Thornton Hibs draw a blank against Borderers

Hawick Royal Albert's Harry Fowler and Thornton Hibs' Matthew Robertson vying for the ball on Saturday (Photo: Steve Cox)

Calum Sutherland enjoyed his fifth clean sheet of the season, the drive down to the Borders took us through some of the best scenery that Scotland has to offer, the filled rolls me and my travelling buddy had before the game were very tasty and our first ever visit to Albert Park allowed us to see a ground that has to be one of the most scenic and full of character that the East of Scotland Football League has to offer.

Unfortunately the game got in the way of what was otherwise a memorable day.

Surely home goalkeeper Jordan Richardson won’t have an easier first half all season, with one wag even suggesting that Hawick could have just hung a tracksuit from the crossbar so their stopper could watch the Sunderland v Millwall game that was on the TV in their social club.

Thornton Hibs drawing 0-0 at Hawick Royal Albert on Saturday (Pic: Steve Cox)

By contrast, his team-mate Greg Ford had an extremely busy opening 45 as he went close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute with a fierce strike that smacked off the crossbar. On the half-hour mark, he had another shot that flashed into the sidenet and then he watched a net-bound effort blocked by Stuart Drummond. Just before half-time, Tom Fowler connected well with Ford’s corner-kick only for Matthew Robertson to head the ball clear, and there was still time for Ford to send in another shot that Sutherland gathered before referee Iain Gallacher called a halt to first-half proceedings.

Hawick were well up for the second half as they even brought a linesman out to run the line on the faraway touchline. Ten minutes into the second half, Ford brought out another save from Sutherland and then, after 67 minutes, Richardson was finally called into serious action as he got down to save from Garry Thomson.

Four minutes later, Thomson again went close with a shot that cleared the crossbar after Richardson had spilled John Soutar’s low drive.

The closest the Hibs came to breaking the deadlock came in the 84th minute, when Andy Adam’s free-kick struck the crossbar, but, to be perfectly honest, it was just one of those days when the words coo, bahookie and banjo spring to mind.