Formartine United6–5Buckie Thistle

Formartine are really taking this late, late show business to extremes. Again they managed an equaliser in the dying minutes of standard time and followed it up with a winner deep in stoppage time. By the standards of their recent home performances, this was almost in line with expectation, but to do so after handing their visitors a three goal lead within the first twenty minutes belongs not so much in the realms of heroism as in some bizarre form of masochism.

Buckie won at North Lodge last time out – by a comfortable 3-0 margin and after narrowly losing out to Fraserburgh in Saturday’s Cup Final were clearly out to use Formartine as a springboard back to winning ways. For long enough it looked like they would do just that. They started by matching Formartine’s high tempo opening Salvo and within 5 minutes or so, were showing slightly better shape and ball retention with the result that they were playing more of the game in Formartine territory than in their own. Although the pitch had stood up well to the volume of water that the Heavens had lately deposited on it, it still had to have been soft and slippery underfoot. Underfoot conditions still do not account for a remarkable first half wherein its seven goals came as follows:

Andrej KLECZKOWSKI finished off a break made by Carrol who gave the slip to centre back Hay before slipping the ball into the path of the Polish striker in the 9th minute. Formartine tried to force their way back but were unable to use their five man midfield effectively enough to prevent Buckie getting another two goals in the next twelve minutes. The second was a semi-solo effort from Low who broke through the middle before sending in a crisp measured 15 yard shot waist high to the left of Shearer and minutes later KLECZKOWSKI nicked a third from close range to the right.

Formartine were by no means outplayed – yes Buckie had slightly better shape and kept the ball well, but they were not playing like a team that was – as the scoreline suggested virtually annihilating their opponents. Formartine knew they had more to give and this began to show – a bit frantically to begin with but the will and the effort were there, the pace was fiery and although they were well short of the fluency they sometimes demonstrate, they were clawing their way back.

Cammy KEITH looking increasingly like his former predatory self, turned the tide with a clever 27th minute goal when he worked his way in from the left of the box before finishing with a lethally accurate low drive from a tight angle. This did wonders for Formartine morale and sustaining the pressure still as much through pace and effort as by silky penetrative stuff, they at last got to a position where they had Buckie pinned back for a period. During this Marek MADLE claimed the first instalment of his hat trick with a slick clipped finish from about ten yards and a bit left of centre. This certainly took the wind from the sails of the Buckie luggers and Formartine were at last – as far as pressure was concerned- in the driving seat - a position that they rapidly vacated when Liam BAXTER made it 4-2 in the 40th minute with close range finish at the near post in the confused aftermath of a corner on the right.

Again Formartine battled back and on the stroke of half time, on the back of an Anderson corner from the left a glancing near post header from MADLE beat the keeper to complete the very rare spectacle of a 7 goal first half.

Formartine replaced the limping Clark with Munro at half time and the effects of interval team talks in both dressing rooms were apparent as each side played much more cautiously and began to do what they really should have done earlier and defended right through the team. Formartine gradually got the better of this and began to exert some sustained and often decently patterned pressure on Buckie. The sense was that if they could get to 4-4, they could possibly go on to win.

The score however, remained stubbornly at 4-3 until in the 66th minute, after a relatively rare spell of sustained Buckie pressure, Formartine conceded their softest goal of the 5. Keeper Shearer, ball in hand, clearing it up the park contrived to hit KLECZKOWSKI with it and the ball rebounded into the net for a goal that might have been a greater psychological blow than many teams could overcome. However, the spirited Formartine showed remarkable belief and quickly pulled one back. They laid siege to the Buckie box and hammered away at the goal. Burr made a couple of great blocks, the ball rebounded from knees, thighs and back sides but Buckie held on. Just as it looked like they were going to get respite from the pressure, HAY rattled one off the cross bar, picked up the rebound about 12 yards out and banged the ball home for 5-4 and, crucially, there was still the guts of twenty minutes remaining.

McKAY came on for Napier in the 71st minute and in fewer than ten minutes hit the goal that drew Formartine level . Darting in from the left corner of the box, he got away from Cheyne and Wood to drill the ball home from ten yards. It had taken them 80 minutes to do it, but Formartine had drawn level. The impetus was with them now and they rained pressure on the visitors. There was now every expectation that the recent run of late shows would continue and continue it did when with almost the last kick of the ball, Marek MADLE fulfilled his hat trick with a simply taken finish from the right side that sealed a victory that an hour before had seemed simply impossible.

You can’t not admire Formartine’s capacity to get out of jail – there’s a Johnny Ramensky- like appeal to it, but the frequency with which they get themselves into jail in the first place remains a cause for concern.