Match reporter: JOHN LAING

From a Thornton Hibs perspective, let's take a look back at the positives from this game. Calum Sutherland enjoyed his fifth clean sheet of the season. The drive down 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. 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 League has to offer.

Unfortunately, the game got in the way of what was otherwise a memorable day. Surely the home 'keeper, Jordan Richardson, won't have an easier first-half all season with one wag even suggesting that Hawick could've just hung a track-suit from the crossbar so that Richardson could watch the Sunderland v Millwall game that was on the tv in their social club.

By contrast his team-mate, Greg Ford, had an extremely busy opening forty-five as he came 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 netbound effort superbly 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 only sixty-seven minutes – Richardson was finally called into serious action as he got down to save from Garry Thomson. Four minutes later Thomson again came 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 where the words coo, erse and banjo spring to mind.

Hawick Royal Albert: Richardson, Shepherd, McPherson, Gammie, Common, Chandler, Ford, Fowler, Milne, Fang, Fowler. Subs: Stewart, Crawford, McKenzie, Lam, Renton, Prentice.

Thornton Hibs: Sutherland, Johal, Robertson, S.Drummond, Laird, Cunningham, McNeish, Coleman, Kinninmonth, Thomson, Soutar. Subs: Adam, Hepburn, Daniel Meldrum, Bryce, McNab, Ireland, Darren Meldrum.

Referee: Mr I.Gallacher

Match statistics:
Attempts at goal - HRA 8 TH 8
Attempts on target - HRA 5 TH 4
Corners - HRA 8 TH 8
Offside - HRA 2 TH 1
Fouls committed - HRA 9 TH 16
Yellow Cards - HRA 1 TH 1
Red Cards - HRA 0 TH 0

Attendance: 28