BOOSTED by their first away win in a while at Bathgate a fortnight ago, Haddington Athletic were looking to maintain their solid home form against an Arniston team seven points behind them in the Premier League table.
This was the teams’ first meeting since the Gorebridge men pipped the Hi Hi to promotion from the South Division in 2013, and they were unbeaten in league encounters all the way back to 1993, albeit often not in the same division.
Millfield boss Johnny Harvey named an unchanged starting XI, with transfer-listed Kayne Paterson missing from the previous week’s subs’ bench.
Haddington had a slight edge in possession terms over a quiet opening 10 minutes, but Arniston were first to threaten just after this when McFadden’s header brought a good save from Liam Amos.
Sean Martin was then a whisker away from scoring with another headed effort from a Wayne Sproule corner, and the flurry of such chances continued when Arniston’s Doig was left free inside the box to direct the ball towards goal – Amos was beaten but it came back off the crossbar.
Just before the half-hour, Arniston had the ball in the net when Pullen’s well-struck free-kick was pushed out by Amos, the ball falling in front of the visitors’ key man Kateleza who promptly placed it in the net – from, the referee declared, however, an offside position.
With 35 minutes played, Haddington made the vital breakthrough, captain Craig Hume heading powerfully home through a crowded goalmouth when he met Jerry Draper’s corner.
There were no further chances at either end during the remainder of the first half in a well-matched contest.
Arniston looked a threat early in the second half and on 53 minutes McFadden found himself with a real chance one-on-one with Amos, Hume at his heels – the keeper did well to stand up and make a fine save.
Martin had the ball in the net just after this but the referee chalked it off, then on the hour Rangers’ keeper Cornet did well thwarting Sproule, then tipping away Draper’s corner. Both goalmouths saw action in the last half hour of an entertaining affair, the Hi Hi’s narrow lead vulnerable at times. Cornet kept the visitors’ diminishing hopes alive with two good saves in the dying stages.
Never giving up, Arniston continued to probe for an opening through several minutes’ injury time and the final whistle came as a welcome sound to the Hi Hi, who recorded a third consecutive clean sheet for the first time in over nine years.
Overall, Haddington can be fairly satisfied with their efforts so far now they’ve completed the first half of their maiden Premier League campaign.
They switch to knockout competition on Saturday, facing Easthouses Lily in Midlothian in the second round of the East of Scotland Cup. This is the Hi Hi’s first visit to the Newbattle Complex, the Lily’s home, and though the opposition in their first season in the junior ranks have been going through a bit of a lean spell they can’t be taken lightly.