Appearances & Goals To Date

Andy Reid (GK)		31 apps	-
Johnny Crawford		30 apps	2 goals
Calum Dingwall		62 apps	4 goals
Stuart Smith		100 apps	8 goals
Paul Lawson		27 apps	8 goals
Stuart Anderson		82 apps	20 goals
Jamie Masson		21 apps	2 goals
Graeme Rodger		33 apps	11 goals
Scott Barbour		32 apps	15 goals
Cammy Keith		96 apps	70 goals
Garry Wood		32 apps	24 goals
Hamish Munro (sub)		61 apps	2 goals
Callum Bagshaw (sub)		70 apps	9 goals
Neil Gauld (sub)		29 apps	11 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Just once in a blue moon there comes a game that will live long, maybe forever, in the memories of those privileged to have watched it. This quarter final tie of the Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup was certainly one of them. 5-5 draws seldom arise and few, if any, will come about with quite the attendant drama that this one produced. At half time it looked like Brora were comfortably cruising into the next round but by the time the second half was five minutes old they were shell-shocked to find themselves on the end of a lightning blitzkrieg by the home-side that left them trailing 4-3 and struggling to regain equilibrium. By the 66thminute Brora were trailing 5-3 to a resurgent United who looked to be in control of proceedings and set for a spectacular victory but Brora quickly pulled one back before, snatching a lifeline equaliser with almost the last kick of the ball. This was however achieved at the cost of an injury to their keeper who joining the last wave of attack that produced the crucial equaliser twisted his right knee. All three Brora substitutes had already been deployed and after gamely struggling on for a couple of minutes of extra time, he was withdrawn, leaving his side a man short and using a make -shift goalie in the form of midfielder McLeod between the sticks, who then made the crucial penalty save that sealed the tie.

Was it football, was it theatre; who cares? It was sublime - incredible entertainment for less than a pound a goal. The Highland league at its absolute best.

The match, in doubt until ten minutes before kick- off began in a predictably end to end fashion. Dingwall quickly got a ball into the box for United and Morrison did likewise for Rangers. Formartine missing both centre halves Henry and McKeown to long term injuries were potentially vulnerable in the centre of defence, but with Wood covering, they still had a decent physical presence in there. In the event, although they conceded a couple of goals in that area, there was little individual error involved but rather a lack of that intuitive understanding that comes from a more established defensive unit. Almost inevitably it was the League’s leading scorer, BRINDLE that got the opener. In the 14th minute. He had just spurned an open goal chance a minute earlier by blasting wide the remains of a Morrison free kick parried by Reid, but in the next attack, he got in on a loose ball not from the penalty spot and drove it beyond the reach of Reid.

The confidence boost to the visitors was clear and for a few minutes they pressed hard for a second but Formartine resisted well and began to get a grip of midfield. Lawson with super-quick feet and superb vision began to pick wee holes in the Brora set up and exploit space on the right of the Brora defence. United at this point were looking good and in the 28th minute and deservedly got back on terms with a well worked goal. Smith and Barbour overlapped down the left where the latter got the better of Pickles to turn in and deliver a perfectly judged cross to the head of RODGER who had nipped round the blind side of the equine Munro to head the ball fiercely past the right hand of Mallin.

Although this did something for United confidence, Brora entered a dominant phase and despite persistent graft right through United ranks, Rangers edged to a slight territorial advantage that they retained until the interval.
During this period, they picked up two goals in as many minutes (38th 39th) and looked like they had what it took to manage whatever United could throw at them. The first of these came after a corner on the left was partially cleared from a very dubby goalmouth. As Formartine defenders slithered trying to follow the ball out, Rangers left back Williamson on firmer footing, got the traction to reach the ball and drive it waist high past the defenders and the probably unsighted Reid. Maintaining the pressure after this goal Brora broke down the right as MacLean, fed by a Graham ball down the flank worked it diagonally left before driving the ball home, right footed from about fifteen yards out.

Those who thought it all over bar the shouting were reminded about fat ladies bursting into song. From the kick off of stage two, Formartine tore at the Brora jugular. Barbour worked the ball, at pace down the left and not for the first time got the better of Pickles and delivered a quality ball into the goal mouth. This one was met perfectly by the leaping ANDERSON who headed home from close range in the 47th minute Formartine tails were well up by now and there was a belief that they had the pace and nous to embarrass the champions and two minutes later, were on level terms. Acting centre half WOOD had followed his striker’s instincts and followed a United attack. Barbour, at his best, was proving a proper handful for the visiting defence and had whipped a low ball into the goalmouth to the near post. This was partially cleared but Anderson got it on the volley and skelped the ball venomously goalward, but it rebounded from some part of the statuesque Munro into a no-man’s land betwixt defenders and forwards. Big Garry reacted first and best and forced the ball home to equalise.

Adrenaline pumping, Formartine continued their assault by being quicker to the ball and faster and better organised off it. This phase was probably the best period of attacking football against, don’t forget it, quality opposition, that United have ever delivered and Brora were reeling. Using the all the experience and the dark arts that the likes of Munro, Houston and Gillespie could muster to stem the tide, Brora tried to hang on in there. Not even this was enough to stop rampant United and their 3rd in five minutes was an absolute cracker as LAWSON took the lead with an unstoppable curling drive from twenty five yards out. From a point in line with the left corner of the box he hit the ball swerving past Mallin on its way into the far corner of the net.

Formartine, showing remarkable fitness in heavy underfoot conditions continued to force the pace. That pace could not be sustained indefinitely but it was enough to knacker anyone who tried to contend with it and yet another goal came United’s way. It was fitting that at least one should come the way of sponsors Man of the Match, Scott BARBOUR and his in the 67th should have been enough to seal the result against any lesser team than the Champions. It was a good finish to a Cammy Keith run through the inside right channel that had taken him past and between defenders to deliver the ball to the back stick where the stalky wee wide man jumped well to reach it and nod it firmly but neatly in to the net.

Brora struck back almost immediately through substitute Greig who finished a run through the inside left route by reaching a position inside centre left of the box to fire the ball past the diving Reid for 5-4. The game was back to its initial end to end pattern until Brora gained a corner in the 90th minute. This was last chance saloon and keeper Mallin came up to add some chaos in the Formartine goalmouth. In the aftermath of the corner, Williamson managed in the thicket of limbs, to force the ball home to equalise. Turning to return to home territory Mallin injured his right knee and was effectively immobilised.
He managed maybe two minutes of the inevitable extra time before being replaced by midfield sub MacLeod. Against ten men and a make weight keeper Formartine should have put the game beyond Brora in this period but simply couldn’t get the ball on target. Brora had a keeper, a line of eight defenders and one free further up the park and Formartine hammered away at this but the eight (or two banks of four) did enough to kill the game about twenty five yards out and Formartine were unable to make any significant demands of the keeper. They managed a few attempts from distance but these were high, wide and never handsome.

The ensuing penalty shoot out was a lottery decided by one penalty miss by United. The un-named player did nothing wrong - the shot was hard and on target but the sub keeper instead of guessing to go right or left, did neither and was able to beat away the centrally struck shot. Scorers in the shoot out were Garry Wood, Stuart Anderson and Jamie Masson with the unfortunate Neil Gauld missing our fourth penalty
What a game!!

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie

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