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The penultimate game of a season that has finished on a downer had Halli finest up against Deesides Feughside. We had been on the end of a substantial licking when we played them at Finzean and tonight did not look to promising when only 11 players were available! Make that ten and a half as player/manager Marlow was still struggling with a niggling Achilles problem. Not for the first time in his career the boss was forced into action despite injury when Riley, Mondays trialist failed to appear. We lined up with Andrews in goal behind a back four of Sim, Marlow, Michie and N.Milne. Keith, E.Milne, Robertson and Morgan formed the midfield with Merchant and Wood partnered up front. This was going to be a classic case of rolling up the sleeves or in certain cases rolling back the years and getting on with it. We had produced a good display on Monday and it would take no less a performance this evening if we were to take anything from the game. Feughside had arrived with about 20 supporters and were stunned to find the resistance that they were coming up against. We were defending very well indeed. The visitors were the side who were most on the attack but were being limited to long or angled shots on goal. Marlow did extremely well top block a shot on the edge of the box then the same player instigated the move that led up to our opener. He won a loose ball on the edge of the box and sent Wood clear. He did well to hold it up as help arrived. The ball found its way to Keith and he chipped forward. Robertson did very well to control as it arrived at throat level and his early strike found the net. We continued to battle away and N.Milne was doing a great covering job at the back. Given that the combined age of the central defensive pairing amounted to almost 100 the youthful full back had to look sharp. We survived a corner dangerously sent in when N.Milne cleared on the line and in fact scored a second in some what lucky circumstances. Wood had the ball out wide and sent in a cross to the back post which found its way into the net Ronaldino world cup v England style. They all count. The ref then decided to become the main man and started to make a complete prat of himself acting like a spoiled traffic warden instead of a fully grown adult. Bookings were being handed out left right and centre for no reason with play being broken up constantly. We were now buzzing and Robertson was gutted to have a goal knocked off. Good lead up play from wood set him up and he beat the keeper. With the ball heading over the line E.Milne blasted it into the net and the ref, everyone pal at this point, gave offside. Simme not to be out done however then tried his luck again. He collected brilliantly inside the box to set himself up for what would have been a great goal. His storming strike came off the bar with such pace that it went straight out for a throw in! (H.T.2-0) No sweat, just go out and get a result of any kind in the second half any three points, remember what they are? Would be in the bag! The visitors had obviously realised that the walk over they had expected was not materialising and so came out all guns blazing. They were straight on the attack and we were under the cosh from the off. Once again the defence were doing well but could do little in 50 minutes when Keith uncharacteristically messed up He called for and should have taken a ball into his area, however he missed it completely and a cross was very well dispatched into our goal. They went level in 65mins when following a poorly defended corner a strange strike looped into the net with Marlow caught flat footed and contemplating a punch over the bar on the line. This jolted Halli back to life and we began to play again. Sim went on a storming run but in truth simply ran out of both ideas and more importantly breath! We retook the lead in the 75^th minute with a cracker. Wood pickled up on the left and delivered a great ball into the box which was expertly met by E.Milne who headed home. At this point Robertson was switched to sweeper in an effort to hold things tight at the back. Marlow struggling with an injury moved forward. Moments later Feughside went level. As Robertson prepared to either attack the ball or nod it back to Andrews it became apparent that the keeper was all at sea and neither coming to assist or staying on his line. This resulted in the equaliser which Robertson could do nothing about. Andrews held up his hand to that one and then seconds later the keeper aided the visitors into the lead. A shot that he would have normally taken with ease was spilled and we were behind. We won a corner and Wood hit it straight out of play! As we chased the game Feughside went nap to put a totally un realistic score line on the match as it was completed 3-5at full time. A really disappointing conclusion to a match that we had put heaps of effort into. To take nothing from a game like this is sickening to say the least. Credit to the team for putting up such a fight but at the end of the day all we ended up with was yet another defeat. In fairness to Andrews he held his hand up in the dressing room but so he bloody should of ! Everything comes in threes and his first mistake of the night was to spray everyone with shredded glass in the changing room as he played ball with himself as the rest of us were changing. That was a great start- Not! With one game left out at Newmachar we at least have the chance to restore a bit of pride into our season. Thankfully our good winning streak around March has lifted us well away from the bottom of the league but it would be good to finish with a victory. On a plus we have played very well in the last two matches and shown a lot more desire than in previous game. The Hallitopman award tonight goes to Neill Milne who turned in a good display throughout the match.