Duns 1
Hawick Royal Albert 2
EoS FIRST DIVISION
JOHN SLORANCE reports from Berwickshire High School
DUNS were odds-on favourites and Hawick Royal Albert 6/1 outsiders, according to the bookies.
However, the Teries, showing a vast improvement from recent outings, upset the odds by recording their first league victory of the season.
Two goals in a three-minute spell at the beginning of the second period helped guide revitalised Royalists to full points.
Striker Peter Keenan, who notched what proved to be the winning goal of the match, told TheSouthern: “It’s always good to score a goal, especially when it’s one that wins a game. The credit for our win, however, belongs to the entire team, though, and not me.
“Everybody was just awesome. We played really well, especially in the early part of the second half and we deserved our win.
“Getting a result like this today will hopefully kick-start our season”.
The Berwickshire men produced the early flair, but it was the Albert who came nearest to scoring when a move sparked off by an Andy Noble throw-in ended in a Keenan shot being tipped round the post by diving Duns keeper Scott Lumsden.
Trialist Hawick keeper Ross Taylor then proved his worth by getting down quickly to block a Gary Waddell attempt, who had cut inside after being fed by a James Brydon pass.
After Keenan and Kyle McCulloch both came close to putting Hawick ahead, the Dingers broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Paul Power lost possession when venturing forward during in a visiting offensive. Duns swept upfield, Andy Douglas slipped the ball to the feet of Waddell, and with the Albert defence caught out, Waddell placed his shot out of the reach of the helpless Taylor.
Minutes later, Taylor denied the homesters a second when tipping a Stuart Robertson drive round the post following a Des Chisholm free kick.
With five minutes of the second half gone, Albert got on level terms.
Declan Hogg found Power with a spot-on pass and, on breaking forward, the Hawick skipper fired home the leveller.
Hawick then struck again within three minutes. Keenan shrugged off a Kieran Lee challenge when bursting through the middle and calmly shot past the advancing Lumsden.
Boosted by these goals, Hawick began to play with a new-found confidence and, moving the ball about, pushed up for further strikes. Power had a shot well saved by Lumsden and Hogg almost got his name on the scoresheet with a well-struck effort that appeared net-bound until being deflected round the post by Lee.
Towards the finish, Duns pressed hard for an equaliser. but Graeme Chadwick’s men held out for victory for the first time under their recently-appointed team boss.
Hawick Royal Albert: R. Taylor, R. Fleming, M. Patton (J. Paterek), G. Young, I. Zenati, G. Clee, A. Noble, P. Keenan (R. Brand), P. Power, K. McCulloch (A. Whitson).