Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth hails team’s comeback from 3-0 down to Deveronvale in Highland League Cup but criticises earlier lapses as team loses on penalties
A comeback from three goals down to force a penalty shoot-out wasn’t enough to impress Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth.
The Black and Golds exited the Highland League Cup at the quarter-final stage to Deveronvale, who won 3-1 on spot kicks after a 3-3 stalemate at Christie Park.
The tie looked over when Huntly trailed 3-0 with 15 minutes to go, before top scorer Angus Grant’s 24th goal of the season sparked a late home revival.
Sub Ryan Sewell got a second back on 90 minutes, direct from a corner and a Jamie MacLellan own goal in time added on raised Huntly hopes of completing a remarkable turnaround.
But when Grant, James Connelly and Ross Still missed Huntly’s first three penalties, even two stops by home keeper Calum Brodie wasn’t enough to deny Vale victory.
“I thought it was written for us after we came back from three down,” said Charlesworth.
“There were mixed feelings after the game. I wanted to be proud of the boys and complimentary to them for coming back from 3-0 down. But at the same time, they know and don’t need me to tell them that we don’t accept those standards that we played for 70 minutes.
“I’m quick to defend my players when we’ve played well so I don’t want to say it was all about us being poor. Deveronvale were well worth it to be 3-0 up, they played well, they were well-drilled and organised and hard to break down. They were intense and in our face, everything that I wanted us to start the game as.
“When we did turn it on in the last 20 minutes, we showed what we are capable of and what we have been all season so it's just a shame we couldn’t string a 90-minute performance together.”
Charlesworth admitted that the game plan and his players’ application wasn’t right when his side fell out of the contest in the first half.
Strikes by harry Noble and Ben Hermiston put the Banff men deservedly two up at the break and Jack Mitchell added a third on the hour, before the late comeback turned the match on its head.
“It was more about making the right decisions and continuing to do what had been working for us,” Charlesworth added.
“We were guilty of trying things in the first half that weren’t working for us but we kept persisting with it. In the second half when we realised what was hurting them we carried on doing it and got some joy from it.”
The Huntly boss said Vale keeper Ethan Hopkinson made two good saves from Huntly’s first two kicks, while there was some debate over whether Still’s strike, which crashed off the underside of the bar, might have crossed the line.
After Vale scored their first kick, the next five were all missed and although Fin Allen did find the net for Huntly, two more Vale conversions won the day.
“Stilly’s was a close one, the ref looked at the linesman, the linesman looked at the ref and they weren’t sure who was going to make a decision if it bounced over the line,” he said. “But there was no clear and obvious call so you can’t argue with that.
“Penalties are a lottery and I do back my guys and the next penalty shoot-out we come into I will back them again. It was just a bad day for us, along with some good goalkeeping.”
Huntly continue a tough schedule of games over the next month with back-to-back home league games against Fraserburgh on Wednesday and a rematch with Vale this weekend.
After that they visit champions Buckie Thistle, then play leaders Brechin City at home to finish the year. Clach away and banks o’ Dee at home make for a difficult start to 2025 as well.
We’ve got Fraserburgh on Wednesday night and Deveronvale again on Saturday.
“We’ve got a squad of 20 players that I can play anybody and we will still be as strong,” said Charlesworth.
“I think we need to use that squad when it comes to a busy run of fixtures. We used it against Vale, I started with a team that wasn’t working, we took four boys off the bench on a one-er and it turned the tide.
“We’ve got that within the dressing room where players know they can’t get comfortable and they have to perform. They also know with the busy period that we are going to rotate a little bit and get the best out of everybody.
“That stands us in good stead. It’s been a good season and one result isn’t going to change that.”
