16/09/2017  |  League

Hawick Royal Albert   0  v  1  Cumbernauld Colts

Colts travelled to the borders to face struggling Hawick Royal Albert on the back of last weekend's demolition of Vale of Leithen. Hawick with a new manager and six new faces from their previous match were keen to stop the rot and set-up with a back five and a sole striker.

From the outset the colts dominated possession with loan keeper Thomas Cordery from East Fife a spectator for much of the half. They were finding it difficult however to breakdown the home guard despite numerous corners, the home keeper also looked in inspiring form pulling off two excellent saves to keep the score line level. It appeared that it was only a matter of time and when Homes was slipped through on goal in 15 minutes with only the keeper to beat only to see his effort agonisingly miss the target. Minutes later the same player saw another effort miss the target from inside the box. Brown then saw his effort miraculously saved by the Hawick keeper. As the game approached the half hour the colts deservedly went in front, a colt's corner on the far side was whipped in by Homes which hit a defenders arm as he attempted to clear, the referee who had made some questionable decisions pointed to the spot, colts talisman O'Neil stepped up only to see his spot kit saved by the keeper down to his left, unfortunately for the stopper the ball rebounded out to the alert Mortimer who fired home from six yards 0-1. The colts continued to press for the remainder of the half and Brown thought he had doubled the score line when he headed home from inside the box only to see it ruled out for off-side, the home side were on the rack by now but the charmed home defence managed to hold out to the half time whistle. HT 0-1

The second half was a disappointing affair, although the colts again had the vast majority of the play and opportunities, both Brown and Mortimer had opportunities with the keeper at the right place to block, Mortimer deep in the box again was posing a threat but chose to seek out his striking partner when a shot on goal may have been more fruitful. The colts had numerous corners as they went on the hunt for the killer blow, however the big centre half was supporting his keeper well dominating the high ball. Again the colts thought they had put the game to bed when a Sheridan knock-down from a corner was converted by Murray close-in, again ruled out for off-side. It was proving to be one of those days and in football it only takes one opportunity and as the game drew to a close the home side began to commit more men forward and slackness in the midfield allowed the home side player to break forward and bare down on goal unleashing a powerful drive for 25 yards which looked goal bound, however Cordery was not going to be denied a clean sheet on his first game pulling off a super save at full length to his right. This was as close as the home side had come and would come again with the colts seeing out the game on the front foot, disappointing not to have put the game to bed but nevertheless an important 3 points on the road.
FT 0-1
MoM: Greg Pascazio never looked troubled and completely dominated and marshalled the back three