Alford Park, Bowie Cup 1/2 final, 5/4/25
Me still 339, Wee Man still 202
Alford Amateur Football Club
Founded – 1971
Nickname – None
Honours – AAFA Division One East – 2021/22, AAFA Divison Four – 1972/73. AAFA Division Five – 1971/72. Barclay Cook Cup – 1971/72. Cusiter Cup – 1971-72. Edmond Trophy – 1979-80. Paterson Cup –1982/83. Ian Napier Memorial Trophy -1984/85 and 2022/23. Hans Fyfe Trophy – 1991/92 and 2005/06. Castle Rovers Cup – 2006/07. White Cup – 2021/22,
The top side in Division 1 North up against the top team in Division 1 East battling it out for a place at the Balmoral against Fyvie. Surely a good game was to be had under the warm Donside sun. That we definitley got if I remove my Thistle bias. Unfortunately through Thistle tinted specs this was a disappointment and a chance well and truly missed from my old club. Two goals to the good and coasting to gifting three and heading out the only cup they were left in.
There is something about Alford where it seems no matter when you head over it’s a fine day. Today was no different and as we turned up in the central Aberdeenshire town it was clearly a scorcher with all the families in shorts getting wired into ice cream. With no lunch in our bellies and nae pies at the fitba it was a make shift effort at a fitba pie by ransacking the local baker for some pastry, savoury and sweet. With only chicken pies left it was a fine change from a usual steak. A good start to the afternoon for sure.
On the park it was a good start for the Jags too, for the first 20 minutes there looked to be only one side who fancied the win and Ellon were two up and deservedly so. An early save for the Thistle keeper Neil Law was a rarity in the opening minutes. After this Thistle were getting forward, winning every 50/50 and header and were simply the better team. They took the lead through Michael Moffat. The forward was out on the left seemingly stranded and no sooner had I shouted for somebody to bust a gut into the box, Moffat whipped an effort from out wide over Alford keeper Middleton into the far top corner. It was a superb strike. I couldnt help but think if that was hit when he had teammates in the box he would have been accused of miscuing a cross. It was one of those types. However, with nobody in support this was a deliberate act and fucking ace too. Cameron Moir soon hit the bar for Thistle seeing the ball head out for a goal kick. The visitors were clearly on it today and continued to get at Alford and a second came not too long after the first. A through ball saw Moffatt in a foot race with the Alford defence, there was only to be one winner and Moffatt fired across the goal from the right giving Middleton no chance as the ball found the bottom corner. Thistle had been bloody excellent but was it too early in the game? Yes being the simple answer. The two goal lead was not in place for long as Alford took advantage of some hesitant play from Thistle. A long ball into the left dropped between full back Kerr and keeper Law with the latter coming but seeming to stop, this allowing McIntosh to sneak in and gather the ball and smash an unstoppable effort beyond Law. Great finish for sure but he should never have had the chance to touch the ball let alone score. This clearly rattled Thistle and the earlier determination to win every ball and sheer guts shown had dwindled somewhat allowing Alford to stamp authority in the game. Then from a nothing chance the North division side were level. A cross was cleared by a Thistle head, this landed at the feet of Ewan Smith who didn’t catch his effort with much venom and was a trundler but it passed all bodies in the box and seemed to go through Law and incredibly into the net. Now it was time for Thistle’s mettle to be tested and to be honest I am not so sure they passed. The tidy football had stopped, the composure was out of the window, the chances were gone and Alford were the decent side that was expected prior to the game. Alford were wining everything and were recovering the ball with relative ease when losing it. Ellon had one more big chance of the half when from the ball landed at Ryan Webster’s feet. From a similar distance to where he scored a scorcher on Wednesday night his got his finish wrong and saw his effort fly over the bar into the trees. With seconds to go it looked as if the half time break would see the teams even. This was not to be as Alford turned the game on it’s head and grabbed a third when a shot from the right hand side somehow got past Law. One which the keeper knew he had made a mess of given his reaction. (To note as I looked on in disbelief at the ball trickling in,by the time I looked back to see who it came from, Alford were celebrating in numbers and I missed who had actually hit the worm burner at goal). The half time whistle went and the Thistle related folk around me were gobsmacked, as was I. An incredible yet avoidable turnaround. Fair play to Alford who had taken advantage of Thistle shooting themselves in the foot.
