Ever since the draw for the second Preliminary Round was made, not many other clubs in the draw would have swapped places with the Hi Hi’s. Paired with Ayshire aces Auchinleck Talbot, albeit at Millfield, represented one of the toughest draws in the round. The fact that the Millfield side came into the game on the back of three successive defeats didn’t auger well. As expected Talbot brought a big support to the county town, but it’s changed days at Millfield. When in the past, any club visiting with a good support would outnumber the home supporters, the Hi Hi’s supporters easily outnumbered the visitors in what is expected to be ratified as a record attendance for the ground. The Ayrshire side opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Robbie Stirling was beaten by a close range header. Haddington took up the challenge and played some nice football as they gained a foothold in the game. Millfield erupted in the 40th minute when summer signing Luke Kennedy showed why manager Scott Bonar was keen to bring him to Millfield. He beat the Talbot goalkeeper all ends up with a left foot strike from fully 25 yards. Haddington had matched their illustrious opponents and hopes were high that the home side could go on to claim a famous victory. Tom Davies twice came close in the opening stages of the second half, then Talbot struck a decisive blow in the 57th minute when they regained the lead. Once again Haddington fought back and the visiting goalkeeper saved well from both Davies and Simpson as the Hi Hi’s chased an equaliser. However two defensive errors in the space of three minutes in the closing stages saw Auchinleck punish their hosts and move into the First Round with a rather flattering 4-1 win.
NEXT HOME GAME – SAT 19/10/2024 – 2.30 pm KO
