Appearances & Goals To Date

Kevin Main (GK)		5 apps	-
Jevan Anderson		30 apps	1 goal
Craig McKeown		87 apps	19 goals
Johnny Crawford		92 apps	5 goals
Stuart Smith		189 apps	17 goals
Stuart Anderson		163 apps	28 goals
Graeme Rodger		132 apps	43 goals
Wayne Mackintosh		31 apps	4 goals
Archie MacPhee		39 apps	32 goals
Scott Barbour		124 apps	59 goals
Garry Wood		98 apps	52 goals
Andrew Greig (sub)		12 apps	4 goals
Scott Ferries (sub)		61 apps	7 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

This was by some way the most important game Formartine have so far played in. Their well merited victory here means that they have now achieved the double of winning both the Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup and the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup in the same season. Winning this one changed what would have been a fairly satisfying season with one trophy and a (probable top four league finish) into the most successful in their history. They have won a host of cups at Junior Level (particularly in the Dave Cormie era of the 90s and noughties) but the Highland League Cup is by far the most prestigious they have lifted. The management duo of Paul Lawson and Russell Anderson have turned what was a solid enough side into winners in the space of less than a season.

The achievement was in itself immensely satisfying for all concerned, but the manner in which this team turned over Fraserburgh to do it was the icing on the cake. United were the better side throughout and it was a day when every player put in a decent shift and some, McKeown, Anderson, Rodger and MacPhee to name but four were simply outstanding. Conditions underfoot were heavy enough to make tanner ba skills a bit of a lottery – sometimes the ball would be sluggish or suddenly bobble as the surface cut up. Hosts Rothes FC had worked wonders to get the pitch into playable condition and although not the best place to demonstrate silky stuff, was still a decent surface for this time of year.

Cup finals have a history of dramatic events and this one was only 90 seconds old when the drama of a penalty was played out. On the end of a long ball from the back, Beagrie broke into the box bearing in on goal definitely posing a threat, but Crawford was alongside him and beginning to jockey him over to the left. Shoulder to shoulder they challenged each other but just as it looked like the defender had done enough to side track the midfielder, Beagrie went to deck and ref MacFarlane gave a penalty. It seemed a soft award and Crawford appeared to be sinned against at least as much as sinning himself. HARRIS took the penalty and as keeper Main went down to his right the ball went to the other side and into the net.

To go a goal behind in under two minutes is not the best start to a cup final but in no time at all the character of this developing United side became apparent. There was no panic and no hasty attempts to push everything and everyone forward at all costs but instead the development and ramping up of clearly patterned possession play that bit by bit squeezed the Broch into their own territory. Stuart Anderson played a real captains part in all this, dictating the pattern of play – spreading passes around bringing others into the moves and controlling shape and tempo. Mackintosh was a tower of strength in the middle breaking up play, never letting any Brocher within range settle on the ball and repeatedly pinching the ball off opposition toes. Ahead of this big Gary Wood was a rumbustuous presence up front and although sometimes struggling for close control on the heavy surface, still got into good positions and occupied defenders more than one at a time, making space for Archie MacPhee and Graeme Rodger to advance into the box from midfield.

In the fifth minute, full back Crawford advancing down the right, picked up a feed from S.Anderson and let fly from 25 yards out with a vicious dipping ball that keeper Tait struggled to block even at the second attempt. Crawford and Smith almost alternated in making runs down the flanks and bit by bit the pressure on Broch was mounting. An Anderson free kick from forty yards out was knocked into mixer just shy of the far post and a flurry of close range shots ensued. MacPhee had a go, Roger and Barbour too but none was able to find a way through the densely packed box.

Fraserburgh either by intent or as a result of United pressure were reduced to infrequent breakaways almost all of which were based on long balls from the back. One in the 18th minute saw West getting to shooting range at the edge of the Formartine box before being dispossessed by a superb Mackintosh tackle. Two minutes later a period of intense pressure round the Fraserburgh goal saw MacPhee causing all sorts of trouble for a not too reliable looking keeper Tait , who spilled the first shot and was lucky enough to be hit by the next before Cowie managed to boot the ball out for an unrewarded corner.

Although the Broch were soaking up the pressure, it was clear that something had to give. They were playing off the back foot and it was not from choice and their keeper looked inconsistent. However it took Formartine until the 42nd minute to break their duck – and what a goal it was – it showed the formidable force of the inspirational McKeown at his best. The pressure had been intense enough for the centre back to remain in the Broch box after he had advanced there for a set piece. A ball into the goalmouth from S. Anderson allied to the forceful presence of McKEOWN put the keeper under such pressure that he rather lamely palmed it up into the air and the big centre back got his head to it to drive the ball to left of the box where Ando knocked it back into him. He then lashed the ball from left of the near post, beyond the keeper for the equaliser a superbly executed goal delivered at the perfect psychological moment just before the interval. At that moment it was apparent that United were in the driving seat, playing the better football and had the momentum needed to win the Cup.

The second half began much as the first had finished with United setting a high defensive line and squeezing the opposition back into their own back yard. For the first few minutes Formartine pummelled away at them: a shot from Wood went over the top, likewise one from Mackintosh and MacPhee and Rodger both had decent attempts rebound off defensive shins to relative safety. In the 52nd minute Barbour who had not been getting much cuttance from Dickson managed to get away from him down in the left corner. That was all he needed to create the conditions for a perfectly weighted cross to the area beyond the back stick to meet the run by Garry WOOD who took one touch before leathering the ball past Tait from about eight yards out.

This did shift the pattern of the game substantially and although initially United were able continue the pressure enough to suggest that there were more goals in them, Broch did not knock out Cove for nothing and began very determinedly to claw their way back into the game. It never reached the point of Fraserburgh putting Formartine under quite as much sustained pressure as their opponents had visited upon them, but it was enough to ask questions of the defence. The back four of Crawford and Smith as full/wing backs and central defenders with the veteran McKeown alongside the teenage Jevan Anderson. What an impressively solid unit they have developed into. The organisation of this department, on the park anyway, comes from McKeown and they simply gave nothing away. Despite periods where the Brochers mounted wave upon wave of attack the fact is that keeper Main – who could deliver well when asked – still was relatively unoccupied.

This phase lasted around twenty minutes, perhaps a shade less, and even then, United counter attacks – more than simply a long punt up the park to a lone striker, produced patterned play with players moving forward in numbers and created at least as much as danger. United did most of their defending about twenty yards or so out and generally managed to hold things there. The most dangerous moment was when Crawford slipped and West got a sniff at goal from about fifteen yards out and a bit left of centre, but his finish was rushed and the ball went high, wide and not very handsome.

Fraserburgh were unable to sustain the pressure and Formartine with fresh legs on began again to squeeze them. Greig, replacing Barbour put so much pressure on Dickson with his pace and trickery that the full back tried twice taking him out and was booked each time suffering the ignominy of being sent off in a final. Ferries came on for Mackintosh and upped the pace through the middle and The Broch were struggling again. The game was all but won by this point and United quite comfortably ran down the clock, holding the ball in wide areas at the Fraserburgh end. With MacPhee on one side, Greig on the other and Stuart Anderson in various places, Fraserburgh really struggled for possession.

What a win! What irony too – the newly revamped programme gives these two teams a midweek game for their return to league action on Wednesday – against - would you believe it? Each other.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie