Breedon Scottish Highland Football League

Saturday 12th October 2024

Formartine United 2 Deveronvale 0

Scorers: Johnny Crawford (63), Michael Dangana (90+3)

From the time of Kris Hunter and throughout the managership of Paul Lawson, Gary Wood was the regular first pick striker and occasional central defender for Formartine. He is now manager of Deveronvale and for the first time brought his team to North Lodge on league business. They arrived with a rising reputation and were expected to run United close. United started missing top goal scorer Julian Wade and regular centre half Matty MacLean through injury and suspension respectively.

The game began with a tight opening spell played mostly in midfield with neither side managing to develop any sustained pressure on the rearguard of the other. Vale looked marginally the more threatening with striker Ben Hermiston, grandson of Dons legend Jim of that ilk showing pace and power up top and occupying both United centre backs Thomas and Wilson near the edge of the box. In the 7th minute he all but reached a high ball behind Thomas before the defender got just enough of a boot to it to deflect the ball a couple of inches beyond the big strikers’ reach. The performance of the two centre backs was instrumental over time in forcing the striker ever deeper in search of possession and was a major factor in United maintaining a clean sheet through out.

Most of the early action was in midfield where home captain Rodgers’ voracious ball winning was instrumental in choking off Vale’s ability o get the ball up to their forwards and for the majority of the first half to get the ball up to their forwards and for the majority of the first half there was but limited action in the final third at either end. Such of it there was came in the form of shots from outwith the box. In the 18th minute Norris scorched through the inside right channel before banging a cross over the box for Rodger to hammer a fierce 20 yard drive that Hopkinson did well to parry. It was quickly recycled to Mykyta who brought another save from the keeper before the game resumed its midfield characteristic.

At the other [Meldrum] end the game yielded its first corner kick in the 38th minute when Crawford headed a driven cross from Goldie over the top to safety. Another followed two minutes later after Strachan prevented further danger when Strachan put safety first by nudging the ball out as both Reid and Read pressed from the right flank. A long throw from Thomas bobbed about in the Vale goal mouth before being lumped to safety just before half time.

The second half began much like the first had been played out but gradually Formartine began to get the upper hand and started to impose their stamp on the game and push the visitors onto the back foot, beginning to establish slight superiority territorially and in terms of posession. Esson had looked uncomfortable with the pace and direct running of Norris and the trickery of Mykyta and following a late and rather rearward tackle on the former was issued, perhaps harshly some thought, a straight red card. This transformed the game and gave United an advantage Vale could do little to counterbalance. United gave a masterclass on how to press home the advantage of the situation by calmly passing the ball about until exploitable gaps showed, These they used to set up two goals and several other chances in the 32 minutes that remained.

Within minutes they took the lead: after a Campbell header went inches over the top. Unitd quickly regained possession and Mykyta was pressing down the right flank with CRAWFORD breaking through the inside channel. Mykyta crossed and the full back made no mistake with a thumping header that Hopkinson had no chance of reaching as United established a lead that they never looked remotely like letting slip. They brought on fresh legs and continued a crisp pass and move game keeping the ball largely out of Vale’s reach. The 10 remaining visitors huffed and puffed but had little possession and little time at all on the ball before United added insult to injury with a second goal right at end. Again the move was down the right but the assist was in the form of a cute right to left ball into the path of DANGANA from Rodger. The new signing claimed his debut goal for United with a neat clipped finish from 8 yards out.

Formartine United Team: Ewen Macdonald, Johnny Crawford, Luke Strachan, Lewis Wilson, Rhys Thomas, Marc Lawrence, Aaron Norris, Graeme Rodger, Scott Adams [Aiden Combe 75], Paul Campbell [Michael Dangana 80] Tyler Mykyta. Unused Subs: Stuart Smith, Ross Clark, Callum Youngson, Aidan McCormick.

Deveronvale Team: Hopkinson, Davies-Brown, Bradford, Esson, MacLellan, Mitchell [Petermann 80], Read [Matheson 70], Hamilton [Wood 80], Watson [Yunus 70], Reid [ Dlugosz 63]. Unused Subs: Stewart, Park, Noble, Hudson.

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