Hawick 0 Colts 1: Mortimer goal enough for Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld Colts were narrow winners over bottom-of-the-table Hawick Royal Albert on Saturday.
Sean Brown watches Hawick keeper Craig Saunders pull off a spectacular saveSean Brown watches Hawick keeper Craig Saunders pull off a spectacular save
Sean Brown watches Hawick keeper Craig Saunders pull off a spectacular save

From the outset Colts dominated possession with loan keeper Thomas Cordery from East Fife a spectator for much of the half.

But they were finding it difficult to breakdown the home rearguard despite numerous corners. Home keeper Craig Saunders wasl also in inspiring form pulling off two excellent saves to keep the score level.

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It appeared that it was only a matter of time before Colts scored and Craig Holmes was slipped through on goal in 15 minutes with only the keeper to beat only to see his effort agonisingly miss the target.

Minutes later the same player saw another effort miss the target from inside the box before Sean Brown then saw his effort miraculously saved by the Hawick keeper.

But as the game approached the half hour Colts deservedly went in front.

A corner whipped in by Holmes hit a defender’s arm as he attempted to clear and the referee pointed to the spot. Stephen O’Neill stepped up only to see his spot kick saved by the keeper, but the ball rebounded to the alert Billy Mortimer who fired home from six yards.

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Colts continued to press and Brown thought he had doubled the score line when he headed home from inside the box only to see it ruled out for offside.

Hawick were on the rack but held out until half-time without further damage.

The second half was a disappointing affair. Colts again had the vast majority of the play and chances and both Brown and Mortimer had opportunities with the keeper at the right place to block.

The visitors forced numerous corners as they went on the hunt for the killer blow, but when a Fraser Sheridan knock-down from one of them was converted by Craig Murray close-in, the ‘goal’ was again ruled out for offside.

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As the home side began to commit more men forward, slackness in the midfield allowed Cormac O’Brien to break forward and bear down on goal unleashing a powerful drive for 25 yards which looked goalbound.

However Cordery was not going to be denied a clean sheet in his first game, pulling off a save at full length to his right.

That was as close as the home side had come with Colts seeing out the game on the front foot, disappointed not to have put the game to bed but nevertheless picking up an important three points on the road.

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