Formartine United 0 - 3 Wick Academy 

League - HFL
Saturday, August 6th, 2016, 3:00 PM at North Lodge Park, Pitmedden
Attendance: 200
Referee: Thomas Shaw
Mascot: Matthew MacLean & Jay Provan
Formartine United v Wick Academy, Aug 6th 2016, North Lodge Park, Pitmedden
Formartine United  Wick Academy

Goalscorers
None. Gary Weir (7)
Steven Anderson (60)
Steven Anderson (90)

Team Managers
Kris Hunter Gordon Connolly

Starting Eleven
Andy Reid
Jamie Michie
Johnny Crawford
Stuart Smith
Graeme Rodger
Paul Lawson
Derek Young
Scott Barbour
Scott Ferries
Neil Gauld
Garry Wood
Sean McCarthy
Gary Manson
Michael Steven
Alan Farquhar
Ross Allan
Grant Steven
James Pickles
Richard Macadie
David Allan
Steven Anderson
Gary Weir

Bench
Ewen MacDonald
Shane Jamieson
Calum Dingwall
Scott Henry
Max Berton
Neil McVitie
Conor Gethins
Marc MacGregor
Colin Macrae
Michael Petrie
James McLean

Substitutions
Calum Dingwall for Derek Young (55)
Neil McVitie for Jamie Michie (60)
Conor Gethins for Neil Gauld (66)
Marc MacGregor for Gary Weir (77)

Bookings
Stuart Smith (32)
Neil McVitie (70)
Conor Gethins (78)
None.

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Andy Reid (GK) 41 apps -
Jamie Michie 24 apps -
Johnny Crawford 40 apps2 goals
Stuart Smith 114 apps10 goals
Graeme Rodger 47 apps13 goals
Paul Lawson 36 apps11 goals
Derek Young 3 apps1 goal
Scott Barbour 42 apps17 goals
Scott Ferries 3 apps -
Neil Gauld 43 apps27 goals
Garry Wood 44 apps30 goals
Calum Dingwall (sub) 75 apps5 goals
Neil McVitie (sub) 73 apps14 goals
Conor Gethins (sub) 4 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Scott Ferries (20 years 157 days)
Oldest Player:Derek Young (36 years 80 days)
Average Player Age:27 years 297 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Scott Ferries (20 years 157 days)
Oldest Player:Derek Young (36 years 80 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 302 days
Domestic Players:17 (94.44 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

The first words of manager Kris Hunter’s post match analysis of his players’ performance chimed with the thoughts of most of the home support: “They got what they deserved – far too many players failed to deliver the standards they are capable of or what this club expects.” He did go on to contextualise this early season under-performance by pointing out that United had “lost the second game last season - to Locos - and then went on a long unbeaten run”. The real problem is that the level of competition at the top end of this league is so fierce that to win it [based on recent seasons a club can afford only two or three [at most] defeats in the course of their campaign.

Wick are a good side capable of beating any other on their day, but on this occasion while they looked well organised, particularly at the back and imaginative and creative in midfield where Macadie excelled, they still could not have been accused of punching above their weight. Formartine were beaten by a competent rather than an outstanding side. If they regularly repeat the standards demonstrated in this game, they are unlikely to do much better than to finish in the top six.

The game looked evenly balanced in the early stages and United were the first to mount a decent attack: Barbour made good headway down the left flank before whipping a hard low cross into the 6 yard box. Wick struggled somewhat to deal with it, and both Rodger and Gauld tried to drive the ball into the net but dour defending blocked their attempts and eventually the ball was cleared upfield. Academy broke at pace through midfield and looked to threaten the home goal before Crawford dispossessed Weir and cleared. There was a distinct end to end character to the play at this point with Wick beginning to show a hint of dominance in midfield. Formartine were every bit as good as Academy were when in possession and moving forward but Academy’s capacity to close down players and break up play when off the ball was generally higher tempo and more effective than United’s and for that reason the visitors gained and retained an edge in midfield. In time it laid the foundation for their victory.

It gave them an early opening goal when Davy Allan clipped in a perfectly weighted ball over two retreating defenders to set up Gary WEIR with a one on one with Reid from about twenty yards. He reduced the distance a little before thumping the ball chest high at the goal. Reid did well to block the powerful shot but was injured in the process. The ball returned to the striker who then despatched it over the prone keeper into the empty net.

The goal aside, there wasn’t too much in it; Ferries and Rodger were working hard in the area between halfway and the box and certainly made demands of Manson, Steven, Farquhar and Allan. This back four were however very well drilled and for all the efforts United made, shots on target occurred with the frequency with which teeth are found in hens. During this middle of the first half period United forced a corner or two. Twice they threatened from these set pieces – first when a Crawford header fizzed past McCarthy’s left upright and again when Smith got his head to the ball but it was from below and the ball looped over the top.

Wick, exploiting United’s lack of ball winning in midfield could or should have increased their lead first when Weir then Allan got on the end of moves unchallenged until the final third to off load shots from the right corner of the box. Each met the same fate of fizzing close to but wrong side of the back stick.

Only one goal adrift at the interval is never an irretrievable situation but Formartine needed to raise their game to change their fortunes and signally failed to do so. Wick had the higher tempo and were playing the better football. They chased, harried and worried away at opponents until they got possession and when they achieved it they were allowed too often to progress the ball from midfield to the final third or beyond before meeting significant resistance. United were also toiling for height up front where Gauld ploughed a rather lone furrow. Surrounded by much taller and muscular defenders he needed far more service to feet than he got or someone with a bit of height and muscle to share the load. The latter came near the hour mark when Young was withdrawn in favour of Dingwall prompting a redeployment of United resources that pushed WOOD up front.

United looked slightly more menacing thereafter but still the lack of ball winning and midfield spoiling did them no favours and Wick were able to deploy resources to pressurise the home rearguard which while generally reliable, did creak and groan at times. Macadie is a shrewd reader of the game and canny in his distribution. In the 59th minute he teased full back Michie with a ball chipped just over his head. The full back jumped for it but failed to reach it. ANDERSON was cannier and making no attempt to reach the ball in the air, simply nipped in behind Michie, collected it when it landed, ran in a few yards towards goal and drove the ball firmly home from 15 yards out.

With a face as red as the shorts on his doup, the wee full back was instantly substituted by McVitie. Formartine were chasing the game and Wick settled into a slightly more defensive mode. Gethins replaced Gauld alongside Wood up front and managed a goalward pop or two from distance as well as diving header from a Lawson cross that flew just the wrong side of McCarthy’s left stick, but it was all too little too late. With Formartine heavily committed to attack Wick were looking to hit on the break. After a period of United pressure that continued into stoppage time, the ball was cleared to Anderson out on the left wing close to the halfway line. McVitie tried to dispossess him and missed. The Wicker was off like a scalded cat, took a route to goal that minimised his exposure to the distant and retreating defenders seriously impeding his progress. He shrugged off a hemipygic challenge near the left corner flag before cutting back enough to make the angle from which he rattled the ball into the net from around twenty yards out. Game over.

Formartine will need to bounce back for their next league game –also at home – against Clachnacuddin on Sat 13th August. Their cup tie against Fraserburgh on Wednesday night will be more than enough preparation.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie

None.

Programme cover / Team sheet