The Meadows, AAFA Division 1(East), 10/5/25
Me still 343, Wee Man still 205
Ellon Thistle Football Club
Founded – 1968
Nickname – The Jags
Honours – AAFA Division 4 -1974/75. AAFA Division 6 – 1972/73. Barclay Cook Cup – 1972/73 and 2022/23. Castle Rovers Cup – 2011/12. Dickie Trophy – 2015/16. Stephen Shield – 1992/93. Norman McAvoy Memorial Trophy -1986/87. White Cup – 1973/74
2pm, right Thistle, destiny is really in your hands here……..15.35, fuck sake boys.
What an absolute scunner today. Ellon came into this only caring about themselves. Win two games to go and in simple terms, win both, win the league. Yes this sounds simple but by Christ its now become complicated as they were outgunned by a Beacon rangers team who knew exactly what they were doing, and fair play to them. I have never hidden my admiration for Ellon Thistle but this was not and never will be good enough and I wont hold back here. Especially when only maybe four players get pass marks, it says all you need to know .
With the wind not directly toward the north goal it was still going to be an advantage. Thistle swapped ends to take said advantage at the coin toss but had one shot all half when Coutts fired an effort just over the bar from around 40 yards. But in general they home sides tactics were utterly futile. (To note the on pitch stuff was futile, the manager had enough out there to cause damage but it wasn’t happening). rangers were the better team for a huge chunk of the first half and the same move where they seemed to have a spare man every time time they broke was causing havoc. To be honest a better team would have punished the Jags more. Keeper Morris was called into serious action twice before the Beacon keeper Leiper even touched the ball. This was a sign of things to come.Beacon knew the way to play this, roughing and a wee bit of the dark arts, and Thistle shat the bed to be honest. rangers kept attempting that same through ball to George and eventually it paid off. The striker burst through and lofted a ball over Morris and it dropped just under the bar. Wind assisted it was but it was absolutely deserved. Thistle were went close straight from centre when the broke and Ryan Webster smashed an effort from 20 yards just past the post. The city team were then two to the good when the referee blew for a nothing penalty*. Nobody seemed to claim, nobody cared but the ref pointed to the spot after a “collision”. George made no mistake leaving Morris to watch the ball nestle from the kick. Then came another moment of contention, after Donald won the ball against rangers defender Stewart, the defender took umbrage to the challenge and stamped on the Thistle man’s inner thigh, this was clear as day. Given the fact the usually timid Donald got involved says it all, Stewart then threw a headbutt toward Donald which then resulted in some head on head rutting stag action. Both players were booked as if the stamp never happened. Thistle kept at it and Deej Coutts rattled the bar with a header from a corner. It deserved a goal. As the half burnt on Thistle were the better team but the break scuppered them somewhat.
HT 0 v 2
As they finished the first half well, they came out the better team in the second half, but lacked that extra bit of bite. They had swathes of the ball but they were not going anywhere. rangers were still trying the quick through ball which as previously stated, I am sure a better team would have murdered Thistle with. But it was the home side who changed the trajectory of the game. A ball over the top saw Misacas burst into the box . The Ellon man’s touch saw the rangers defender dive in, the contact was there, and audibly there too and the ref didn’t think twice. Callum Donald took the kick and made it 1 v 2. It was about now the wind upped its game and made the match a bit farcical but Thistle despite having to battle against it were the better side. Wee Man was telling me that the possession must be “all Thistle” but his ten year old brain doesn’t quite accept that the only stat the matters and ever will matter is the the scoreline. xG (modern day wankery), possession or whatever, I don’t care about any of it, the score is all that matters and Thistles stats in terms of score were not good enough and that is all that counted. Then another controversial moment when Brodie Stewart was called as offside while clean through after being played in by the rangers defender. It could not possibly be offside due to a deflection but the ref called it back.Thistle continued to take the game to rangers, but the away side were very good in dealing with everything chucked at them, add the time wasting and the “injuries” they were clearly more street wise and hats off to them. They knew exactly how to play this. As the game was fizzling out, Ellon had one last chance when a corner found Jags captain Cruickshanks who sent a header off the crossbar. As the ball connected with the frame the Thistle players and large sideline in unison put their head in their hands before the final whistle sounded. A bad day at the office. Lost the game and to add more lost a match ball when it burst on the fence between the Thistle and United pitch. Scunner.
As Thistle got beat AC Mill Inn Academy also were defeated, this meaning who was seen as the front runners for the league do not have a say now. It is all down to the team in third, Rattrays XI. If they win their three, they win the league. However, Thistle, just fucking win v AC Mill Inn. Thats all you should care about
Amateur fitba, it’s bloody fantastic……….and stressful………and makes you hate fitba sometimes.
*to be noted I am not making excuses, if Thistle don’t win the league its their own fault beyond this. One week to go……………………….
Entrance – Both free
Attendance – 69
Pie – Brought our own juice and Haribo
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 0, Wee Man 2 v 0
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 5 v 4 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 