Formartine United 3 Fort William FC 0
Even as newcomers to the Highland League, Formartine [heavily odds on at the bookies] were expected to beat Fort William; the issue was could they do so with style? In some ways the jury remains out on that call. They scored three absolutely scintillating goals, were never in significant danger at any point in the proceedings but some would say the margin of victory might have been greater. Fort William, on the other hand are highly experienced damage limitation experts and certainly know a thing or two about containing otherwise superior sides by stifling the midfield and regularly getting 7 or more bodies behind the ball. Any judgement of Formartine’s performance has to be made in that context. In such circumstances their performance is certainly praiseworthy.
They started at a brisk pace and showed their attacking credentials within a minute as Stewart Cumming, relishing a free role down the right, brushed aside the attentions of Bamber and Martin and whipped over a fierce cross that just evaded the head of Somers before scraping past the back stick. Two minutes later he made a similar run, but cut in to try his luck from twenty yards out. Visiting keeper Campbell was well positioned and saved easily. Formartine were probing for openings and the front pair of MacKay and Somers were giving the visiting defence a torrid time. Scoring was almost opened within the first 15 minutes as a Shinnie cross was dummied by Somers to create space for MacKay who, back to goal about 10 yards out, launched an audacious overhead kick that flew over the top. A Shinnie free kick from twenty odd yards out dipped over the wall before it was competently touched round the post by Campbell for an unrewarded corner.
A Graham cross from the left was headed just past the keeper’s left upright and still the dogged visitors held on.
For all Fort tried their damndest it was only a matter of time before their dam was breached. It was CUMMING who did it. Another powerful run down the right, a smart one-two with Mark Young and he reached the front right of the box, whence he struck the ball with venomous precision into the far corner of the net just in front of the advancing Somers in the 24th minute.
Fort William had one simple, attacking ploy which was to get the ball to their most skilful player, Sean Ellis and hope he could work some magic with it. The hopes were generally stronger than the magic but he did force a decent save from Gray with a 30 yard free kick and managed to set up a bit of a chance with a loopy corner that fell for Gillespie to draw another decent save from Gray.
With half an hour gone Formartine got their second. Ally Graham cutely dispossessed Ferguson near the halfway line and was in space. He clipped the ball forward to Somers rampaging through the inside left channel who reached the corner of the box in a flash. He clipped the ball with consummate timing and accuracy into the path of MACKAY who met it on the volley and hammered it with such force that the keeper’s only options were capitlulation or decapitation. Wisely selecting option one, he retrieved the ball from the net with the kind of pallor to his face of one who had undergone a profoundly traumatic experience.
Fort regrouped and plugged away for the remaining 15 minutes of the half. Formartine were playing a crisp and sometimes quite slick passing game but their visitors had a bit of character to them and were able to hold the deficit to two. Marc Young should have made it three just before the interval when he was set up by Forsyth and from the edge of the box was one on one with the keeper. The shot was low, right and on target but Campbell had narrowed the angle enough to be able to block the ball to safety. As Forsyth was unmarked at the other side of the box, the pass might have been the more telling option.
The second half ran much as the first: doggedness from the visitors; pressure from Formartine. 7 minutes in and an astute Cumming throw released the foraging Mackay. Closely attended by Shields and Martin he still managed to flick the ball over them to Somers. The big forward stumbled at the last minute and the ball went past the upright.
He made amends in the 51st minute. Ally Graham hit a curling cross to the back stick and the apparently still traumatised keeper flapped at it. SOMERS was onto the loose ball in a flash and had it in the back of the net for number three before anyone else could react.
In the 5th minute Ellis found himself in the Formartine box surrounded by defenders and hit the deck for what can charitably be described as a penalty decision that was even softer than the player’s contact with any of the defenders he tried to fall over. By some perverse coincidence, Fort William announced this very week that their new sponsors are the local Diving Centre. Ellis took the spot kick himself but, with a magnificent commitment to the cause of restorative justice, Gray saved splendidly.
A minute later there was an equally controversial penalty decision at the other end when Mackay, in on goal, was stopped in his tracks by Bamber. Penalty claims were summarily dismissed, presumably on the grounds that MacKay had attacked the knee of the defender with his testicles. He gingerly rejoined the fray after a few minutes’ recovery.
The game progressed with Formartine playing sensible possession football and Fort Chasing and harrying but getting no change out of a defence where centre half Mark Simpson was match sponsors’ Thistle Windows man of the match.
This was a highly competent performance against a doughty team who worked hard and never gave up. They were not the easiest to break down and each of the Formartine goals was in its own way, a peach. Entertainment value was good and it is beginning to be clear that Formartine can do more than hold their own at this level.
Teams: Formartine United: Gray, Cumming Graham, Forsyth, Simpson, Young, Shinnie, Seivewright, Irvine, McKay, Somers.
Subs: Morrison, Maitland, Vigurs, Imray, Horne.
Fort William:
Campbell, Hendry, G. Bamber, Shields, Martin, Gilespie, S. Ellis, J. Bamber, Mackintosh, Ferguson, Gillespie.
Subs: Hewitt, Feguson, MacLean, M. Ellis, Finnie.
