Breedon Scottish Highland Football League

Saturday 15th February 2025

Formartine United 3 Strathspey Thistle 2

Formartine United Scorers: Graeme Rodger (45+1, 56), Rhys Thomas (90+3).

Strathspey Thistle Scorers: Daniel Whitehorn (54), Paul Brindle (90+1 Pen)

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Games between these two have almost always ended in a comfortable win for Formartine. This time United maintained their winning habit but it was never remotely comfortable and took a 94th minute winner as a riposte to a 90th minute penalty equaliser for them to clinch it. However this was not simply a case of a late surge by a team playing catch up in a game where they were already all but beaten but one where a close run thing was capped by remarkable resilience from each side that yielded a thrilling climax to a match where neither willingly conceded an inch to the other. Being reduced to ten men with half an hour left after right back Nixon was dismissed for a second bookable offence did not visibly diminish the visitors’ competitiveness.

Initially it looked like Formartine, with territorial advantage from early on would continue to pressurise Thistle until they were in sufficient disarray for goals to follow. It didn’t work out like that. Thistle looked and played completely unlike a team at the bottom of the league and from the start showed a tight, well organised defence behind an energetic persistent squad of lively midfielders willing and able to make life difficult for Formartine.

United’s initial approach was for Rodger, Murison and Lawrence to press on into Thistle territorywith Mykyta and Dangana giving width on the flanks and Wade spearheading. Initially Thistle’s new central defender, Macdonald looked about as mobile as a hippo on stilts but he turned out to be remarkably effective at blocking Wade in particular at every turn. Wade was savvy enough to alter his routes forward a bit wider and deeper but that did Danganna few favours and the wideman’s influence faded and he was replaced at half time. Some shots from Rodger and Danganna worked Storrier in goal but it looked like Thistle were secure enough in defence to reach the interval without conceding. However in the 45th minute Wade jinked in from the left almost along the bye line before slipping the ball to RODGER who whacked it home from cose range

United started the second half on the front foot and for the first 5 minutes looked like extending their lead but Strathspey dug in and made it hard for them with the pairing of McShane and Macdonald holding things together at the back. With Unired pressing Strathspey countered: a Race free about ten yards in from the byeline and just left of the box went direct to WHITEHORN at the back post where he crashed a downward header between Macdonald and the upright to level in the 53rd minute

United’s response was almost instant: a through ball from Smith down the left reached Wade who spun past Franczack to nudge the ball to RODGER who slipped it home in a flash from a few feet out.

Again United were in a position to extend their lead and a few minutes later, after Nixon was dismissed, they were well positioned to do so. Strathspey simply dug in, clung on and not only denied them but in a game where the tempo never dropped, got into a position to grab a lifeline. Following a free by Race, the referee spotted some otherwise unnoticed misdemeanour in the box and awarded a penalty that sub BRINDLE hit right as Macdonald dived left to equalise in the last minute of normal time.

United then showed superb character to battle back until in the 4th of the 5 added minutes of stoppage time, a corner on the right by Ward was headed by Smith and parried by Storrier only as far as THOMAS who crashed a header back past the keeper to seal the win of a rather remarkable game.

Formartine United Team: Ewen Macdonald, Grant Moroney, Stuart Smith, Rhys Thomas, Matthew McLean, Marc Lawrence, Julian Wade [Scott Adams 80 min], Graeme Rodger, Glenn Murison, Tyler Mykyta [Paul Campbell 60 min], Michael Dangana [Robert Ward 46 min]. Unused Subs: Luke Strachan, Lewis Duncan, Aidan Combe, Grant Corbett.

Strathspey Thistle Team: Storrier, Nixon, Franczak, McShane, Race, C. MacPhee, Whitehorn [Brindle 65 min] Lawrence, Shewan [Brindle 65 min], Macdonald [Fraser 71 min], Morrison. Unused Subs: Duffy, Mackie, Docherty, Mutch, Z. MacPhee, Flett.