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This afternoon we faced a stiff test when our 4 match unbeaten run came up against 2nd placed Ellon Thistle. We had done well against them in the away fixture and although going down to a couple of late goals we had matched them all the way. Only a similar performance this afternoon would suffice. A win would be the perfect start to what is about to be a nightmare schedule of fixtures, with evening matches beginning on Monday. Skipper Keith was unavailable today and the arm band was handed to Morgan. The starting eleven was named as Andrews, N.Milne, Shaw, Robertson, Michie, Wood, E.Milne, Morgan, M.Woods, G.Woods and Graham. Subs Sim, Merchant and Marlow. Halliburton started strongly and were on top throughout the early exchanges. Ellon however hand their moments, the first arriving courteously of a Robertson boob. The centre back allowing his man in to shoot wide. Michie then failed to clear but again thankfull the chance was missed by Ellon. These gifts of course handed the initiative to the visitors and they began to control the proceedings. We lived dangerously in 20mins when more slackness saw a low ball driven into the goalmouth. Morgan got back to pressure the recipient into firing over. In 25mins G.Woods carved out a good chance for himself pouncing on an error in the Ellon reargaurd, the big striker however failed to hit the target when he blazed the ball over the top. A miss we were to regret as moments later the ref awarded a very soft free kick 30 yards out. The kick was taken but the power produced was little more than a pass back, Andrews unfortunately was left red faced when he allowed it to roll past him into the net! We won a corner which M.Woods lofted in, Graham got onto it but G.Woods was better placed however did not call for the ball.(H.T.0-1) Ellon increased their lead after only 5 mins of the half beginning. From a corner Wood backed out of a challenge and the ball was sent into the net too easily. We went on to create and miss ample opportunities over the next 20 minutes. Firstly M.Woods was sent clear off a terrific through ball from Morgan, he was in one on one but lacked composure and riffled it over the top. G.Woods then went on to miss a couple, his first on the deck when he did well to get in on goal only to fire wide then he got up well to a right sided cross but could not keep his effort down and headed over the crossbar. Andrews kept us in it with an instinctive save. He flung his hands up to turn a drive round his near post as once again our defence spectated. The keeper could do nothing to prevent the third goal which was scored in 65mins There really were too many mistakes made in the lead up to the final shot to report them all, enough to say that we should have had the ball cleared at least three times prior to the goal scoring strike. Sim and Merchant were introduced for N.Milne and Graham. In truth we never looked like getting back into a game which Ellon were now controlling, they could even afford the luxury of taking the piss by introducing a cripple into their midfield! (That says it all) (F.T.0-3) Not a good day at the office, disappointing to see our run of 4 wins halted more so the way in which we lost. Topman this afternoon picked up by skipper Tony Morgan.