Appearances & Goals To Date

Kevin Main (GK)		44 apps	-
Craig McKeown		112 apps	19 goals
Johnny Crawford		127 apps	7 goals
Stuart Smith		231 apps	23 goals
Stuart Anderson		198 apps	33 goals
Andrew Greig		57 apps	22 goals
Graeme Rodger		178 apps	62 goals
Aaron Norris		26 apps	2 goals
Kieran Lawrence		53 apps	2 goals
Archie MacPhee		81 apps	58 goals
Garry Wood		136 apps	68 goals
Wayne Mackintosh (sub)		44 apps	6 goals
Liam Burnett (sub)		73 apps	8 goals
Conor Gethins (sub)		102 apps	39 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

To reverse an old cliché, this stunning win in the semi final of the Highland League Cup a week following a footering, fushionless flop at Buckie, was a case of moving from the ridiculous to the sublime. However you look at it, this was a very big game for both sides. Brora despite a highly successful run of results were still facing the prospect of being no more than runners up in the league and relying on lifting this cup to mark their most successful season since winning the league 4 years ago.

The two sides last faced each other a fortnight ago and slugged out an absorbing and highly contested goalless draw at North Lodge Park. The odds for this encounter at Dudgeon Park were, therefore slightly in Brora's favour.

Both sides were on familiar lines albeit United were unable to field centre back Jevan Anderson, who had been unwell during the week while Brora were unable to list a full complement of subs. Conditions despite rain, sleet and snow in the area were surprisingly benign for the start of this one. The pitch was a bit on the heavy side but had passed an earlier inspection and was perfectly playable. There was a little wind and only the occasional smir of sleety drizzle.

Formartine were first to flex their muscles when a longish ball from McKeown (who went on to produce a commanding performance throughout) found Garry Wood who out-jumped MacDonald to head the ball left into the path of Greig who tried to bamboozle Ross and Williamson at the left edge of the box before being dispossessed. Brora's response came through Brindle on their left flank who did enough to get the ball over to his right into the path of player manager MacKay to off load a fairly unconvincing shot that curled away from keeper Main's right upright. Early exchanges were conducted at a brisk pace: each side was quick to close down opponents and the competition for “second balls” was intense. Strategically the sides seemed to be set up with Brora deploying a 4-3-3 and United a 4-1-4-1 with Wood up top as target man – a role he filled superbly by holding up the ball, bringing MacPhee, Norris and Greig into aggressive action and giving precious little rest to the central defenders. It's a tough, physically demanding role that he sustained remarkably well for the full ninety minutes.

After 15 minutes or so, some pattern was emerging and it looked like Formartine were gaining a slight territorial advantage and playing more of the game in Brora territory than the home-side intended or wished them to. In the 9th minute a well disguised shot on the turn by MacPhee forced an excellent reflex block by Malin who just got the sole of his boot to it at the base of the right upright. A shot cum cross from Greig just failed to reach MacPhee who looked well set to pounce on it near the other upright. Formartine were beginning to squeeze them and in the 12th minute Malin was back in decisive action to parry a Norris header for a corner.

Brora were by no means confined to only the back foot and could break at pace. When they did, it was clear that their intent was to bring all three forwards, Brindle, Sutherland and Mackay into well rehearsed moves trying to pressurise one or two defenders at a time with one of the three forwards peeling off into space. However United pressure was generally more sustained and in the 14th minute, a slick move – initially around, and then inside the home box, started by Wood holding and then releasing the ball to Greig who clipped it over to MacPhee whose powerful header had Malin at full stretch to push it away to safety.

In the 20th minute Brora began to creak even more when only a top drawer save by Malin to parry to safety a screamer of a drive that Greig unleashed from centre left position a good twenty five yards from goal. The shot was excellent but the passing move involving Norris, Wood and MacPhee that got him in the position to do so was just as impressive.

United deserved a goal: Malin was the harder worked of the keepers and it was clear that United had the hunger needed to prise one from the grasp of the notoriously grippy Dudgeon defence. When it arrived it was of a quality fit for the occasion and almost inevitably Garry Wood was in the midst of it all: holding up the ball just inside the Brora box ball, supported by Greig and MacPhee who were dragging defenders hither and yonder he released the ball left to meet a superbly judged late run though the inside left channel by Graeme RODGER who fairly skelped the ball home from fifteen yards out.

This was bang on the mid point of the first half and clearly demonstrated not only United's intent but their capability too. With still 22 minutes until the interval, it was too early for experienced campaigners like Brora to push the panic button but it did shift the pattern of the game a bit. From then until half time the focus shifted more to midfield as the home side tried to build up pressure on United. It was at times quite towsy – a two footed lunge by MacLean on Lawrence ended only in a free kick when many thought a card of some hue should have been the minimum response. There was little free flowing about proceedings at this stage and United giving no quarter at all to their hosts managed to protect their rear area effectively. A cross left to right from Brindle set up MacKay to get the ball into the net in the 37th minute but he was a step or two ahead of the United back line when the pass to him was made and there was little complaint about the off side decision. United were containing things well and imposing themselves enough on the game to ensure that the nearest Brora got to equalising before the interval was a shot by Brindle from the centre edge of the box that Main took quite comfortably.

The second half began much as the first had ended but Brora, a little friskier than they had been before refreshments, came out looking for an equaliser. A move by Gillespie down the right ended with a header by MacKay that Main stretched a bit to hold. However there were openings for United; a ball from McKeown out of defence was worked out left to Greig who hit a fizzing low shot from a tight angle that was millimetres only wide of the far post. A minute later he got a similar position left of goal but not far in from the bye line when he struck the ball aiming for the back post area. It struck MacDonald's hand and went out of play. Bizarrely ref Baxter decreed a corner. Greig took it and mayhem ensued in the Brora goalmouth. MacPhee got his head to it and the ball rebounded downwards from the bar into a whole ruck of bodies. Decisive action was needed by both sides but it was United who provided it as Stuart Smith breenged forward with a diving header that put the ball into the net for number two.

With 39 minutes left to go - it was inevitable that Brora would come roaring back - and they did – their main thrust when they threw as many as they could muster into United's final third was intense at times but no more than United, who pulled as many as 8 or 9 behind the ball when they had to, could contain. Most of it was confined to the areas around the box and interestingly the only saves that Main had to make were from MacDonald and Gillespie and the home forwards were marked out of any real threat by the marking of United's rearguard. After twenty minutes or so of this pressure, Brora began to fade and United took the lead of their prime minister's management of Brexit and began to run down the clock with some decent possession football aimed at keeping the ball as far as possible in wide areas until the 90 minutes was up. They face Cove in the final on the 6th of April at Harlaw Park, Inverurie.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie