Formartine United prove too strong for Strathspey Thistle in opening home game
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Formartine United 4 Strathspey Thistle 0
If Formartine’s opening game of the season against reigning champions Brechin was seen as being against the toughest available opposition, this, their first home game of the Highland League against wooden spooners Strathspey Thistle, would be considered a less onerous task.
Even before kick-off, the odds seemed to stack up well in United’s favour when the visitors listed four trialists (two of whom were goalkeepers) on their team sheet.
United have a larger player pool than their visitors and despite missing four or five through suspension, injury and other reasons were able to field a convincing list of experienced players.
Lewis Wilson and Adam Emslie both made their home debut appearances after being blooded in other appearances since signing.
Previous experience suggested that the visitors would provide energetic resistance up to the point that United would score their first goal whereafter a progressive decline would ensue as United strengthened their grip on the game and racked up a few more goals as their superior fitness and ball retention allowed them to do so. In the event that was pretty well how it all panned out.
Formartine were first to show their teeth with an early break down the left spearheaded by Wade who cut in from the flank to release a crisp drive from 20 yards or so that looked to have deceived the keeper but slid past the far post.
United were moving the ball about sweetly and although Thistle chased and harried looking to pick up second balls, they were made to work quite hard for what share of possession they achieved.
Formartine were already asking far more questions than their visitors. In the 10th minute Rodger pressed on from midfield past a trialist defender before outmanoeuvring Mutch to hit a diagonal ball that nudged the crossbar before being hacked away to safety.
The visitors were energetic and enthusiastic enough to make the odd foray into the home final third and Mackenzie managed a pop at goal from about the 25-yard range in the 13 minute but it was struck more in hope than expectation and went over the top.
United continued to dominate possession and continually forced the visitors back. Wade and Emslie were causing problems for Thistle. They combined to lethal effect in the 32nd minute when the latter’s run through the inside left channel advancing after a Smith feed was topped off with a powerful cross to meet the run of Wade through the middle to leap and produce a searing header that scorched past trialist keeper Ligertwood and into the net.
United continued to press and managed to push Thistle into their own territory for most of what remained of the first half.
The second period began with a temporarily refreshed Strathspey again having to work hard to contain the slicker United side that moved the ball around to keep the opposition heavily occupied in the exhausting pursuit of elusive possession.
After 10 or 12 minutes of this United were looking the fitter and fresher side, ready to cash in. In a sweeping move from the edge of their own box, they passed their way to a position between the left side of the Thistle box and the touchline where Norris was fouled.
Park took the free-kick, swinging the ball into the six-yard area where Adams outmanoeuvred visiting defenders then rose above them all and headed the ball past Ligertwood for the second.
In the 63rd minute United emphasised their superior quality and fitness with a cracking goal. Norris advancing from quite deep in his own territory had the vision to play in Emslie, who was forward left of him by about 35 yards.
The youngster was off like an electric ferret until he reached a point near to the front left corner of the Thistle box. From there he ripped a fizzing drive that was in the back of the net before the bemused keeper had time to do anything about it.
Ruthlessly United set out to further exploit tiring legs in the opposition by bringing on subs Combe and Stewart. This effectively ensured not only victory but that the margin by which they achieved it would increase.
They continued to press home the advantage and right at the very end Stewart who had gone close with a shot that had deflected wide a minute or two before found himself at the sharp end of a brief spell of sustained pressure and rifled home a neat feed from Emslie to complete the scoreline.
