Appearances & Goals To Date

Kevin Main (GK)		56 apps	-
Michael Clark		9 apps	2 goals
Craig McKeown		126 apps	19 goals
Wayne Mackintosh		56 apps	6 goals
Stuart Anderson		211 apps	34 goals
Graeme Rodger		193 apps	65 goals
Gary McGowan		13 apps	6 goals
Kieran Lawrence		68 apps	2 goals
Jordan Leydon		12 apps	2 goals
Scott Lisle		9 apps	8 goals
Garry Wood		150 apps	74 goals
Andrew Greig (sub)		71 apps	24 goals
Daniel Park (sub)		27 apps	9 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

This was a bad result for United in more ways than one: in the first place it did significant damage to their title aspirations at a bad time (a week ago Nairn beat Brora to put Formartine back IN the title chasing bunch just behind leaders Fraserburgh but this reverse drops them down behind Locos and others and looking at this relatively early stage in the competition to be sub-champion material). Second, the nature of the defeat indicated a shortage of flair and an inability to match a major rival in gaining mastery of the midfield. It could be said that Thistle beat them pretty well right across the park. This was a game where Buckie started on the front foot by and large bossed it from then on. OK it was the narrowest possible margin of defeat but Formartine never really looked like they had what was needed to win it.
With the Buckie wind machine at about 40%, United could have expected some benefit from it for the first 45, but the home side neutralised that straight off by taking the game directly to them. Playing 4-5-1 to United's 4-4-2 they gained early superiority in the central area and quickly had the Formartine back four under pressure. From as early as 3rd minute both Robertson and Macaskill pressed United hard: the former with a break down the left that he completed with a powerful cross cum shot that Lawrence managed to divert for a corner before the latter forced a couple more corners. The first followed a 20 yard free kick that Clark scrambled away before the same defender charged down a 20 yard free kick for the next in 9th minute. Formartine were well on the rack at this stage and struggling for traction in a midfield that Buckie were clearly dominating.
Buckie's bombardment of the United rearguard continued and more corners endued. In the 13th minute Murray banged over a low hard one that CLARK on the edge of the 6 yard box diverted into his own goal. Formartine's fat was in the fire and they knew they had to do something to retrieve the situation. The worry was did they know what was needed and did they have what it took to do it? Their response to each question was less than persuasive. A flurry of effort straight after conceding saw Leyden burst forward enough to force a corner which was poorly delivered and ended going straight to the side netting. United were trying to get back on terms but the home midfield had the upper hand for long periods and generally nipped potential threats from United in the bud. In response they were reduced to long hopeful balls up to the hardworking Wood up top but there was also a lack of cohesion in that area and in the competition between attack and defence the home back four were comfortably ahead.

The second half saw a wee flurry from United that produced a driving run from Lisle and a shot that was reflected off Fraser, forcing Bell to go full stretch to claw the ball away the postage stamp area. United made early substitutions introducing Greig and new signing Park for Leyden and McGowan in the 55th minute but this did not really shift the balance of power. Buckie were contained more than they were threatened and United continued to struggle against Thistle's midfield superiority. United were reduced to 10 in the 73rd minute when Clark completed a miserable afternoon by committing two bookable fouls against MacAskill in as many minutes and was dismissed.
Formartine battled on and right at the end an Anderson, Wood combination yielded a header that wasn't, too far over the top. Too little, too late. United got no more than their just desserts for a game where they were well beaten.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie