Despite a night and day of incessant rain, local grade 1 referee Ian Sneddon declared Millfield playable for the visit of Sauchie last Saturday. The Haddington pitch was only one of two grass parks in the league to beat the elements which is a testimony to the work that John Henderson and Jame Martin put in.
Sauchie began the season as favourites to lift the championship but they got off to a slow start and it’s only recently that that have displayed the form required. A 3-0 win at Dundonald the previous week showed that they were back in form. Home manager Scott Bonar was without several players due to injury with Keir Russell joining long term casualties Michael Robertson and Mark McGovern. This list was added to when Zach Szemis had to leave the field in the first 20 minutes, Corey Robertson substituting. By that time both sides had scored – the Hi Hi’s had coped with Sauchie’s strong start and took the lead through skipper Gabri Auriemma in the 7th minute. The lead was short lived as a slack pass back forced debutant Ross Young to concede a penalty from which the visitors equalised. The home side grew into the game as the half progressed and Guy McGarry missed a great opportunity to score but blasted over when a more composed finish was required. Minutes later the Sauchie goalkeeper allowed a 20 yard shot from Gary Windram to squirm from his grasp and the Hi Hi’s were back in front. Soon after McGarry had another opportunity which just eluded him.
The second half belonged to Sauchie who pushed forward at every opportunity and had the home side pushed back into defence. There were several close calls around Campbell McLellan’s goal before the inevitable equaliser arrived. In the 70th minute an overhit corner was returned into the box and Davidson finished well from close range. The winner was another penalty given away in the 80th minute when Corey Robertson clipped an opponent in the box and Smith scored his second from the spot to put his side ahead for the first time in the match. In a late flurry both Guy McGarry and Dylan Tait came close to recuing a point but the home side could only look back on those missed chances in the first half as the points headed west.
