HUNTLY 14's V BYRON ATHLETIC

TODAY 2/11/08 SR WOOD TROPHY V BYRON ATHLETIC @ THE MEADOWS, HUNTLY.
AFTER LAST WEEKS DISSAPOINTMENT, TODAY WAS ABOUT GETTING THE TEAM BACK ON TRACK AND INSTALLING A BIT OF CONFIDENCE THROUGHOUT. BYRON SET OUT THEIR STALL EARLY DOORS AND PROVED THEY WERE TO BE NO PUSHOVERS, BUT DESPITE THAT HUNTLY WERE MAKING CHANCES BUT SADLY BEING UNABLE TO CONVERT UNTIL 18 MINS WHEN A HUNTLY CORNER WAS ONLY HALF CLEARED AND LIAM FERGUSON WAS ON HAND TO NET THE REBOUND. BYRON MORE OR LESS WENT STRAIGHT UP THE PARK AND WON A PENALTY AFTER A CATALOGUE OF ERRATIC DEFENDING BY HUNTLY DEFENDERS WHO WERE SLIGHTLY EDGY TODAY FOR A SPELL AND NOT KEEN ON COMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE PENALTY WAS CONVERTED AND HALF TIME 1-1.
2ND HALF BEGAN WITH HUNTLY SENDING ON MARK JOHNSTONE WHO ADDED MUCH NEEDED STRENGTH & PACE TO THE FORWARD LINE. THE TEMPO WAS UPPED FROM THE WORD GO AND CAME AGONISINGLY CLOSE WHEN JAMES BROOKS SLIPPED SHOT CAME OFF THE POST AND BILLY BLANCHARD CRASHED THE REBOUND OFF THE CROSSBAR. BUT WE WERE SOON IN FRONT WHEN DEBUT BOY MARK JOHNSTONE MADE A BRILLIANT RUN IN ON GOAL AND SUPERBLY PLAYED HIS SHOT BEYOND THE KEEPER 2-1.
LIAM FERGUSON WAS NEXT TO ADD TO A QUICKFIRE START TO THE SECOND HALF WITH A GOOD FINISH FOR HIS SECOND 3-1. HUNTLY WERE NOW WELL ON TOP WHEN ANDREW MUNRO PLAYED A GOOD BALL THROUGH FOR MARK JOHNSTONE TO FINISH FOR HIS SECOND GOAL FOR HIS NEW CLUB. AND TO ROUND THINGS UP A PENALTY AWARD AFTER JAMES BROOKS WAS TRIPPED IN THE BOX AND LIAM FERGUSON STEPPED UP TO COMPLETE A SUPERB HATRICK, FULL TIME 5-1.
OVERALL A DECENT RESULT DESPITE A POOR FIRST HALF DISPLAY WHEN WE FELL INTO THE TRAP OF GIVING THE OPPOSITION TOO MUCH RESPECT AT TIMES. MAN OF THE MATCH TODAY WAS MICHAEL GREEN FOR A FINE HOME DEBUT WITH SOME SLICK PASSING AND MOVEMENT IN MIDFIELD AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS GUY BEING A BIG PLAYER FOR US IN THE FUTURE.ALSO VERY ENCOURAGING HOME DEBUTS FOR MARK JOHNSTONE, LIAM HENDERSON AND CRAIG JONES.

TODAYS TEAM:- 1/ JORDAN OGG, 2/ RITCHIE GIBB, 3/ AIDEN BOWIE, 4/ JACK DUNCAN, 5/ LEE INGLIS, 6/ MICHAEL GREEN, 7/ ANDREW MUNRO, 8/ LIAM FERGUSON, 9/ JAMES BROOKS, 10/ AIDEN BOWIE, 11/ BILLY BLANCHARD, 12/ MATTHEW ANDERSON, 14/ LIAM HENDERSON, 15/ JAMES HIGGINS, 16/ MARK JOHNSTONE, 17/CRAIG JONES