Appearances & Goals To Date

Kevin Main (GK)		13 apps	-
Craig McKeown		93 apps	19 goals
Johnny Crawford		98 apps	5 goals
Stuart Smith		196 apps	18 goals
Stuart Anderson		170 apps	32 goals
Graeme Rodger		140 apps	48 goals
Andrew Greig		20 apps	8 goals
Ryan Stott		2 apps	1 goal
Gary Fraser		2 apps	2 goals
Archie MacPhee		45 apps	34 goals
Garry Wood		104 apps	53 goals
Conor Gethins (sub)		71 apps	28 goals
Liam Burnett (sub)		45 apps	7 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

There were several subtexts to this match all of which pointed in the direction of fiestiness to come. The entire Turriff management group: Kris Hunter, Dave Cormie and Lennie MacDonald have previously been at Formartine: the first as manager until a bit less than year ago, the next as manager for many years when the club was in its Junior super-league pomp and the last-named as assistant to John Gardiner at the beginning of Uniteds time in SHFL. The Turriff striker, Mikey Ewen had his most prolific season when at Formartine and their less than phlegmatic centre back Ross Anderson had also a season or so in red and white. To top things off, United rather cheekily signed Turriff star keeper, Kevin Main, late last season. In short, this game was set to accommodate if not resolve more issues of pride, status skulduggery and revenge than an entire season of the Sopranos.

It started at an unsustainable pace - that was Turriffs doing - but although anticipated, it still had a significant effect on the early stages and, from Uniteds perspective, still had to be dealt with. Kris Hunter's side hit the ground running and launched into a super high tempo pressing game all over the park. No player had time on the ball, play was of an end to end pattern, as much through default as intention and there was fiestiness everywhere (it never got dirty though). Turriff fielded a number of talented if relatively inexperienced (at this level) young players with older heads like Bowden, Anderson and Ewen to balance things out and keep the shape.

That said, Formartine produced more early goal threat than the visitors and keeper Hobday had to get down rather smartly to smother a crisp edge of the box effort from Rodger in the 7th minute. This led to a couple of corners in quick succession the second of which from the right ended with a cunning back header by Crawford from a central position a couple of yards out from the goal line but the ball flew inches wide of the back stick.

Energy levels were still high and the pace near to frantic as Turriff snatched the opening goal in the 8th minute. Hobday had just blocked a dangerous cross from Greig on the left flank and humped the ball upfield where an interchange by Smith and Ewen stretched the home back four enough for the ball to reach the advancing Ross ANDERSON (no relation to any of the Formartine Andersons) for him to dunt the ball past Main from about 12 yards out right of centre.

The pace did not change – it could not really be raised anyway but it was clear that United were the more skilled and strategically savvy side and they slowly but surely gained more and better possession. Much of this derived from Anderson in midfield and MacPhee leading the lineup top. Both of them are masters of ball retention and despite being harried relentlessly not only began to hold the ball enough to influence tempo but also brought in team mates to telling effect. Links with Anderson in deepish areas allowed a number promising forays down the right by Crawford and the relationship between MacPhee and Greig on the left flank yielded an increasing number of balls into the Turriff box which exercised their rearguard more and more. Shots on target were increasing and they were mostly at the Turra end. Greig and MacPhee had a couple on target and another couple near to it but not quite there and Rodger, piling late through the middle or one of the inside channels twice came close. McKeown up for a corner on the right under a fair degree of challenge got in a low shot that went narrowly wide right. However Turriff defending was sharp and committed and largely for these reasons, the standard of United finishing at this stage was not enough to produce an equaliser.

New signing Gary FRASER though looks the real deal, playing deep and crafty, he had the guile to unpick the determined visiting defence. He is a superb foil for MacPhee and just after United, through Crawford, Greig and Rodger had taken the ball and several defenders for a stravaig first over towards the left flank and then back again to the right before returning it to MacPhee in his office in the D outside the Turriff box, he nipped into space ahead of Bowden but played onside by Anderson to take a beautifully measured and weighted delivery just off the penalty spot and pinged the ball sharply past the left hand of Hobday to equalise in the 27th minute.

From then on Formartine were in control of the game. Their dominance had been growing but it had taken them nearly twenty minutes to level things. However the process by which it had been achieved was one that suited there more measured, proactive passing game than the more rushed reactive one that Turriff were increasingly pushed to adopt. The pattern of play shifted from end to end to a more midfield weighted one dominated (not too much) by United. Bit by bit Turriff were pushed onto the back foot but their back four of two younger ones in the wider berths (Chalmers and Cairns) and older heads and a fair amount of muscle (Anderson and Bowden) supplemented by the regular support of the entire midfield looked to be holding on, albeit a little precariously at times until the interval.

However energy is a finite resource and almost on the stroke of half time with Turriff definitely slowing, young Cairns made is one and only mistake of the afternoon. Under pressure from the pacy STOTT, he was caught in possession. Playing at left back he seemed to be trying to get the ball onto his visibly stronger right side when the former Cove player simply dispossessed him, ran a dozen or so steps right to centre and lashed the ball home off the inside of the right upright to spin into the bottom far corner of the net.

Responding to a multi-decibel, invective-laden diatribe from their manager over the interval or simply because they had had a rest, Turriffs high tempo pressing game resumed. Formartine were however almost in cruise control and largely dictated terms shuffling the ball around in ways where Turriff were by and large chasing the game and chasing shadows in the process. They were triers and to their credit never resorted to damage limitation but United were calling the shots and the real issue was more about the scale of their eventual victory than their capacity to achieve it.

It did not take long to reach a pretty impregnable position. OK 3-1 and 40 minutes to go is not, in Highland League terms impregnable but any team that gets there with a finish of the quality of this one has to be seen as long odds on favourites. In the 50th minute Captain Stuart ANDERSON scored a goal of absolutely stunning quality. On the central edge of a densely populated penalty box Ando picked up a ball that had rebounded from a ruck of players. With two defenders between him and keeper Hobday who was fractionally forward of his line at the time, he struck a firm lob that rose steeply enough to clear the defenders but with enough backspin on it to descend sharply behind the keeper, under the bar and into the net. Any doubts of the freakish nature of it were dispelled by manager Lawson who stated adamantly after the game that “he definitely meant it, I've seen him do it before”.

Turriff worked away as hard as they were able but United were conducting business on their own terms and continued to press. Turriff were increasingly on the back foot, made some retaliatory forays all of which were competently contained by Formartine. MacPhee was utterly dominant and looked like having a day where he could do everything but score. He had a couple of good low left foot shots saved by an in form Hobday, a few more just a whisker off target and even more blocked by an assortment of defenders and midfield players. However with Turra legs beginning to give way to overuse in the final minute of the game, sub Gethins produced a bit of MACPHEE stuff just outside the box to make the space through which he threaded the bull cunningly to set up the striker with a twelve yard chance which he duly and deservedly slammed home for United's second 4-1 win on the trot.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie

None.