Saturday 27th July 2024

Breedon Scottish Highland Football League

Formartine United 0 Banks O' Dee 2

Scorers: Lachie MacLeod (17), Andrew Hunter (54)

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This was the opening game of the 20024/5 Highland League season and had in most quarters earned the status of “Match of the Day “ largely on the basis that the protagonists had finished the previous season equal on points in fourth and fifth positions and on the basis of close season signings were regarded as having strengthened their squads since then.

In the end it was a close run thing where the margin of victory/defeat was fairly consistent with the handicap the home defence endured through the temporary unavailability of three key players: centre backs Adams and Mclean through injury and holiday leave respectively, as well as utility player Norris. That discrepancy did not lead directly or inevitably to the difference between victory and defeat but it did mean a United defence structured as much from necessity and exigency as managerial choice and some players [e.g. Stuart Smith, Rhys Thomas] playing in relatively unfamiliar positions.

Banks are powerful enough for United to need to be at their best to beat them and in this game the North Lodgers played well enough to give the “toonsers” a good run for their money, threaten on a few occasions without enough to bludgeon them into submission. The game started with a bit of a press from Banks who worked the ball down their left side to make inroads into United’s final third only for their work to be dismantled by the combined efforts of Crawford and Middleton. This was typical of the opening 15 mins where Banks were eager to press forward while United looked to hit more suddenly. In the 5th minute Wade was on a run through the middle that drew keeper Hobban from goal line to beyond the 18 yarder where both met face to face at full pelt. Neither gave way for the other and both went down but ref Nicolson high stepped it up to the scene to book Wade apparently for refusing to get out of keeper’s way. Another break by United got Rodger into the Banks box but his hurried shot was dragged wide.

Banks opened the scoring a few minutes later in the 17th when Phillipson almost at the precise centre of United territory clipped a pass forward to MACLEOD who ran on to drive the ball low and hard beyond the left hand of MIddleton , Some say there was a hint of offside about it: others a stench. Either way the goal stood and United were behind. They didn’t panic, and patiently set about attempting to restore parity probing for gaps and weakness in the Dee approach, It went on in a closely contested way with neither looking to give way to the other but as the clock moved closer to the interval United’s pressure saw them getting close to an equaliser twice in the last three minutes. First Mykyta delivered a low raking drive that Hobban struggled to push away to safety and then a run down the right by Wade took him to the Banks box before the ref pulled play back a dozen yards to where Alexander had taken a kick at him on the way past. Mykyta floated the free into the back post area where the ball bobbed about between players of both persuasions before Wade worked it into the net from close in only to find that he had been ruled off side.

Playing to the village end (where they score the majority of their goals) in the 2nd period , United looked set to level the match. An Adams cross was punched away by Hobban and fell for Rodger who crashed a volley through a ruck of defenders. It looked net bound but some part of some defender’s anatomy intervened and the ball rebounded to safety. Relieved and encouraged Vale went out to seek another and got it at the next point of asking when in the aftermath of a corner, the ball was cleared only as far as Philipson who was hanging about in the hope of such an outcome from the relatively make shift defence. He whipped the ball fast, low and hard towards the back stick where HUNTER turned it into the net from closei[sh] range.

This two goal deficit even with 3 6 minutes left was insurmountable and although United stuck to their attack, Banks were resolute and effective in defence. As time ran down United had most of the possession and pressure and the bulk of the game was played down at the village end with a crowded Dee final third. United had more pressure than penetration and with the exception of a close range effort from Wade eliciting a fine Hoban save, United were unable to turn pressure into goals and Dee held firm.

Formartine United: Cameron Middleton, Johnny Crawford, Kieran Lawrence (Callum Youngson 60), Rhys Thomas, (Aiden Combe 74), Stuart Smith. Ryan Spink, Julian Wade, Graeme Rodger (c), Scott Adams (Scott Lisle), Paul Campbell, Tyler MyKyta. Unused Substitutes: Brody Alberts, Arran Patewrson, Sam Thomson, Finlay Morris, Aiden McCormick, Ewen MacDonald.

Banks O' Dee: Hobban, Davidson, Emmett, Reynolds (Kelly 46), Cooney, Lewecki, Alexander (Stark 84), Gilmour, Macleod (Antoniazzi 70] Hunter (Vigurs 75), Phillipson. Unused Subs: Selbie, Irvine.