Newbattle on a High after teaching Heriot’s a lesson

Division Two team Heriot’s went into the match as underdogs but impressed during lengthy periods against their Division One counterparts.

Barry King put Newbattle ahead and although Nick Pearson equalised for the Laurieston Place outfit in the 54th minute, Newbattle’s Chris Kirkwood put them back in front 13 minutes later. Alex Wyper was sent off with 15 minutes remaining to extinguish any hopes of a Heriot’s comeback and Liam Fellenger put the seal on the triumph for Newbattle in the dying moments.

Heriot’s had started the match brightly and created the first opportunity in the opening five minutes when a deep free kick was headed onto the crossbar by Thomas Kidd.

Newbattle’s Josh Chisholm tested Heriot’s goalkeeper David Niccol in the sixth minute, but his header was parried away. Six minutes later, a Heriot’s shot from Lewis Cockburn was tipped wide of the right post by Newbattle goalkeeper Paul Taylor.

Allan Hay nearly scored a fluke goal for Newbattle in the 28th minute. His cross from the left wing went way past his target and ended up on the roof on the net.

Newbattle took the lead in the 37th minute when King powered the ball into the right side of the net from eight yards after Kirkwood’s pass found him in the penalty area. Heriot’s attempts to reply before half time were unsuccessful. Max Todd’s 25-yard free kick was tipped over the crossbar by Taylor and Euan Lannon’s volley from 16 yards was caught.

The Division Two team were in the ascendancy at the start of the second half, and equalised in the 54th minute. Kidd played a superb chipped through ball to Wyper in the left side of the penalty area. The Heriot’s winger was fouled and Pearson placed his penalty into the bottom left corner.

Kirkwood grabbed Newbattle’s second goal in the 67th minute, heading into the net from close range after Hay’s corner.

Matt Underhill went close for Heriot’s 11 minutes later, but his shot from eight yards was parried over the crossbar.

Wyper received his second booking moments later. After being cautioned in the first half for kicking at the ankles of a Newbattle player. A foul was given against him deep into the Newbattle half. He kicked the ball away and received his marching orders.

Newbattle dominated the rest of the match and Rory MacIver’s header was cleared off the line in the 80th minute.

Fellenger completed the scoring in the 92nd minute, scoring from from 25 yards after a poor Heriot’s clearance.

Heriot’s coach Craig Walker felt that his team were unlucky to lose. He said: “We were very unfortunate and played a lot of the better football. Things just did not go our way.”

Newbattle coach Joe Moore was delighted to win the match. He said: “The main thing for us is that we have won. In the first half, there was nothing in it but we got a goal.

At the start of the second half, Heriot’s were tremendous and deservedly won their penalty. We took control again and ground it out which was fantastic. The goal at the end was icing on the cake.

“It has been great for me to work with this bunch of guys for six years. We have won four trophies and it has been great watching them grow up from being nippers to 18-year-old guys. That’s them off to bigger and better things now.”

Newbattle High: Paul Taylor, TJ Dickson, Chris Duncan, Allan Hay, Rory MacIver, Alastair Elliot, Chris Kirkwood, Liam Fellenger, Barry King, Josh Chisholm, Duncan Wilson, Thomas Thomson, Neil MacKinnon, Craig Heeps

Heriot’s: David Niccol, David Smith, Will Reid, Thomas Kidd, Lewis Cockburn, Jordan Law, Alex Wyper, Joe Greig, Euan Lannon, Max Todd, John Pearson, Michael Sime, Nick Pearson, Scott Hamilton, Matt Underhill, Fergus Wright