minutes we got a pen when the ball was laid across their box and was handled by a defender, John WIllox strode up and hit the ball low to his right to beat the keeper and level the match. We never really looked in much danger except for their playing long balls to run onto that we seemed unable to pick up, generally we were playing very well but couldn't convert the play into decent chances, we seemed to be wanting to walk the ball into the net and with the conditions heavy underfoot the neat football we were trying wasn't working out. On 30 minutes a great long ball from Neil on the right was met by Kris 6 yards out in the middle of the goal, he seemed to have too much time and could only place his header back across the goal where it was cleared, just needs a few more games under his belt.  10 minutes from the half time whistle they again broke through the middle with a long ball, Ush made a last ditch tackle on the edge of the box in the middle but was adjudged to have fouled. This set up a free kick in a nasty position and it was well hit around the wall but Nark made a great save, when it broke free Bruce hacked it away and the danger was cleared. So half time was level and it looked like we would have to work very hard for any more goals in the second half.

After a few minutes of pressure, eventually we got the breakthrough when after 7 minutes of the half, Razor got the ball in the middle about 25 yards out, he played a great ball into the channel where Gav had run onto and he hit it past the keeper for our 2nd goal. On 17 minutes another great ball in from Neil was met by Molby  but he was inches away from putting in for the 3rd. Unfortunately whenever Ian got the ball the referee decided it was a free kick, he seemed determined to book him, more of which later! After 21 minute a cross ball was met by John Willox wide left but his header across the goal was headed off the line. After 25 minutes another cross from Neil this time to Gav ended in a shot that was over their bar. It was only a couple of minutes later that we got another free kick on the right near their goal line. Gav hit a low shot into the box where Gibby forced the ball over the line after just come on as a sub for Kris, 3 - 1. Of course we never make things easy for ourselves and almost straight from the kick off they ended up in our box running down the right o f our penalty area when the ref blew up for a penalty ! Nobody seemed to know what it was given for and even the Action Reply didn't pick it up !! Anyway the penalty was converted which made us twitchy again. Ian Murray eventually got booked after yet another free kick against him, it had only been a matter of time as the ref seemed determined to show who was the boss, in my opinion of course ! Sisco had come on for Stevie Whyte and was causing them a lot of problems down the right, one of his crosses was almost converted and almost at the death he hit a long ball from deep and the keeper had to be quick to palm it out from under the bar. Ian Arthur almost scored near the end from a corner but it was also headed off the line.

So a 3 - 2 victory and after the disappointment of last week it was nice to win even though the performance wasn't one of our best.

We will certainly have to play better next week when we play Culter at home in the Inter Regional Cup if we want to avoid any repeat of the result a couple of weeks ago.

 

Grahams Report

MAUD MARCH INTO NEXT ROUND
Maud started brightly but the first signs that this was going to be a hard game came when after a minute New Elgin's Robertson attacked up the right wing and unleash his shot as he cut in goalwards but a great save by Kerr denied the opportunity. Again New Elgin took the game to Maud and in the third minute Maud found themselves a goal down when Kerr in goals was alleged to have taken down the forward. Up stepped Turner and beautifully converted the penalty. Maud's first real chance fell to Cowie who latched on to a deep cleared ball. pushing up the middle he finally let loose the shot which flew over the bar. Winning a free kick, Maud's Middleton launched it in diagonally to the far post only for the defender to edge it out for a corner to nothing. Good play inside the penalty box from Milne who laid the ball back to Usher whose low shot was held by the keeper. From a corner from the right in the 21st minute, the ball was cleared out as far as Cowie whose cross in was deemed to be handled by a defender, Penalty to which Willox sending the keeper the wrong way made no mistake. A free kick won by Maud cost Ramsay of New Elgin a yellow for arguing. As Maud tried to play tidy football the conditions were seriously hampering them. A late tackle on Usher coming down the left wing by Mielle cost him a yellow. Milne was unlucky with his header from a Cowie cross sending the ball along the goal line which was scrambled clear. New Elgin's Wood was unlucky not to score as pressure down the left wing nearly paid off. A break up the middle by New Elgin was stopped by a brilliant challenge just on the edge of the 18 yard box by Usher. Turner shot past the defensive wall but it was well cleared by Kerr. A chance from Hilsol and from Milne at the other end brought the first half to a close.
Within a couple of minutes of the restart S Whyte talked him self into a yellow card. In the 6th minute great play in midfield from rae who sent in a lovely ball to Middleton at the far post who added Maud's second goal. Stephen then replaced Milne. Usher conceded a foul on the half way line which got him a yellow. new Elgin were determined not to give up and were battling hard to try and come back into the game. As Maud attacked a good cross in from Cowie found Murray waiting but his shot could only cut diagonally across the goal and be scrambled clear. A Whyte then replaced S Whyte as Maud tried to kill off the game. Almost immediately A Whyte created a chance when he jinxed his way into the box and crossed in the ball only for some scrambled defensive play to clear the danger. A good cross by Cowie over to Middleton at the left flag who ghosted past his marker but the final shot went wild. Maud won a free kick out beside the right corner flag. Taken quickly it was crossed in by Middleton onto to Stephen who chested into the net for Maud's third. Almost immediately from the restart New Elgin's striker found himself inside Maud's 18 yard box and the ref blowing and pointing to the penalty spot. No one claimed a penalty and New Elgin were as surprised as Maud to be given one. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Turner stepped up and duly converted to bring New Elgin back into the game. Murray found space inside the box area but once again the ref blew for a foul against him, a constant happening during this game. Maud almost had the game go to penalty's as only a superb one handed save from Kerr denied New Elgin a last chance. Eventually the game finished and Maud will now progress to the next round. A decent performance especially by the fringe players that were drafted in to play and certainly would not have done themselves any harm. Next week we are at home to the league champions Culter in the Inter Regional Cup with a 2.00pm kick off.