Hat-trick helps Formartine to victory against Clach
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Formartine United 4 Clachnacuddin 0
This was Formartine’s fifth successive win of 2023 and allowed them to leapfrog Brora into fourth position in the Breedon Aggregates Highland League.
Like the majority of those wins it was achieved by a wide margin and with a clean sheet.
Ordinarily that might be considered title chasing form but less convincing results earlier on in this rebuilding season mean that although current form clearly demonstrates that the club are on a distinct upward trajectory this season’s title race looks to be between Buckie and Brechin.
Victory is not an arithmetical certainty for that pair but it would take a collapse of cataclysmic proportion for either or both to let any of the chasing pack of Fraserburgh, Formartine and Brora to snatch it from them.
The early stages of this game did not suggest the comprehensive nature of the victory ahead and for 20 minutes or thereby the visitors while hardly calling all of the shots nevertheless applied enough pressure on their hosts to seem the more likely to score first and gain the upper hand.
There was not a lot in it but they definitely settled quick enough to press United onto the back foot at times and after a push that started in left midfield the ball was worked forward by Nicholson before being played by Chalmers into the path of Mckenzie at the right corner of the box to rip a vicious shot that rebounded off the inside of the far post.
They seemed to carry real menace and to have the confidence to challenge United who appeared slow to settle.
At this stage they had at least half of the possession and were moving the ball about quickly. Their energy levels were high and they won a bit more than an even share of “second balls”.
However, United started to find shape, form and rhythm and by the 15th the midfield pair of Gallagher and Rodger were starting to pressure the visitors around their penalty area and the game was becoming more evenly balanced.
This prompted increasing attention from the visiting rearguard who were keen to hold onto their promising start and delivered tackles intended to warn off any United player from persisting in Clach territory.
United continued to gain traction and the game reached a crucial turning point in the 28th minute. A United push down the right had started from the back and the ball worked forward to Rodger just in from the touchline.
As the home skipper moved to head the ball forward left into space for Gallagher and Campbell, Black attempted to kick it off his head.
Unsurprisingly the small defender failed to reach either the ball or the head of the six-foot midfielder and connected with Rodgers’ eyebrow leaving a profusely bleeding gash. Straight red card.
From then on United assumed complete control and over the remaining hour notched four goals, three of them from Paul Campbell to complete his second hat-trick in successive games.
The first of them came five minutes later after Lisle outpaced two defenders down the right before clipping the ball into the path of Campbell who split Cormack and Sutherland then drove it fiercely home low past the keeper’s right hand from 15 yards.
The second half saw spirited resistance from 10-man Clach who worked hard to stay in the game but United were well able to cash in on their numerical advantage and moved the ball about fluently, retaining possession and running the legs off their opponents.
It took only five minutes to double the lead. Park swung over a corner from the right provoking a scramble in the Clach goalmouth as the ball bobbed about. This was the ideal predatory position for Campbell to muscle his way to the ball and slip it into the net from close range.
United deployed their subs and Tyler Mykyta returning from a protracted period off following an injury acquired ironically enough against Clach back in September made an ideal return flitting into pockets of space and pinging inch perfect passes to all points forward.
In the 84th minute he hit an angled one slightly right to left to allow Campbell to get behind defenders to hit home his third.
A leg weary Clach conceded another right at the death when Mykyta’s perfectly flighted corner kick was met by centre back Adams to complete the scoreline.
