Formartine United4–0Huntly

Depending on your innate level of optimism or pessimism, games between these two can for a United fan inspire either confidence or anxiety. Its not so much that the Strathbogie lot`s league standing or track record since their glory days of 5 League Titles in a row a couple of decades back that raises anxiety for some North Lodgers as United`s occasional tendency to produce a sudden, dramatic underperformance against them. Such rather spectacular lapses have constituted significant coffin nails in the sojurn of two past occupants of the managerial/hot seat at North Lodge. Defeats by Huntly contributed significantly to the demise of both Steve Paterson and Kris Hunter. In short, games against Huntly can be regarded as potential banana skins.

United have been playing well of late - the midweek rout of Cove Rangers and wins against recent former champions in Brora and Buckie augured well for victory here but Huntly did enough, particularly early on, to hint at the possibility of another bolt from the blue. That this did not materialise was largely attributable to United`s ability to shift up a gear in the second half and put their opposition firmly under the cosh and ultimately bludgeon them into defeat.

The first forty five did little to reveal the difference in abilities between the two sides and the game was conducted mostly in the area between the 18 yard lines where neither side showed significant dominance. Huntly set up in a relatively defensive 4-5-1 formation were equipped to get something over United`s 4-4-2 in midfield and had a decent share of possession enough to rock United a bit in the opening minutes. In the 2nd minute, a McGowan cross to Gray saw the striker being nudged off the ball by Jevan Anderson but no penalty ensued. A further two mins after a Clark effort was cleared no further than Gray whose shot hit an upright before Smith tidied up. The home back four of Crawford and Smith as wing backs with Stuart Anderson and Jevan Anderson commanding the middle were settling and hard to beat. Still made some demands of them and managed to win an free kick after being forcefully separated from the ball by Stuart Anderson who was yellow carded for his pains.

On the occasions that Gray did get the ball he did enough to show a degree of menace with one off the woodwork and another close by he had potential to cause damage. Huntly would rue those two missed opportunities (both within the opening ten minutes or so) as United gradually settled into a pattern of play that although it didn’t create enough momentum to really rock Huntly back on their heels, still did enough to dissipate their early pressure.

For all that, it still did not look as if United had made as high tempo a start as they usually do at home. Huntly`s five midfielders probably had something to do with it but the effect was enough, particularly over the first twenty minutes, to ensure that there was to be no quick opener for the home side. Huntly were doing enough to prevent United getting on top and it probably could also be said that United were struggling to impose themselves on a young determined side, 5 of whom had prior experience as United players.

United`s Greig had enough pace and trickery to discombobulate the Huntly rearguard and several times got past or between Jack and Clark only to be betrayed by an inability to get the final effort on target, although one I n the 10th minute went pretty close.

However the interval came with game goaless and some sense of disappointment that United had been unable to get on top of a team at mid table level. It could on the other hand be said that Formartine, playing well within themselves, had enough in reserve to step up a gear or two and take the game by the scruff of the neck and go on to dominate the second period. And that, in fact, was just what they did. Beginning it with 10 minutes of solid pressure they began to impose albeit McGowan in his skillful but unpredictable way ensured alertness in the home rearguard but the tide was turning and a Greig, Wood, Rodger combination ended with a fierce drive from the last named from the edge of the area flying narrowly past. In the 58th minute came the breakthrough. It started right at the back with Main supplying Smith to break down the left side to eventually slip the ball inside to Wood whose shot on the turn rebounded off Clark to MacPhee. His shot was in turn blocked by Johnston but 20 yards out RODGER seized to crash the ball thunderously home in the 58th minute.

It took only 4 more minutes to double the margin. sub Gethins, only seconds on the pitch, cheekily reversed a ball in from Stuart Smith back into the path of GREIG who on a direct route toward goal, was felled by Jack. ``Chubbs`` took the resultant penalty himself and thumped it home low and right.

United were in charge now and Huntly forced into a counter punching role. It carried some intermittent menace and mercurial McGowan set up Murison whose shot from 18 yards out on the left drew a stunning save as Main turned the apparently net bound shot over the top for a corner. In the 74th minute came a sublime piece of United at their best: a very alert Norris pinched the ball off Stills toes in the centre circle and set off in great haste down the right before, still flat out, swinging the ball diagonally across the goal area where GETHINS was onto it in flash with a header of absolute precision that took out the keeper for number three.

Apart from the need to keep a close eye on McGowan who again showed some menace by playing in Gray in the 75th minute It took a top end intervention from Jevan Anderson to put the ball out for the relative safety of a corner, Formartine were on top. Another goal was on the cards and United were now playing their characteristic blend of free flowing attacking football right across the pitch. Their final goal in the 84th minute again started with the keeper feeding wing back Smith who did a powerful fetch and carry job down the left before squaring the ball to Stott who was 30 yards out. He in turn collected the ball before slipping it into the path of BURNETT whose ferocious drive all but uprooted the goal as it crashed off the underside of the bar en route to the back of the net.

Huntly battled bravely on but they were clearly beaten by then. This was a slow burn performance from Formartine they were made to work hard particularly early on but class does tell in time and they were able to find all they needed to get the result they wanted. In the end they all did well but a noticeable positive of late has been the increasing benefits Kieran Lawrence brings. Playing just ahead of the back four his ability to break up play and ball winning proclivities have been a bit of a boost to the team.