Appearances & Goals To Date

Kevin Main (GK)		19 apps	-
Jevan Anderson		45 apps	1 goal
Craig McKeown		98 apps	19 goals
Johnny Crawford		107 apps	5 goals
Stuart Smith		206 apps	19 goals
Stuart Anderson		178 apps	32 goals
Graeme Rodger		150 apps	51 goals
Ryan Stott		11 apps	3 goals
Andrew Greig		30 apps	11 goals
Gary Fraser		11 apps	2 goals
Garry Wood		109 apps	53 goals
Archie MacPhee (sub)		55 apps	39 goals
Liam Burnett (sub)		50 apps	7 goals
Conor Gethins (sub)		80 apps	33 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

There may be many misgivings about it amongst the Formartine faithful (and others), but the fact remains that the gold standard for Highland League football is Cove Rangers and despite United's best efforts, the gap between the reigning champions and their ambitious rivals remains uncomfortably wide. This was pretty well a "must win" game for Formartine who of late have been shedding points at a rate inconsistent with any serious ambition of prising the championship from Cove's vice like grip. In the end it was a fairly comfortable home win for the champions: they had to battle now and again and there were phases of the game where United were able to match them but as is becoming almost the norm, Cove found an extra gear and a winning goal from somewhere and ended the game in control of proceedings and playing apparently within their comfort zone.

United's recent injury woes appeared to be signficantly reduced when both Craig McKeown and Gary Wood appeared in the starting eleven. Apart from the absence, long term of Mackintosh and Henry, this would appear to be as strong a starting eleven as United have been able to field since the start of the season. Although it is always difficult to determine the less obvious effects of a longish lay off in terms of timing, communication and general sharpness and even allowing something for that, the fact remains that United played second fiddle too often and too long to convince many of success in the near future. They lost to Cove at the same venue in the Aberdeenshire Cup a month back and without McKeown and Wood to aid their cause, gave them what was probably a closer run challenge then than they did this time out. On the evidence of this performance McKeown and Wood do not seem to be the answers to problems that apparently run deeper than that or, equally worrying in a different way, Cove have simply got better.

The game started cagily with each side probing and prodding at the other for any areas that might be worthy of exploitation. Greig tested the mettle of Yule and took a bit of a clogging for his pains enough for the ref to issue stern advice to the defender as early as the second minute. It took until the 8th minute for the first of 9 yellows to be shown. It was to Megginson for a foul on McKeown and although proceedings remained slightly cagey, the tempo was beginning to rise. There was a bit more of an end to end dimension emerging. Roger fed Wood through the middle but the big forward soon ran into trouble and was crowded out in a posse of Cove defenders. Honors were fairly even at this stage but Cove were just slightly the more menacing in that they could sustain pressure for slightly longer at a time than could the visitors.

In the 20th minute former United forward Daniel Park made a powerful run down the right. United's defence dithered and spurning a couple or more chances to clear their lines, still allowed PARK to swing the ball over to the all but unmarked Yule at the back stick to slot home what in the end was a simple enough finish.

Cove didn't bust a gut to extend their lead any more than United threw caution to the winds in search of a quick riposte : it remained fairly cagey - the sides had too much respect for each other for it to be otherwise, but a pattern was emerging where Cove maintained a high tempo in midfield and won a good proportion of "second balls". With this as a platform they were able to make more and more direct attacks than United. In the 25th Park made another break down the right and whipped the ball in to the near post where McManus' snapshot was smothered by the alert and well positioned Main. A few minutes later the same Park again got into dangerous territory with a cross to Megginson which was headed over.

Formartine were not without menace at the other end and managed a period of pressure which gave rise to hopes of an equaliser in the 38th minute when Wood got on the end of an understruck pass back by Yule well inside the 6 yard area. Trying "tae mac siccar" he dwelt on the ball just long enough for Watson to make a crucial clearing tackle.

Two minutes later Crawford, Wood and Greig combined but again Cove managed to resist and in the 45th minute Fraser broke through into the box on the end of an over the top ball. He looked initially to have the ball under control and a really decent sight of goal but somehow the ball and his feet ended up in disagreement and the chance was gone.

The second half began pretty much as the first had ended: Formartine were chasing an equaliser but Cove were looking both increasingly competent and confident in the midfield where United were struggling to contain the powerful running of Park out wide and through the inside right and central channels. in the 50th minute he was one on one with keeper Main and as both collided on their way to the ball it fell to Crawford to make a vital clearance.

Cove were getting the upper hand now and Main was being worked harder and harder: he made a good save from blistering 25 yarder from Yule in the 53rd minute and two or three minutes later managed to turn a Masson pile-driver away for an unrewarded corner. United were running out of ideas and although not entirely a busted flush were definitely playing second fiddle until Cove delivered the final telling blow in the 57th minute. It was a simple but very well executed goal where Park made another plundering run down the right, rattled the defence and crossed the ball for McManus relatively unnchallenged to pop into the net.

There was to be no way back from this for United: they re-shuffled the pack and brought on subs MacPhee and Burnett for Wood and Fraser (effectively a change of strike force). They were handed a glimmer of hope in the 66th minute when Milne blatantly handed in the box. He was dismissed and the penalty awarded. Penalties to all but Formartine are considered to be a real boost; to United who have missed a good 80% of recent spot kicks , they are a poisoned chalice. It was therefore an act of supreme courage when Rodger stepped forward to face the fates. He thumped the ball hard low while the keeper dived right. Had the shot been a tad weaker the keepers feet would have got out of the way as he completed his dive. Sadly for the gallant Rodger, the ball struck McKenzie's foot and rebounded to safety.

The last twenty minutes were predominantly Cove and to equal things up for 10 man Cove (after Milne was dismissed) McKeown went off injured after all United's subs had been used thereby restoring parity in numbers. From that point on United were pretty well on the back foot and did just enough to keep a rampant Cove at bay until the end.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie