A crowd of over 300 saw Haddington lose a crucial Conference A match at Millfield last Saturday. This was Haddington’s first league defeat since February 2020, a run of around thirty league matches. A home win would have made it difficult for Leith to win the league but the clubs are now level at the top of the league with the Hi Hi’s still having a game in hand. The fact that the Leith goalkeeper was generally considered to have been the ‘man of the match’ shows that it is fine margins. The visitors came firing out of the blocks without troubling home ‘keeper Cornet and there was a controversial incident ten minutes in which had a crucial impact on the outcome. Corey Robertson was on the wrong end of a reckless Barfoot challenge and took no further part in the match. It looked a straight red all day long but the referee only produced a yellow much to the dismay of the home support. Haddington gradually assumed control and Jones and McGarry came close. The Leith goalkeeper was soon in action and pulled off two fine saves from Jones and Subasic. Minutes before half time he was beaten by a header from Aitchison but the goal was chalked off by the referee who spotted something untoward.
Leith opened the scoring in the opening minutes of the second half when Cornet was beaten from close range following a corner. The home side tried hard to get back on level terms and both McGarry and Watson missed good opportunities. Leith scored a crucial second later in the half with two former Hi Hi’s doing the damage. Kayne Paterson evaded a couple of challenges on the right and his cutback found Wayne Sproule who beat Cornet. There was no way back from the home side and Leith held out for three important points.
