Saltire Fashions North of Scotland Amateur Cup 1st Round at Mineralwell Park, Stonehaven on Saturday 25th October
This first round North of Scotland cup game was played with a gale force wind blowing down the pitch. Huntly’s defence lost nine goals last week and were under pressure from the start of today’s game fielding an understrength team with key players missing.
Cowie won the toss and elected to play with the wind at their backs and were five goals ahead in sixteen minutes. The first came in six minutes from a corner on the right. The wind assisted ball curled towards goal and Cowie’s Watson got an outstretched leg to it and the ball went over the line. A minute later Cowie were two ahead when Huntly could not clear their lines and Cowie’s Adie pounced on a lose ball and scored from close range.
In nine minutes Cowie were awarded a penalty and Cowie’s Matthew fired the ball home from the spot. The game was virtually over when a move down the left by Cowie’s Nicol let him put in a perfect cross to the waiting Fraser who looked up and placed the ball past the diving keeper. A minute later Nicol‘s right foot drive beat keeper Thomson to make the score 5-0.
Huntly’s first chance came in twenty two minutes when a fierce shot from Jones flew past the post. Huntly were not playing as a team and poor passing and the strong wind kept them in their own half with the occasional breakaway well dealt with by the Cowie defence. Just before the break Cowie’s Matthew rose high to head number six from a corner.
Half time 6-0
Cowie started the second half keeping the ball low and pushing forward and in fifty three minutes Fowler made a run through the middle, rounded the advancing keeper and slipped the ball into the net. In fifty-five minutes Huntly’s Higgins, in front of goal saw his shot blocked on the line by Riddell. Cowie’s Watson added to his tally when he outjumped the defence and headed home number eight.
Cowie were never in danger of losing a goal but complacency by the front line led to missed chances. In seventy minutes the goal of the game came when Cowie’s Nicol received the ball on the half way line, ran at the defence, beat three men and fired in a drive from an acute angle that left keeper Thomson stranded making the final score 9-0.
Full-time: 9-0
Cowie Thistle: Stubbs, Fowler, Riddell, Taylor, Matthew, Hart, Hudson, Watson, Adie, Fraser, Nicol. Subs – Cahill, Leith, Masson, Day, Davidson.
Huntly Ams: Thomson, Brown, Scott, Jones, Ormistor, Higgins, Barclay, Simpson, Gibb, Baird, Milne.
Referee – S. Middleton
