Formartine United’s Under 21’s started their Aberdeenshire & District League campaign with an emphatic six goal victory over their Huntly counterparts. The game provided an outing for several of the first team squad, with Marc Lawrence, Lewis Wilson and Jake Stewart all able to get a full ninety minutes under their belt. In a game that was controlled by the home side for virtually the full ninety minutes Jake Stewart showed his strikers prowess by bagging himself a hat-trick, while Brody Alberts opened the scoring and Josh Proctor and substitute Mitchel Watson were also on the score line. Winger Aaron Paterson was also unfortunate on two occasions to see two of his efforts ruled out for offside decisions.
The Formartine team, once again under the guidance of Johnny Crawford this term, started the evening on the front foot and continued to press their Huntly counterparts for the majority of the evening. Early efforts included a Jake Stewart header pushed over by Huntly keeper Morrison as Formartine gained several early corners. The deadlock was broken on 17 minutes when Brody Alberts met a Josh Proctor corner to head past Morrison. Two minutes later Aaron Paterson had an effort ruled out for offside after his low shot from 12 yards evaded Morrison after a neat flick from Stewart. Lewis Wilson was then denied by Morrison when his header from a Buckle free kick was tipped over. Paterson was denied for a second time by the linesman’s flag on 36 minutes. Given the chances created it was a surprise that it was the 44th minute before Jake Stewart extended Formartine’s lead with a turn and drive into the roof of the net after Lewis Wilson forced his way into the box.
Formartine’s dominance continued during the second forty five. Aaron Paterson had an effort collected by Morrison and a Marc Lawrence effort went just wide early in the half, before Jake Stewart rounded the Huntly keeper and stroked the ball into the empty net for the third on 67 minutes. Three minutes later it was Josh Proctors turn to find the net when the midfielder rifled a twenty yarder past Morrison after a long ball found a suspiciously offside looking Jake Stewart. Stewart was then denied after his clever lob from 25 yards fell just the wrong side of the Huntly post. The striker was not to denied his hat-trick after a Beaton cross found the striker, whose diving header found the net. The scoring was completed late on when substitute Mitchel Watson played a one, two on the edge of the box and confidently stroked the ball home.
All in all and confident and dominant Formartine performance to open their Aberdeenshire & District league campaign, with Johnny Crawford more than pleased with the teams first outing of the season:
"The boys were excellent on Monday. I was really happy with them, in the first half they played some really nice football. At half time my only criticism of them was that they had to be more ruthless in front of goal and second half they were. The first team boys helped, their attitudes were brilliant. That makes a difference as the young boys feed off that. We had Josh (Proctor), Aaron (Paterson), Aaron Buckle and Brody (Alberts) can all still play for the 18’s, which bodes well for the future. They’re all a year older now and I do expect more from them this year and they delivered on Monday."
Formartine United team was: 1. Archie McKay (21. Jake Ritchie 46 min), 2. Aaron Angus (18. Aiden Wardrop (70 min), 3. Grant Maroney ©, 4. Lewis Wilson, 5. Lucas Smith, 6. Marc Lawrence, 7. Josh Proctor (16. Scott Spark 70 min), 8. Aaron Buckle, 9. Brody Alberts (12. Brenden Beaton 60 min), 10. Jake Stewart, 11. (Aaron Paterson (15. Michael Watson 70 min). Unused Subs: 14. Sam Thompson & 17. Nathan Burnett.