Deveronvale 0 Huntly 6: Hale lauds 'complete performance'
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HUNTLY continued their impressive early-season form by recording the biggest win of manager Allan Hale’s tenure – a 6-0 success at Deveronvale.
An Andy Hunter hat-trick was added to by goals from Lewis Crosbie, Ryan Sewell and Angus Grant to secure a big victory.
Hale was delighted with the result, which took the Black and Golds up to third in the Highland League with 16 points from seven matches.
“Bar the last couple of results, Vale have had a good start to the season,” he said.
“It was a complete performance from the first whistle. The players were bang at it and implemented the game plan and in the end it was a convincing win, capped off by a clean sheet which I was delighted with.
"If we don’t give up many goals, then with the attacking quality we have we always have a chance of scoring.”
Hale had praise for hat-trick man Andy Hunter, who played the match through the centre of attack.
“Andy was excellent on Saturday,” he added.
“He has played a couple of different positions, mainly due to the form of Brodie Allen, but Brodie hadn’t trained and, based on training, we felt putting Andy back up front was the right approach. That was proven right by his hat-trick.
“That is all our forward players off the mark now with Angus Grant scoring off the bench.
"That’s what we need as in years gone by we have over-relied on certain individuals and played them when they were injured or fatigued. Everyone has got to play well to get into this team and even better to stay there. We are blessed with a lot of quality.”
Austin Sparkes made his Black and Golds debut on Saturday, with the only blemish a late red card picked up by Cameron Heslop.
Hale added that that decision will be getting appealed with the hope Heslop will be available for Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against East Stirlingshire.
The Shire are a foe well known to Huntly, with the two having met twice in the Scottish Cup in the last decade – once in 2015 and once in 2018 – winning the first match and losing the second, both at Christie Park.
Hale added: “There is a history there, but it will have no bearing on this game. It’s a difficult draw.
"If you look at the Lowland League as a whole, with the catchment areas and finances available in comparison to the Highland League, I’d class East Stirlingshire as favourites, especially away from home, but the teams are evenly-matched.
“We’ll take a supporters’ bus down and we’ll look to the fans for inspiration and hopefully send them home happy.”
