Hill Of Beath Hawthorn 2 Haddington Athletic 3

Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 0 Haddington Athletic 1

AFTER scraping past Edinburgh United in the second round four days earlier, the Hi Hi paid only their second-ever visit to Hill Of Beath’s Keir’s Park last Wednesday evening for an Alex Jack Cup quarter final tie.

Joe Hamill’s men were rank 4/1 outsiders by the bookmakers, and few expected anything other than a home win.

Player/manager Hamill returned after six weeks out injured, and his influence was to prove key. On a blustery Fife evening, there wasn’t an awful lot between the sides in the early stages, though Haws’ striker Adamson might have done better nine minutes in when he shot wide.

Jamie Chapman shot just over the bar from 25yards minutes later or the Hi Hi, but goalmouth activity remained scarce – the visitors though were increasing in confidence, and on 34 minutes they took the lead following excellent play from Scott Moffat, who found Andy Jones in space – the latter fired the Hi Hi in front from the edge of the penalty area.

Haws’ keeper Hall saved a Grant Rose shot a couple of minutes later, and the Hi Hi went in at the break a goal to the good.

Continuing to more than hold their own deep into the second half, Haddington again stunned the home crowd 13 minutes from time when Rose bulleted the ball into the net from Jones’ corner.

Tension increased when Leishman pulled a goal back five minutes from time, but Rose quickly restored the two-goal advantage.

Elder’s second for the Haws deep into injury time wasn’t enough to prevent a famous Haddington victory, which earned them a semi final at home to Bo’ness United on October 20.

The Hi Hi’s fourth Conference B fixture saw them at Saughton Enclosure on Saturday to face Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale.

What, on paper, threatened to be another interesting 90 minutes proved something of a damp squib.

Lothian enjoyed more first half possession without often threatening a goal, and the second half continued in much the same vein until Declan Quinn’s introduction off the bench on the hour.

His finish one-on-one with the home keeper 10 minutes after coming on sealed three valuable points.

Three victories inside a week ought to have boosted Millfield morale ahead of another tough league game away from home – at Bo’ness United tomorrow (Saturday)

Points won’t be easy won at either venue, but last week’s efforts set standards the Hi Hi’s management will be keen to see repeated in games to come.

Dunipace 1 Tranent Juniors 4

TWO defeats in their opening 11 games, at the hands of the big guns of Bonnyrigg and Bo’ness, meant Tranent ventured to Stirlingshire last Saturday hopeful of adding three points to their Conference B tally – they’d been stung by a late Bo’ness double the previous week, and were keen to bounce back with a win.

Their destination was Denny’s Westfield Park, the recently wholly-refurbished home of Dunipace who had in recent years been struggling towards the lower reaches of the West Region Juniors.

The new 4G surface had hosted its first game just seven days earlier, and Tranent were the first visiting team to play a league game on it.

Dunipace went into the game on the back of four consecutive defeats, and the number of home players unavailable hindered their cause before the game started.

Those who did line up gave the Belters a decent contest for most of the opening half hour, before the visitors took charge.

It was pretty even in the early stages with both teams playing neat possession football.

Moulangou had the best scoring chance for the Pace early on, but he headed well wide of target from 12 yards after good build-up play had created the opportunity.

Tranent had created a few chances without capitalising early on, but they eventually made the breakthrough just before the half-hour mark after Ben Miller dispossessed Moulangou a few yards inside the Tranent half.

The midfielder played the ball into the box and after initially thwarting Belters’ pressure, Dunipace conceded possession to Miller, who finished from the edge of the box.

Five minutes later it was 2-0, with Tranent making the most of some uncertain home defending, Mark McGovern hitting a low shot past the hard-pressed Kane in the home goal.

On the stroke of half-time, Tranent looked to have killed the game off when the unmarked Dean Whitson headed forcefully home from the middle of the Dunipace penalty area to make it 3-0.

Whitson netted his second and Tranent’s fourth goal just shy of the hour, poor home defending at a corner giving him the opportunity, and thereafter they took their foot off the gas a little, allowing the opposition a consolation goal after they’d introduced several youngsters from the subs’ bench.

A fairly routine victory in the end for Tranent, whose aim is to end this week another six points better off.

Yesterday (Wednesday) evening they were due in the Capital to face Tynecastle at Meggetland, then they’re back at Foresters Park on Saturday to face Burntisland Shipyard.