Formartine United1–2Wick Academy

It doesn't take too much generosity of spirit to sympathise with victims of crimes such as those who have been robbed or had their pocket picked, but that sympathy quickly evaporates if they are found to have been robbed after leaving the back door open when their attention was elsewhere or that they had been pickpocketed walking through an airport with a well stuffed wallet sticking out the hipper. Take your pick which category United fall into, but Wick committed daylight robbery of three points after Formartine had their pockets picked twice in under an hour, both times when security was decidedly lapse: on the first occasion when centre back McKeown left the back door about 60 yards open and on the second, when a collective failure in marking duties yards gifted Wick an absolute Christmas present of a winning goal. It’s was not a case of Formartine being the poorer side – they had a good 60+% of possession and territorial advantage but failed signally to convert pressure into victory.

The disappointment of the midweek cup exit looked to have been redressed by a fresh looking starting eleven that saw striker Gethins making an uncharacteristic kick off, with Lisle and Lawrence also starting after recent games on the bench. It looked good to begin with as United took the game to Wick. The new formation with Lawrence out wide offered width and United moved the ball about encouragingly. Smith was feeding him regularly and with strong running through the channels by Rodger and Lisle and Park looking to link with Gethins, United set about pressing the visitors firmly into the final third at the Meldrum end.

A ball from the back by McKeown was flipped forward into space in front of the Wick backline instigating a race between Lisle and Mackay for it. Lisle won that and riding the subsequent tackle got one on one with the advancing McCarthy who did just enough to close the gap forcing him to shoot inches wide of the left post. That was in the 16th minute and three later, he came close again with a ball slipped into him from the right by Crawford. The pressure was ramping up. Shots by Park, Lisle and Rodger all went close and United were encamped with their rearguard on the midway line and were winning a succession of corners.

Wick had a limited number off breakaways where Allan, MacNab and Campbell all showed that they knew a thing or two about the counter-puncher's art. One just after the second Lisle close miss should have been a warning but utterly against the run of play, they stunned United with a blistering counter-attack. A loose ball from the end of a United attack was picked up and quickly worked by Farquhar past McKeown (still up in Wick territory after supporting the attack) and on to MacNab who, supported by Campbell was off at pace through virtually unpopulated United territory. Reaching the corner of the box he slipped the ball to CAMPBELL who cooly slotted it past Main in the 31st minute.

United's response was to continue the pressure and they kept the Wick goal under seige for sustained periods. It looked however that the Scorries might retain their lead until the interval, but 90 seconds before it, a cross by Lisle was headed firmly home at the back stick by GETHINS who outjumped taller defenders to do so.

The second half was largely similar to the first but Wick looked a bit more confident and built a few more sustained attacks. United however were the dominant presence until, again vulnerable to the counter attack, they conceeded another soft breakaway goal. The break was initially through the middle but United had done enough to head off immediate danger with a Kelly block of an attempted through ball to MacNab. This was taken out right by Allan and played over to the back post where MACNAB had time and space to skelp the ball past. Main. United fought to get back but wily Wick held on to secure three points.