The Meadows, Premier Trophy First Round, 29/11/25
Me still 360, Wee Man still 217
Ellon Thistle Football Club
Founded – 1968
Nickname – The Jags
Honours – AAFA Division 1 (East) – 2024/25. 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
A couple of weeks ago we were treated to absolute dirge at the Meadows. Enough to make you never come back. In fact it was enough to get fitba cancelled in truth. This was in a cup tie versus Huntly Amateurs. Today was another cup tie at the Meadows, this time in the Premier Trophy which incredibly takes Thistle up to 98 days without a league game. The visitors, third in the league Woodside who had already seen victory in Ellon this season after a league win back in August. (League? Remember that thing?).
The joke on the sideline prior to the game was that today could only be better than the last outing as it really could not be any worse. How correct we were in the end?
After Wee Man blootering his ball off my recently bought coffee resulting in a quick run across to Ellon United to get a new cup we were underway. Thistle came out the traps early and created a couple of half chances early doors with the best falling to Moffat who uncharacteristically fired wide from ten yards. Ellon were looking decent and playing some bonnie fitba only to find themselves 0 v 1 down when Woodside’s Chris Steel took a pop at goal from a freekick. With not much venom in the strike it took a nick off the wall completely wrong footing Thistle keeper Kieran Johnson who could only watch as the ball trundled past him into the bottom corner. A minging goal but nothing to get too downhearted with. Then a second came soon after when Thistle defender Joe Christopherson undercooked a pass back to Johnson allowing Woodside’s 23 (apologies no team lines) who nipped in to send the ball under Johnson. Two to the bad but still the better team. How would the Jags react. Bloody well is the answer as they continued about their business as they had all game this leading to halving Woodside’s lead when Moffat thundered home a poor defensive clearing header on the volley. Game on again. This goal got Thistle tails up and introduced a bit of niggle and perpetual moaning from the visitors. It was incessant and just plain ridiculous at times. Almost every touch of the ball was met with some sort of gripe and it all played into Thistle’s hands. What also added to this was Woodside clearly not liking the rougher play from David Coutts and Shaun Bruce(big fan of the latter for the record). Not long after the half hour, Thistle equalised. This coming from 12 yards after a blatant hand ball was quite rightly punished despite the protests. Deej Coutts stepped up and made no mistake. A fine come back. Thistle pressed for the next goal and came close when Chris Argo rattled the bottom of the left hand post. A man who had put in a very sound performance so far deserved a goal. The half ended on a controversial note when after fouling the Woodside 2, Ross MacKenzie was halved knee high in retaliation to his foul. This after the whistle was blown. A clear red card but the referee despite explaining that he understood the Woodside man was fouled but retaliation was unacceptable, then inexcusably kept his cards in his pocket. A shocker of a decision which I would love to hear his rationale for the outcome. Any shouts of the ref being a homer from the Woodside sideline were well out the window now.
A good half and performance from Thistle which seemed to be going one way. Upward.
HT 2 v 2
Ellon came out in a similar fashion to the first half and had an early chance when Deej headed over. They then saw the same man strike a free kick pretty much where he sent his header. I personally could only see the game going one way and was impressed with how Thistle were going about things as was last seasons hero Steven “Mo” Morris who was next to me. Woodside were rattled, this made clear by the elevation of shouts and yellows for mouthing off toward the ref. To be noted too Ellon were a lot more physical than I had previously seen them so far this season. They deservedly completed the comeback when some fantastic determined play from Moffat saw him beat his man at the byline to fire in a cross which Darryl Webster got enough of a touch on in the middle of the goal to send it into the back of the net. A superb and aesthetically pleasing team goal which was quite rightly celebrated by all barring keeper Johnson. On that man he was to pull off a brilliant save to stop Woodside’s 19. It looked a certain goal but the returning keeper’s full stretch save to his right was as important as the Webster goal moments before. Woodside brought on Chika Okeke who looked a handful and a proper old fashioned battering ram of a forward. I would have been interested to see how he fared with more time on the park. Clearly a hard player to play against but the likes of Bisset, Coutts and Christopherson stood up well seeing the game out taking the Jags into the next round of the cup.
Night and day from a fortnight ago. Was this the result that could change the fortunes of a hit and miss season for Ellon so far. Let’s hope so. It was a solid performance as a unit whether the back four, midfield or strikers putting themselves about. A magic Saturday afternoon for sure. Unlike Ellon United next door who took 7(seven) off Maud.
Entrance – Both free
Attendance – 53
Pie – £2, coffee from Ellon United
Pint – £4.90 , Tennent’s, New Inn
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 2, Wee Man 1 v 2
Score Predictions Season Total – Me 3 v 2
FITBAWBAG 