League Cup, Saturday 19th August 2006

Whitehill Welfare 4 Ormiston 0

Welfare cruised into pole position in their League Cup Section with a convincing 4-0 home win over Ormiston. Allan Cornett dropped out of the side and Liam McKenna slotted in at right back with Alan McDonagh replacing Craig Fisher in the side which eased past Peebles on Wednesday night.

It could have been a different game if Ormiston hadn't missed a fifth minute penalty after Kevin Lee had handled inside the box. McGurk was relieved to watch the spot kick sail high over the bar. It was just the wake up call Welfare needed and they were quick to respond with Walker clipping the post after a chance came his way on the left of the six yard box. The quicker tempo of the home side was going to tell and Ormiston were lucky not to be reduced to ten men when Walker was brought down on the edge of the box. Up stepped Wayne McIntosh to nonchalantly curl the free kick low to the keeper's left with 20 minutes on the clock.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 to Welfare. A Kevin Lee throw in on the enclosure side was flicked on by McIntosh and Andy Christie read the move perfectly to run onto the ball and smash it left-footed past the despairing keeper into his bottom left corner. Welfare continued to dominate as they won most 50-50 challenges and finished the half well on top.

The second half began with Doig seeing a yellow card for a crunching sliding challenge which got more of the man than the ball. It was a sign of Welfare's desire to pick up from where they left off and five minutes into the half they increased their lead to 3-0. The impressive McKenna sent a telling through ball for McIntosh to chase. He controlled it and slipped a pass to Walker and from there the latter laid it on a plate for Alan McDonagh to measure a left foot drive into the keeper's bottom left corner of the net.

Welfare spent the rest of the game camped in the visitor's half but found Ormiston's substitute keeper in sensational form as he pulled off a string of saves to keep the score looking respectable for a bedraggled looking defence.

Welfare eventually secured the fourth goal that their attacking play merited in the 84th minute. McKenna started a free flowing move down the right with a chipped pass to McEwan. The wee midfielder moved the ball to Malone who in turn found Walker out wide. After a jinking run from Walker he crossed to find Christie on the far post and he made no mistake with an almost carbon-copy finish to his first goal.

Welfare: McGurk, McKenna, Lee, Wilkes, Woodburn, Hart, Christie, Doig, W. McIntosh, McDonagh, Walker. Subs:  Malone, McEwan, C. Fisher, S. Fisher, Swain.

Above: Kevin Lee concedes and early penalty.

Above: Ormiston blow the chance to take the lead by missing the penalty.

Above: McIntosh (out of picture) curls home Welfare's free-kick opener.

Above: Andy Christie cracks home Welfare's second goal.

Above: McDonagh slots home superbly from Walker's pinpoint cross.

Above: McDonagh denied in one of Ormiston's sub keeper's inspired saves.

Above: Christie slots home his second and Welfare's fourth.

Above: Stewart Fisher, Kevin lee and Andy Malone congratulate Christie.