Haddington Athletic enjoying impressive start to the season

The Hi Hi sit in fourth position on 26 points after reaching the halfway stage of the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) Premier Division season.

Saturday’s 1-0 win over Edinburgh University victory, courtesy of Aaron Ewins’ second-half goal, saw Haddington surpass their points tally from the previous two seasons.

Bonar’s men have now played each side at least once, with the exception of Dundonald Bluebell, their opponents this weekend.

The manager felt it was not just the record points haul for this stage of the season that was important but also the manner in which they had achieved it.

Haddington Athletic reached the halfway stage of the season with their best-ever points total

He said: “We are delighted with it.

“Although it is our best ever, it is our most consistent as well.

“Last season, we won six or seven out of eight games early, so we had a lot of points early doors.

“This year, it has been a lot more consistent in how we are getting the points.

“We went through a right sticky phase last year with a lot of players injured.

“It has been the same scenario this year but we have better depth in the squad and the under-20s are emerging as well.

“We are playing some really good stuff.”

Haddington Athletic defeated Edinburgh University last weekend

The Millfield men have lost five games so far this season; however, three of those defeats have come against the title-chasing trio of Jeanfield Swifts, Hill of Beath Hawthorn and Musselburgh Athletic.

Understandably, Bonar picked out those three clubs as the ones which had impressed him.

He said: “Hill of Beath really impressed me and Jeanfield are always decent.

“Musselburgh have got a bit of quality in the final third.

“It is no coincidence they are above us and those three have been decent in the games with us.

“Even against Hill of Beath, they would admit it, the keeper made a mistake and threw the ball to the striker and it killed the game at 3-1.

Haddington Athletic host Dundonald Bluebell at Millfield tomorrow (Saturday)

“We were definitely in the game and they are teams we have been competing with.

“It is just those concentration levels now to go the extra yard with them.

“That comes with a young team.”

Youth is something which has regularly been given a chance to shine at Haddington.

As well as Ewins, Bonar included Wilson Ngomo in his starting line-up on Saturday, while Robbie Peffers and Alex McNaughton were both named on the bench.

Bonar told Courier Sport that some people had tipped Haddington to struggle in their third season in the Premier Division following the departure of key players including Guy McGarry, Gabri Auriemma and Dale Cornet at the end of last season.

The manager added: “I think we have gained experience in the league and hopefully established ourselves as a Premier League club.

“You never know, but we just want to make sure that we are trying to amass as many points as quickly as possible.

“We want to get ourselves safe in the next few weeks and months, and then in the last few months there is no pressure.

“We can play with a real freedom, no pressure to win, but I am ambitious and would not say to anybody that I don’t want to win the league.”