Published: Thursday, 21st May, 2009 6:00am

Hi Hi stung in nine goal thriller

West Calder United 6 v 3 Haddington Athletic

There was little between the teams early on but West Calder were gifted the lead in the 16th minute when the Haddington goalkeeper, playing through the pain barrier on account of a training injury, couldn"t clear the ball out of his box properly and it ended up in the path of home forward Corbett, who had only to steer it between the unguarded posts.

A freak goal put Haddington further behind in 35 minutes, a speculative cross creeping inside the back post, and things got worse three minutes from the break when a penalty awarded for handball was converted by McLeod. J

ust before half-time a Haddington trialist finished well to give them a glimmer of hope.

With 20 minutes left the scoreline remained 3-1, but a well-placed finish from United sub Bann extended their lead after a defensive slip in 71 minutes.

Ten minutes from time Corbett chipped the keeper from just inside the box to make it 5-1, then two minutes later a low McLeod drive increased the Hi Hi"s embarrassment.

Lloyd Richardson pulled a goal back from close range, and a trialist striker got another with three minutes left, but by this time United were down to 10 men having committed all three substitutes before losing a man to injury.