Appearances & Goals To Date

Andy Reid (GK)		42 apps	-
Jamie Michie		25 apps	-
Johnny Crawford		41 apps	2 goals
Calum Dingwall		76 apps	5 goals
Stuart Smith		115 apps	10 goals
Neil McVitie		74 apps	14 goals
Graeme Rodger		48 apps	14 goals
Paul Lawson		37 apps	12 goals
Scott Barbour		43 apps	17 goals
Conor Gethins		5 apps	2 goals
Garry Wood		45 apps	30 goals
Scott Henry (sub)		4 apps	-
Max Berton (sub)		15 apps	1 goal
Neil Gauld (sub)		44 apps	27 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Formartine manager Hunter was looking for a reaction after Saturday’s abject capitulation against Wick and by and large he got it. In his own words “you can’t fault the players tonight for their effort” The result however sends United tumbling out of the only trophy they have won since trophy they currently hold.

The United line up saw a significant re-shuffle of the pack with Gary Wood restored up top to lead the line, and Gethins starting alongside him in place of Gauld. The back four was set up with McVitie and Dingwall as full backs and Smith and Crawford in the central berths. This looked to redress some of the weekend deficiencies and to begin with it seemed like it was going to be enough to bring home the bacon. United pressed from the opening whistle and twice in the opening few minutes got in behind the visiting rearguard. A through ball from Lawson was slipped in behind MacBride by Barbour to Gethins who let fly from twenty yards out and slightly left of centre but his finish went just wide of the post. In the 6th minute Barbour again made headway down the left before whipping the ball across the 6 yard box to just beyond the back post where GETHINS met it with perfect timing and no little agility to deliver a perfect diving header into the opposite corner of the net.
That was as good a start as United could have dreamed of but it was the Broch they were playing and they were not going to give up their prized trophy without an almighty battle and it wasn’t long before the balance of play began incrementally to drift ever so slightly their way.

Formartine remained the main attacking force until about 15 minutes in, whereafter until the interval, Broch were calling most of the shots. A header over the top by Rodger from a Lawson cross wasn’t too far off but United struggled to impose their pass and move game on a side that yapped at their heels every step of the way, pressing and closing down incessantly until they bossed midfield.

This state of affairs with the United defence holding doggedly on under increasing pressure but making the odd riposte such as the one that set up Rodger for a twenty five yard drive that dipped as it flew over the bar looked like lasting until the interval but pressure produced its reward a minute before the tea ladies swung into action. A sustained onslaught on the Formartine goal that started with a fierce drive by Noble tipped over the top by Reid that yielded a corner that United simply couldn’t get out of the danger area. After a range of shots rebounded from knees, thighs, buttocks and more a further corner was created. This was played deep and long and reached McBRIDE who had snuck up into space beyond the back post. From there he managed to poke the ball home from a tight angle.
The second half began with United imposing their quick passing game on the visitors and pinning them well back. A measured shot struck with languid ease by Lawson nearer thirty than twenty yards out forced Leask into a superb diving save to push the ball round the post for an unrewarded corner. Formartine got their noses in front in the 50th minute after a drive down the right by McVitie was completed with an inch perfect ball into the box for RODGER to convert into a goal with pin point drive through a ruck of defenders into the net from about 10 yards out.
United tried all they could to maintain impetus but the Broch were having none of it and as they had in the first they bit by bit ground United down and clawed their way back into it. Like their first equaliser, their second came after a period of sustained pressure. This was completed by sub Paul CAMPBELL with a raking left to right drive from near the front corner of the box into the far corner of the net in the 69th minute.

The game continued at a frenetic pace thereafter. It was end to end stuff and the tackles were meaty enough to make decent sausages with but try as they might neither side could break the deadlock and extra time began.
The high tempo continued but initially it looked like the Broch were beginning to gain the upper hand again an impression that strengthened in the 100th minute when Dean COWIE produced a near replica of his side’s second goal with a hefty volley from about 18 yards out. Formartine were not yet done and battled back and as a couple of visiting players showed signs of cramp they pressed forward. Gauld was brought down about twenty yards out left centre of goal and in perfect position for a LAWSON free kick. This he leathered netwards. The ball was always on target but from the keeper’s perspective took a cruel deflection that ensured that its final destination in the net was even further from his reach than it would otherwise have been. This was in the 103rd minute. The battle raged on throughout the next period of extra time but defences were on top.Sub Berton caused some havoc in the Broch rearguard but they held out until the penalty lottery began.

Formartine started and continued to net them effectively enough until Paul Lawson – ironically United’s usual penalty taker – struck his tamely at Leask who took it quite comfortably. Fraserburgh scored all theirs to run out 5-4 winners of the sub – competition and progress to the semi- final of the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup.

Penalty kicks scored: Wood (scored), Gauld (scored), Rodger (scored), Lawson (missed) & Dingwall (scored)

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie

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