Formartine United share spoils in draw with Nairn County
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Nairn County 1 Formartine United 1
This was always going to be a bigger challenge for Formartine than a cursory scan of league positions would suggest.
United came to this tie securely enough in fifth position in the league but on the back of three cup defeats on the trot.
Despite being half a dozen places beneath their visitors, Nairn were resurgent under new management by former Brora boss Steven Mackay and had catapulted there on the back of a run of six games undefeated.
They also had added to their squad former Caley Thistle, Brora and Huntly defender Ross Tokely who had made a comeback to rival Lazarus at an age well north of 40.
Nairn also fielded two former United players in Wayne Mackintosh and Andrew Greig who each had significant first hand experience of playing for their former colleagues for a couple of seasons.
United started well showing and sustaining a high level of possession that took the game repeatedly to Nairn’s final third and looked initially to be the stronger side.
They built patiently from the back and although Nairn’s work rate was high, United were too slick to allow them much of the ball.
The first corner of the game followed a period of United pressure when a free-kick by Park about 35 yards out was delivered into a throng of players at the back post and clipped goalward to produce a diving save from Munro who pushed the ball out for a corner.
The corner was cleared but the ball was quickly restored to United possession and a run by Coombe took it swiftly back into Nairn territory where it was worked across the edge of the box, before reaching MacIver whose fierce low drive rebounded from the right upright.
By the mid point of the first half Nairn were beginning to gain traction and a much improved level of possession and the game became more end to end.
A Gordon break through the centre was ended by the intervention of Adams at the edge of the area, but the main architect in the improvement of Nairn was Mackintosh whose ball winning and capacity to break up play regularly impeded Formartine's rhythm and patterned play.
In the 34th minute a break down the right flank was completed by right back Maclean hitting a cross to the far side of the United six-yard box to Dey, whose initial shot rebounded back to him and he had just enough time and space to drive the ball home for the opener.
Wade needed some on pitch treatment and was replaced at half-time by Lisle. United who had faded after their bright start to the game made a vigorous determined start to the second half and within a few minutes had County on the back foot.
Lisle, returning to the squad after injury, added pace and direct running to an extent that County struggled to contain him and Formartine re-established the sort of territorial advantage they had shown early in the first half.
They came near to levelling the game at least twice before they succeeded in the 67th minute.
A run through the middle taking him clear of defenders set up Coombe for a 20-yard curling shot that saw Munro at full stretch to reach just shy of the junction of the bar and his left post.
Lisle was denied when a sneaky effort from a tight angle left of goal was somehow scrambled clear.
However, Rodger did the business when a corner by Park was headed on to him by Adams to fire home, cleanly and accurately from eight yards.
The game continued at pace as United pressed for the winner. They dominated the remaining time pressing and harrying to get a winner.
Nairn were forced into the counter position and made a few forays into United territory but never really managed to get forward in the numbers needed to sustain pressure and were generally contained simply and competently.
United pressure was resisted mostly by force of numbers which led to a final third that was over populated and which constrained United's efforts to find the space from which to get the ball to the net.
The pace of the game was increasingly frantic and as United determination was greater than their composure the impasse remained.