HT 3 v 2
Thistle were gifted a huge chance in the opening minutes of the half when a Misacas freekick was spilled by Middleton landing at the man you would usually bet your house on finishing such an effort in David “Deej” Coutts but the effort from 15 yards flew over the bar into the fence behind the goal. Thistle were better but the balls to the front men were just not up to scratch and this issue was to rage on throughout the second half, easily nine out of ten balls were high and central leaving Alford centre half Daniel Wimrush to head clear. The defenders job was being made far to easy by the men in red. The thing being and I am sure of this if the balls were played through on the deck, if there was to be a chase the men up top for Thistle would prevail but it just didn’t seem to be on the menu and the lofted balls were far too common. Proof of this was every time Moffatt chased nothing balls he was always first there, but the striker was never put in a position to chase a key ball like where his second goal came from in the first half. On the Thistle goal scorer, his attitude was excellent throughout as he put in a power of work. If I had a vote for man of the match he would have got it hands down and not just because of his brace. One thing that was hugely noticeable in the second half was the lack of action in front of us. By this I mean the chasm in the area that was between our touchline and in line with the centre spot. Or Thistles left and Alford’s right more simply. No team seemed to want to play out there. The grass was largely untouched as the game was cramped over on the opposite wing where the Alford faithful were situated. From a Thistle perspective was this due to the injury to left sider Cameron Moir who had to leave the park clutching his hamstring? On the locals, I always find it great out here to see them turn out in their numbers, something that goes hand in hand with an Alford game. Lowland League Broomhill would struggle to reach the numbers present today in combined home attendances for a season. They can be boisterous too drowning out the pigeons constantly cooing in the surrounding trees behind us. Something I do love to see at this level is the local pride and Alford along with a few others such as Tarves provide this. As the last 15 approached Thistle got back to the team they were early in the game and had a good go at Alford, a second wind as it were but it just wouldn’t happen. Alford were clearly frustrated as their foul count increased. In amongst the Thistle threat the hosts had the chance to bury them when previous goal scorer McIntosh broke into the box and skelped an effort at Law who stood big and deflected the ball to safety. The game had been a battle but there was an incident where I still cannot fathom why the referee did not whip out his red card. This after the most cowardly tackle since Graeme Souness v Steaua Bucharest took place. Well after clearing the ball from left back, Thistle captain Cruickshanks was crunched by Ritchie Isaac . Blindside, high,utterly reckless and a deliberate attempt to injure another player. I am a big advocator of the dark arts in fitba and have never hidden this. I miss the lack of it in the modern game truth be told. But there is a difference between naughtiness and outright cowardice and the latter is exactly what this was. To make matters worse the poltroon in question laughed about it as he jogged away after the inexplicable yellow card he received. He wasn’t laughing too much when Misacas planted a fist in his face moments later in a clash in the middle of the park though. This clear when he attempted to lash out at the Thistle man.Time was against Thistle and so was their ideas and despite watching Wimrush win every header, the ball still found its way to the big defenders head on far too many occasions before the game was out. The final whistle went and it was Alford who will head to in behind Makro to face Premier Division side Fyvie and good luck to them. Surely Thistle will see this as a chance missed, but I am also positive the other business of winning the league/promotion to the Premier is the main goal and with nine games to go, the league they play in next season is in their own hands. An interesting few weeks ahead.
Entrance – Both free
Attendance – 76
Pie – £12.80, local baker raid, pies, fine pieces, sweeties, juice
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 2, Wee Man 2 v 1
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 3 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 