Formartine United 0      Cove Rangers 2

There’s razzamatazz and there is reality. Both were there in abundance for Formartine in their first home appearance in the Highland League. Pre match entertainment from the Buchan Pipe Band, and the Golden Lions sky divers, who delivered the match ball, a sunny day and a massive 750 plus crowd contributed to the former; two clinical strikes in the first 8 minutes by the reigning league champions constituted the latter. The transition was swift and severe but insufficient to demoralise the new boys who did well to recover from that blitzkrieg beginning, steady themselves and sustain a credible level of threat all of their own for the rest of the game. Successive matches against  Rothes and the might of the current champions offers some basis for a tentative conclusion that Formartine’s abilities have at least as much in common with the mighty Cove as with the boys from the nether reaches of the SHFL.

The match was preceeded by a minute's silence for Tom Goodwin who died in a road accident during the close season

Formartine were first to show with a break down the right flank as newcomer Barry Somers fed  pacy and industrious Mackay whose progress into the box was ended by the intervention of big Jason Heads. In the 4^th minute, Livingstone pushed on out of defence to deliver a well weighted and perfectly timed diagonal ball that found the head of Danny Milne to nod it down with absolute precision for strike partner Paul TOSH who finished in a flash, driving the ball beyond the reach of the diving Stewart Gray.

Three more minutes of end to end stuff and the potency of the champions was again clearly apparent.  Bain was fed by Cruickshank and heading for the box.  He was faster than Seivewright had reckoned and managed to skip away from the big defender whose subsequent attempt at a tackle in pursuit was never going to be a legal one.  Down went Bain.  WEBSTER sunk the resultant penalty with almost contemptuous ease, driving the ball hard, low and right.

At this point the possibility of home side humiliation may have crossed the minds of some but instead they knuckled down to the task of getting back into it. Initially that looked well beyond them as slick passing and well rehearsed off the ball moves by the visitors suggested that they could extend their lead but as the half progressed Formartine began to ask them a fair few questions.

Somers is big, powerful and a touch unorthodox while Mackay is fast, tricky and doesn’t take no for an answer. This combination began to stretch the visiting rearguard. A well struck drive from each made McKenzie earn his corn and in the 22^nd minute a sweetly struck volley by Shinnie after a Mackie effort had been hacked away by Livingstone drew a top drawer save from him.

At the other end Gray was no less busy and dealt capably with efforts by Tosh and Tindall. In the 25^th minute Bain and McGuiness were in pursuit of the ball just inside the Cove half. There was little if any contact, certainly nothing malicious, but the big centre back went down awkwardly and was stretchered off before being taken to hospital. Irvine replaced him.

Formartine dug deep and overcame that blow too. In the 34^th minute they came painfully close when an astute long clearance by Gray was flicked on by Somers to Mackay who got one on one with the keeper. McKenzie stood his ground well and managed to block the shot with his legs. Ten minutes later a beautifully executed free by Cumming twenty five yards out  to the left of the box, provided the ammunition for Somers whose powerful looping header rebounded from the woodwork.

The second half showed even more of the end to end pattern of the first with Formartine enjoying slight territorial advantage and Cove looking reasonably assured at the back and slick on the counter attack. Marc Young was industrious enough but getting very little change out of Livingstone until on the hour mark he reached a ball that had been played diagonally back across the box by Mackay and executed a spectacular bicycle kick. Ref Braidwood saw something wrong with the manoeuvre and gave a free against the gallant wee forward.

Keepers were well exercised again as first McKenzie touched away a crisp left peg drive from Forsyth and Gray was at full stretch to turn a Black scorcher round his left upright.

There was no lack of effort from Formartine but Cove were too experienced and wily campaigners to surrender a two goal lead. At the same time the reconstituted rearguard of the home side was well marshalled by Simpson and coped increasingly well with pace and trickery of Tosh Milne and Black.

Although there was no further addition to the score sheet, the match remained an absorbing encounter until the end. Formartine were eventually playing for their own pride but did so with impressive attitude and appetite. They were worth a goal if not a victory. They battled away until the final whistle. With two minutes left the persistent Mackay split Heads and Livingstone to cross right across the goal face. Maitland was nearest to getting to it but it found no takers to capitalise on a piece of superb skill.

This was a highly encouraging display in difficult circumstances. Formartine faced the might of Cove without the experience and guile of the injured Kenny Coull, had to adapt to the loss of Darren McGuiness with over an hour remaining and still they were able to keep the champions well occupied. They gave a clear indication in their splendidly equipped stadium that they are in SHFL as genuinely worthy competitors.

Teams:

Formartine United: Gray, Cumming, McGuiness, Vigurs, Simpson, Young, Shinnie, Somers, Mackay, Forsyth.

Subs: R. Maitland, Irvine, A. Maitland, S. Morrison, Horne.

Cove Rangers: McKenzie, Cruickshank, Livingstone, Bain, Heads, Tindall,          Webster, Johnston, Tosh, Milne, Black.

Subs: Stephen, Henderson, McCulloch, Reid, Windrum.