Formartine United end Brechin's long undefeated league run
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Formartine United 2 Brechin City 0
This was the football equivalent of the old physics conundrum of what happens when an irresistable force meets an immovable object?
On the back of six wins in a row spanning every league game of 2023 Formartine constituted the irresistible force while Brechin sitting undefeated in just over a year of league football, although having a couple of draws, looked like a pretty immovable object.
In the end after an almighty game Formartine added to their run of victories, maintained a clean sheet in a fully deserved win and dunted Brechin’s pride.
Ironically the major beneficiary of United’s win is Buckie Thistle who clambered over Brechin to assume top spot in the League. Formartine move in to third place.
The game started at a scorching pace as Brechin attempted to steamroller their way to an early lead throwing everything into attack and pinning United down deep in their own territory at the village end.
The visitors certainly had the edge in terms of territorial advantage and possession over the opening minutes with United relying on a back four that had never played together.
The full backs of Crawford and Smith are a long established partnership but the centre back pairing had Rhys Thomas, who made an impressive debut against Banks O'Dee, partnering Kieran Adams. The long throwing McLean was unavailable.
The visitors blitzkrieg lasted around 10 minutes but for all the investment in it, yielded few opportunities to open the scoring and United began to settle.
From then on a different pattern began to emerge. United began to gain traction in midfield and started to establish a supply route via Rodger and Gallager to Lisle and Norris either side of Campbell and Wade.
Lisle has serious pace and when he was in full flight the visiting defenders looked distinctly nervous.
Wade, a former fans’ favourite at Brechin, had the trickery to get past the visiting defenders and they knew it.
Formartine were beginning to ask questions and the game assumed a much more end to end character.
In the 21st minute a Brechin attack down the right flank ended with Scott getting the ball into the net only after the flag had been raised for an offside in the process.
The ball was immediately worked up to the opposite end after Norris had played in Campbell who broke forward into the box pursued by McHattie whose late attempt at a tackle brought the striker down about five yards from the right post to appeals by several for a penalty.
These were denied but Formartine were on the warpath by now and beginning to sustain pressure on the Brechin penalty area.
Lisle scorched his way down the left flank leaving Cruickshank and McHattie in his wake before crossing the ball with precision to meet the 24th minute run of Campbell who had it in the net in a flash from the edge of the six-yard box.
The high tempo persisted and tackles were meaty all over the park but for all that both keepers had relatively little to do.
The second period began and continued in the same tightly contested manner as the first had with Formartine looking the slightly more direct of the sides.
Brechin came close to levelling in the 58th minute when a 20-yard effort from McGrath rebounded to safety from Macdonald’s left upright but the home keeper, excellently protected by the rearguard, was never put under real pressure.
In the 72nd minute a Brechin press down the left saw Cruickshank slipping the ball left to Scott who tried to get into the box but needing to get himself and the ball past Adams.
The centre back was having none of it and brought him down a step short of the box. The forward was athletic enough to ensure he landed inside the box but the foul was commited outside.
Adams was booked and the free-kick was scrambled away to safety. United were living a bit dangerously then but kept their heads and began to increasingly dominate midfield.
United were winning more than their share of 50/50s and second balls and again managed a bit of territorial advantage.
In the 82nd minute they earned their just deserts when on the back of a sustained attack the ball rebounded out from a crowded goalmouth to Wade moving in from the right corner of the box to strike the ball past the right hand of the keeper and seal the result.
Brechin tried gamely to get back into it but the nearest they achieved was a Bain free-kick that hit the bar. Macdonald looked to have had it covered anyway.
This was deep in stoppage time and the game was well won by then.
