Turriff Thistle draw with Fyvie in first competitive encounter
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Fyvie 0 Turriff Thistle 0
The first ever competitive match between Fyvie and Turriff Thistle ended in a 0-0 stalemate although the Jags will look at it as a point won having to play for over an hour with 10 men after Dylan Buxton was shown a straight red card in 25 minutes for a late tackle.
Fyvie, on the other hand, will feel this was two points dropped as they hit the bar from a free header in the first half then ballooned a shot over the bar from inside the six-yard box in the second.
The entire Thistle squad put in a rock solid, superbly organised, backs to the wall performance as Fyvie constantly put them under the cosh but they held firm and could even have nicked it at the end when a defensive mistake gifted Michael Harris the ball at the edge of the box but he fired his shot over the bar.
With no games played, due to the weather, over the past two weeks the Jags started in their 4-3-3 formation with a few rotational changes.
With club captain, Mike McCombie, unavailable Steven Wight, Kian Beaton, Ryan Catto and Glen Morrison lined up in front of Jordan Ogg.
Regular midfielders, Joe Bisset and Callan Reid were joined by Michael Harris with Regan Fowlie, Dylan Buxton and Nathan Fraser making up the front three.
The subs bench consisted of Callum Anderson, Lee Stuart, Bruce Mair, Ryan Morrison, making a rare appearance, and new signing, Callum Lynch.
The match kicked off on an immaculate pitch and within the first minute Thistle created the first chance when a Buxton through-ball put Fowlie in behind the Fyvie defence but the keeper was out quickly to collect.
The Jags rode their luck on five minutes when a Fyvie cross from the left was met with a free header in the middle but the ball crashed off the bar and was cleared.
In 12 minutes a long ball forward was met on the edge of the Fyvie box by Buxton who attempted to head it over the approaching keeper but was wide of the target, however, he was floored by the keeper after the ball was away but nothing was given.
The next chance fell to Fyvie on 18 minutes when a free kick from the left was cleared by the Jags defence but the ball was immediately fired back from the edge of the box and flew wide of the post.
The match flared up on 25 minutes when Buxton went into a tackle at the edge of the pitch near the middle which was both late and high, however, the referee was immediately surrounded by most of the Fyvie team plus the keeper who ran half the length of the park screaming at him for a red card.
A straight red card was eventually shown and Buxton was off with the Jags down to 10 men and over an hour to go.
Thistle pulled Fowlie and Harris back into midfield with Fraser the lone striker as they prepared to survive until half-time.
On 28 minutes the Jags won a corner which was fired in by Harris and met by Fowlie in the middle but his header flew narrowly over, however, with all eyes on the action no-one saw Beaten being floored by the keeper on the Fyvie goal-line.
Fyvie piled on the pressure for the remainder of the first half but could not breach the Jags defence and any ball that got past them was confidently mopped up by Ogg.
The second half began with Thistle pushing forward and, on 49 minutes, a corner from Harris on the left was met by Catto at the back post but his header flew past.
Fyvie retained the majority of possession but could not break down the Thistle two banks of four strung across the pitch who were battling for every ball.
In 59 minutes Fyvie managed to break through on the left and the final shot had beaten Ogg but the ball was brilliantly cleared off the line by Catto.
The Jags rode their luck for a second time when, from the resultant corner, the ball dropped inside the six-yard box but the Fyvie player somehow spooned it high over the bar.
Thistle continued to keep Fyvie at bay refusing to give an inch and on 70 minutes Bisset tried his luck from long range but his shot was well saved.
On 73 minutes, Beaton, who had put in an incredible shift, was forced off with a hamstring problem and was replaced by Ryan Morrison then, on 78 minutes, Mair came on for an exhausted Fraser who had run his heart out up front all game. Finally, Stuart was introduced for Reid who had battled away relentlessly in the middle of the park.
The three fresh pairs of legs were immediately put under pressure as, with time running out, Fyvie lifted their game in search of a winner, however, the only clear-cut chance they had was a header from a free kick that Ogg held easily.
Thistle could have nicked all three points close to the end when a defender lost control of the ball just outside his own box and Harris pounced on it, took a touch and blasted it narrowly over the bar.
The teams have still to meet at the Haughs this season which should be in the next few weeks and that will definitely be another tasty encounter, especially after this 0-0 result.
