Match Details
Elgin vs Annan
Match Report
Annan Athletic broke their hoodoo away from home on a grass pitch after a hard fought and well deserved victory over promotion contenders Elgin City at Borough Briggs on Saturday. The victory looks to have come too late for Annan to grab one of the play off positions after East Fife’s important victory winning three nil against 10 men Berwick at Shielfield on Saturday.
Weatherson smashed home his 23rd goal of the season
It was a thrilling match contested by two teams still involved in the play off places with Annan deservedly
winning the game and still in with a mathematical chance of making the play offs.
Nine goals were scored and Annan winning for only the third time this season away from home courtesy of
a Peter Weatherson hat trick with Daniel McHardy also scoring a hat trick for the home team a feat
which puts Weatherson in contention for the top goal-scorer in the SPFL this season having amassed 20
goals in the league so far with his final goal being ranked as one of the best of the season – a 40 yard
scorcher which left keeper Ross Laidlaw clutching at air.
Elgin were first to score in the 14th minute when Sloan conceded a free kick 30 yards out on the left and
Jamie Duff’s glancing header left Jordan Hart to pick the ball out of the net to give Elgin a fortunate
advantage in the match.
Annan responded in the 14th minute when a goal line scramble was cleared by the home team for a
corner. Annan continued to push forward for the equaliser and within a minute they had squared the game
when Josh Todd played the ball out wide to Andrew Mitchell who finished clinically form 12 yards with a
low shot across the keeper and into the corner of the net to make it 1-1.
Annan almost immediately went ahead 60 seconds later when Junior Ogen struck a low shot form 14 yards
after a good build up involving McNiff and Todd which set the Rangers on loan signing up for the goal
which cannoned off the base of the post.
Annan’s joy was short lived however when Elgin squared the match within a minute, it was a simple goal
in the making with McHardy heading in a Craig Thomson corner kick after some poor defending by the
Annan defence. Sutherland came close with a shot in the 27th minute and in the 31st minute Junior Ogen
also came close when his shot was saved by Ross Laidlaw.
Annan went ahead in the 41st minute following a corner on the right when Peter Weatherson finished
clinically from 6 yards with an instinctive shot which gave the Elgin keeper no chance.
The first half action continued and in this match of many goals Elgin City squared the game right on half
time. It was another set piece goal from another corner kick and once again Daryl McHardy done the
damage with a powerful header after some slack defending by the Annan defence offered the opportunity
for the Elgin player to score his second goal of the game to send the teams in all square at 3-3 at half
time.
Annan started the second half promisingly and Ogen’s 55th minute goal was chalked offside against Martin
McNiff. It was a let off for the home team. Caig Gunn came close when his free kick flashed past the post in the 62nd minute and
minutes later Hart had to save Mathew Cooper’s low shot.
Annan went ahead for the second time in the match following an Andrew Mitchell corner in the 70th minute
the Elgin defence failed to clear the corner after Watson and McNiff sent in headers one of which fell to
the feet of ace goal-scorer Peter Weatherson who poked the ball into the roof of the net from six yards.
Both teams made changes with Rabine Omar and Dan Wadge making his first team debut in the 78th
minute for the injured Steven Swinglehurst.
Annan increased their lead in the 88th minute with an absolute screamer . The ball broke to Weatherson
from a Black clearance and form 5 yards inside the Elgin half Weatherson struck an unsaveable shot into
the roof of the net past the dejected and stranded keeper to give Annan what looked like an unasalable 5-
3 lead.
However this remarkable game had more to offer when deep into injury time Darryl McHardy etched his name on this
remarkable game with his third goal, a superb strike from the edge of the box.
ELGIN CITY :Ross Laidlaw, Mathew Cooper , Darryl McHardy, Ally Gilchrist, JamiE Duff, Mark Nicholson, Craig Thomson not u(Craig Gunn37 min), Brian Cameron, Jamie Reid ( Dennis Wyness 78min), Shane Sutherland, Archie McPhee ( Daniel Moore 74 min) SUBS NOT USED: Gordon Finlayson, Rory McEwan, Jared Kennedy, Stewart Black GK.
Elgin Goals – J Duff (14) D McHardy (26) (45) (93)
ANNAN ATHLETIC: Jordan Hart, Steven Black, Steven Swinglehurst (Dan Wadge 78 min) , Martin McNiff, Peter Watson, Steven Sloan, Andrew Mitchell, Ryan McStay ( Rabine Omar 73 min), Peter Weatherson, Josh Todd, Junior Ogen. Subs not used Alex Mitchell, Jordan Brown, Connor Liddell.
Annan Goals – A Mitchell (21) J Ogen (22) P Weatherson (43) (66) (88)
Referee- Gavin Ross. Assistants- Alistair Mather and Ronnie Strain.
Attendance 758.