Saturday 5th October 2024

Breedon SHFL

Wick Academy FC 1 Formartine United FC 2

Wick Academy Scorer: Gordon MacNab (43)

Formartine United Scorers: Aiden Combe (70), Tyler Mykyta (76)

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In the end Formartine returned from their long journey North with three points having extended their unbeaten league run to seven games. It was never easy and they made heavy weather of it particularly in the first half before emerging as fairly convincing winners after showing character and resilience enough to overcome a half time deficit of a single goal scored almost on the stroke of half time. It is probably more than coincidence that all three of the game’s goals were scored at the lower end of a noticeably sloping pitch.

Both sides began the match as if it required a commitment to the long ball approach. We do not see enough of Wick to know the extent of their commitment to that approach, but with Formartine it is certainly not their greatest strength but more of a seductive bad habit into which they can occasionally be lured almost always to their detriment. On a sloping pitch it will almost always favour the side playing downhill.

The earlier phases of the game saw the sides more or less cancel each other out when balls were played up from deep to forwards who were generally unable to bring the ball under close control before defenders were onto them and prepared to hoof the ball back to where it had come from . As a result almost all of the first half action was confined to the box to box area. Each side managed three unrewarded corners before Wick, realising that they had only a couple of minutes remaining before they would have to surrender slope advantage for the second half, elected to go for broke. A long ball down the right was chased down by Left back Stuart Smith who had got himself goal side of Henderson whose only route to the ball was through or past the defender. A hefty two handed shove in the back brought Smith to the ground and gave Henderson clear access to the ball which he chipped over to MACNAB whose header beat Macdonald on its way to the left corner of the net from about 15 yards.

United emerged from the interval a different side and entered their best spell of the match flooding forward down the brae in numbers crisply inter passing the ball as they went. This rocked the home side back on their heels and pressure on the home goal increased. Mykyta was architect in chief of much of this although the ball winning properties of captain Rodger were instrumental in providing much of the ammunition that the young left footer kept firing into the Wick box. Corner kicks and shots on goal ensued but some poor finishing and fortunate rebounds conspired to keep the Wickers’ lead intact for long enough.

Combe and Campbell came on for Dangana and Smith just after the hour mark and United continued to press. The deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute. Rodger was heading for the left corner of the box before being felled by McLean. The resultant free kick was taken by Mykyta who struck it with a big cunning curl to the head of COMBE who powered his header well beyond the reach of keeper Williamson to level.

Formartine were well on top by this stage although the score line reflected only parity. A second goal was needed and seemed almost inevitable and again it was Mykyta who brought it about. Pressure was sustained and Norris struck a beautifully accurate cross from the right flank to MYKYTA at the left corner of the Wick 18 yard box, with clinical precision he struck a vicious low drive beyond the diving keeper and into the net just inside the far upright to seal the game.

It was clear that Wick had no valid way of keeping Mykyta shackled and it was rather depressing to see that they elected instead to punish him for his contribution to their downfall. In stoppage time he was chasing a ball down the left flank when Harrold was booked for an obscene attempt to take him out.The ball was beyond the reach of the defender when he continued his run at Mykyta to launch a high two footed lunge at the youngster’s knee that left him writhing in agony and unable to continue on the pitch. It was dealt with as a yellow rather than a red card offence which is unlikely to do any good for the game.

Wick Academy Team: Williamson Sinclair, [Coghill 86], Henry, Robertson, Gunn, MacAdie [MacGregor 84], Allan [Ewing 84], Henderson, Harrold, MacNab, McLean. Unused Subs: Jessiman, More.

Formartine United Team: Ewen Macdonald, Johnny Crawford, Stuart Smith [Aiden Combe 62], Aaron Norris, Lewis Wilson, Marc Lawrence, Julian Wade [Scott Adams 30], Graeme Rodger, Michael Danganna [PaulvCampbell 62], Tyler Mykyta [Rhys Thomas 90+2] Luke Strachan. Unused Subs: Ross Clark, Callum Youngson, Aidan McCormick, Cameron Middleton.