The Meadows, North of Scotland League Premiership, 5/8/25
Me still 353, Wee Man still 212
Ellon United Football Club
Founded – 1890
Nickname – United
Honours – North East Division One – 1983/84. North Region Division One – 2016/17. Morrison Cup – 1977/78. McLeman Cup – 1977/78 and 2007/08
Our first match in the newly founded North of Scotland League. With it’s shiny new badge and name, I will most likely still call it the ‘local Juniors’ for eternity though. This was a game sought after by Wee Man as he likes Hermes as “they are better than a lot of Highland League teams”. An added bonus to the evening, as it was in my hometown it would have been rude not to invite myself round for my ma’s cooking. A free feed and it was beef olives, total result. As I sat at my folks I was worried that the tail end of Storm Phallus or whatever it was called would ruin any sort of fitba spectacle. The trees outside were fairly straining under the wind. Thankfully in the lead up to kick off it died down significantly.
I have tipped Hermes for the league this season. After seeing them a few times in pre-season I have been highly impressed with the intensity, fitness and just general great play that I have seen as they took some Highland League scalps. I fully expected this to be a routine win for the visitors. It should have been a routine win for the visitors. It was not a routine win for the visitors.
In the company of Ellon Thistle man Super Mo(Tichie Birnie and Deej also in attendance making up a whos who of Jags) we watched Hermes take the game to United. They knocked the ball about with authority and looked a team on a mission but they could could not seem to create anything. One thing we discussed was the low sun that was in United’s keeper Oscar Pirie’s face. If I was Hermes I would have been trying my luck striking pot shots at the the Ellon goal. Pirie had very little to do barring watching a couple of efforts miss the target which was surprising given the Hermes dominance.However, it did look like the Bridge of Don side would eventually get something as they zipped the ball about at pace leaving Ellon to chase for chunks of the half. But the goal did not come and it was in fact Ellon that took the lead when Alexander Walton was taken down inside the area by Craig Mackie. As it was the opposite end of the park I can’t say for sure if it was the correct decision or not. What I do know is Callum Tremaine stuck the kick right into the bottom corner out of Otto’s reach despite the keeper guessing the correct way. This giving United a surprise lead going into the break.
HT 1 v 0
Hermes came out looking even more determined in the second half. The passing seemed even slicker, the chasing when out of possession was fierce, they had fantastic vision for defence splitting passes and they carried a lot of traits which seemed to be missing from Ellon who could not do much about the assault they were under. Watching it you could not help but think goals were to be an inevitability from the men in blue and black. But deary me they were incredibly wasteful, without boring people with a list of all the misses, in short there were efforts over the bar, a strike off the bar, point blank target misses, miscued headers and even a stramash which was like a slow motion game of pinball as the ball just wouldn’t find its way into the net. They did find the net the once and from an Ellon point of view in poor circumstances. After giving away a cheap corner they followed up by leaving Bradley Manson to run in and almost stoop to head home the cross totally unopposed. But it was just the one for Hermes. In amongst all the wasted opportunities at one end and continuous play in the home sides half, Ellon did have the chance to double their lead when Ben Riddle rose to meet a set piece but he sent his header wide. From the range he was at, surely he has to hit the target or make Otto work. Unfortunately, he failed on both counts. As the darkness began to creep in the game finished after just over five minutes injury time. As we made our way to the car, the Hermes players passed us heading to the changing rooms and the looks on some of their faces they, like Wee Man and I, couldn’t believe the three points were not heading home with them. A good point for United though after a do in on Saturday.
Entrance – Me £7, Wee Man Free
Attendance – 82
Pie – £1.50 Coffee, nae pie as still full from my ma’s cooking
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 0 v 2, Wee Man 1 v 3
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 