Match Report by Colin Keenan
A squally Tuesday night in Banff and a first round tie in Aberdeenshire Shield is just the combination of events to bring about the risk of an embarrassing “banana skin” for a side whose concentration is directed at the League Table. In the end United whose squad, for various reasons, lacked such top team regulars as Wade, MacLean, Crawford, Lobban and Emslie and listed a number of subs more familiar to followers of the clubs’ age group teams were made to work hard for victory.
That said it was an opportunity to use the range of its large and talented squad in a game where a young Vale side battled hard right into stoppage time and where United had to work their socks off protecting a fragile single goal lead for well over an hour in the sort of game where the longer the young home side were able to contain that deficit the more confident they became and the more the lottery of a penalty shoot out looked possible.
United started strongly, moving the ball about confidently and pushing the home side onto the back foot. Right back Wilson showed a willingness to press forward down the flank and produced a couple of dangerous crosses into the Vale box.
In the 18th minute he persisted in battling for a ball out wide right of goal and despite slipping on the greasy surface and the close attentions of Peterman managed to get the ball across into a throng at the back post where it was scrambled away for a corner on the left. Lawrence played it deep and in swinging to CAMPBELL who rose unmarked to deliver a splendidly judged loopy header that found the top left corner of the net.
An opening goal relatively early in the game is typical of United these days and they set about trying to capitalise on it. Initially they looked as if they would do so and definitely had the lion’s share of possession as they pressured the home side. In the 33rd minute United came very close to doubling the lead with an effort that came inches away from yielding a “route 1” goal. A goal kick by Macdonald was flipped forward right to Jake Stewart who took off at pace towards the right corner of the Vale box from where he crossed to strike partner Campbell who unleashed a hard low drive that beat the keeper only to fizz an inch or two wide of the back stick.
However although United remained in control ,Vale were no pushovers and made a few forays into visitor territory. In the 43rd minute a corner by Noble was scrambled away in the 6 yard box but no further than MacLellan who who snatched at the shot which was easily taken by Macdonald. The half ended with a spell of United pressure where Norris, Lisle and Stewart all had shots blocked in the densely packed 6 yard area. United continued to look the more likely to score in the early part of the second half but Vale managed spells of possession in United territory where a number of crosses , particularly from Ormsby, were played into the United box but the Formartine defence was well organised and never significantly troubled by any of them.
However the longer Formartine failed to get the second goal the bolder the Vale side got and in the 73 minute a bit of fancy footwork by Ormsby made him the space to swing over a cross to Dlugosz who unleashed a powerful low drive from 20 yards out that brought a good save from the well placed Macdonald.
Vale ramped up the tempo in search of an equaliser but the more they committed up top the more space United had to counter and they came close to extending the lead when a corner from the left reached Norris whose shot from the edge of the box spun wildly off a defensive boot and was just saved from spinning into the net at the junction of bar and post by McIntosh who clawed it away for another corner. This yielded a couple of chances as first Alberts then Rodger had strong shots blocked in the crowded goalmouth.
Well into stoppage time it took a spectacular reaction save by Macdonald to deny Mackay from just left of the penalty spot by diving to push the ball away from what initially looked like a net bound course.
Deveronvale
1. Sean McIntosh
14. Antonio Jam
3. Harry Noble
4. Ryan Park
5. Innes McKay
6. Jamie McLellan
7. Horace Ormsby
8. Jack Mitchell
9. Olek Dlugosz
10. Michael Watson
11. Metthew Petermann
Subs:
12. Kyle MacKillop-Hall, 15. Sam Bashua, 16. Cameron Angus, 17. Aaron Hamilton, 22. Liam Gibb (GK)
Formartine United
1. Ewen MacDonald
2. Lewis Wilson
3. Stuart Smith
4. Rhys Thomas (Lucas Smith 20 min)
5. Ryan Spink
6. Marc Lawrence
7. Aaron Norris
8. Graeme Rodger ©
9. Paul Campbell
10. Jake Stewart (14. Brody Alberts 78 min)
11. Scott Lisle
Unused Subs:
15. Josh Proctor, 16. Aaron Angus,
17. Kooper Richardson, 18. Grant Moroney,
21. Jake Ritchie (GK).