HA_21stMAR09

It was Blackburn who went straight on the offensive at a sunny Millfield when a slack Cowan pass on two minutes allowed Andy McQuillan a sight of goal but he shot straight at Stobie. Grant Plenderleith then pressured a back pass to Stobie who sliced his kick for McQuillan to gather but he shot narrowly past. On the quarter hour mark Martin Stewart found Alan Brown twenty yards out and he flicked the ball onto McQuillan whose shot was blocked amid claims for handball. Moments later Haddington had their first real sight of goal when Rusin’s angled shot was held by Francis Carlin. Myles then had an effort again held by Carlin who sent Blackburn on the attack and when the ball reached Craig Spence on the right he sent in a cross that was met by the head of Brown but it slipped just wide. From the resulting goal kick the ball was flicked onto RICHARDSON who found himself entirely in the clear beyond the visitors back line and he had the easiest of tasks to run in and slide the ball past Carlin to give the Hi Hi an unexpected lead. United continued to push though and Brown found Plenderleith a few minutes later but he sent his angled shot inches past the far post. Then a moment of controversy arrived when, after taking a throw in, the ball was cleared back out to Alan Keir who clashed with a Haddington defender clearly a yard inside the box. Referee Mr. Ramage debatably blew for a foul in Keir’s favour but awarded it outside the area. The free kick itself amounted to nothing. At the other end minutes later Richardson flashed a drive inches over after good work on the left of the area by Rusin. Moving into the last minute of the half Spence gathered on the right and moved past his marker before firing a low drive across the area which eluded both David Fowler and Plenderleith to roll out of danger.

Into the second half and Athletic caught Blackburn out of the blue again when a long high ball out of their own half split Nikki Murray and Ricky Miller and MYLES calmly volleyed a superb lob over Carlin and into the net from the edge of the area. United, however, were not about to let all their hard work go to waste and four minutes later Stewart scampered free on the left before cutting inside and flighting a cross into the area which was flicked on by Plenderleith and into the path of SPENCE who was free on the far side of the box and he smashed the ball past Cowan. Brown then saw his effort from a free-kick fly just over before good work by Martin saw sub Finlayson float an effort inches over Carlin’s bar. The Davie's of Sneddon and Fowler were then replaced by Greig Crooks and Ross Williamson as Blackburn went in search of the equalizer and it duly came on seventy seven minutes when a long ball was controlled by Plenderleith and flicked into the path of McQullian who powered into the box before squaring to WILLIAMSON who slammed it past Cowan. Moments later it was nearly a second for Williamson as McQuillan and Plenderleith again combined well on the left in a move which resulted in the latter firing in an angled drive which the keeper got a hand to and touched out in the direction of Williamson but his shot was half blocked and scrambled away. Immediately play moved to the other end where the powerful Finlayson flashed a shot wide. Both teams were searching for the winner and it nearly came in injury time, firstly Plenderleith set-up Williamson inside the area but he dallied a moment too long and his effort was blocked ahead of Finlayson sending in an angled shot which hit the inside of Carlin’s left hand post and rolled along the line before being cleared. The final whistle sounded seconds later.

Blackburn United Line-Up: Carlin, Sneddon (Williamson 73), Keir, Miller, Murray, Fowler (Crooks 71), Stewart, Brown, Plenderleith, McQuillan, Spence Sub (not used): Gilhouley

Haddington Athletic Line-Up: Stobie, Cowan, Grant, Wilson, Gilmour, Richardson, Myles, Motion, Rusin, Ferguson, Martin Subs: Bell, Falkowski, Kelly, Finlayson, Boyne

Referee: Mr. Jim Ramage