2020/21 New Pitsligo 6 v 3 New Deer

New Pitsligo Playing Field, North East Scotland League 1, 4/6/21

Entrance – N/A

Attendance – 38 (Biggest Count)

Pie – N/A but the steak pie supper from near by Gold-N-Crispy was beautiful

Pint – N/A

New Pitsligo Football Club

Founded – Unsure

Nickname – Cyaak

Honours – Unsure but the league, League Cup, Brucklay Cup, Gordon Leask Memorial Cup, Ship Inn Cup and Victoria Coaches Cup have all been won since 2010

Random Fact – Trying to find any information on them is a task and a half

Friday night, 20 degrees, a game was a must. With almost heading to Loch Lomond I was pointed in the direction of local set up North East Scotland Welfare League. The choice of destination, 21 miles up North to New Pitsligo. Looking at photos I guessed it fitted my criteria of a ground, Not a council multi pitch municipal job, not a random all weather , it is fenced in(also partly walled in by houses), it’s is solely for fitba. (There are a couple of others meeting these rules too in the league that may get a visit soon enough too). It turned out I was correct. What a choice of venue/game too.

Last week I took abuse for my fitba habits, basically watching a Junior friendly and a North Caledonian League game but shunning the European Cup Final. Well I wonder what these clowns would make of our choice tonight. I will tell you what too. Fitba entertainment does not need to be created by multi million pound mercenaries, 22 welfare players can do the same thing in Aberdeenshire. Wee Man’s 60th ground gave us a cracking serving and a lovely chipper to eat during the opening stages of the match.

Amateur and Welfare fitba has stereo types and I am not going to lie, this match had a few of these, the “big” keeper (New Deer), the older, wearing , larger lad who doesn’t cover much grass who in fact turns out to be a very clever and astute player with a magic range of passing (New Pitsligo’s Ferguson, very good player). The sweary manager, (New Deer), poor defending (bit of both) but it all made for great viewing. The first half started as the game was to go on with the hosts creating opportunities and in truth being the better team. Some of the through balls from midfield were brilliant bound to pay off eventually and maybe later in the season will more often once match sharpness comes in. However the opening goal came from a corner, with the New Deer keeper coming to collect he clattered into two of his own defenders leaving the ball to drop at the edge of the box where Ferguson was there to howitzer the ball past everyone, almost removing the net pegs in the process. It quickly became two when a through ball caught New Deer cold and Donaldson found himself clean through to stick a well placed shot past the big visiting keeper. Good finish but a disappointingly simple goal to give away from a New Deer perspective. The home side continued to create and the big 17 , Dillon couldn’t believe his luck when poor defending gifted him an easy finish from close range. The game was in danger of turning very one sided, But New Deer threw a spanner in the works when again there was more suspect defending on show when somehow two defenders didn’t mange to carry out their bread and butter, leaving the number 11 to boom one home from point blank range. The finish was a good old fashioned laces through the ball type leaving the keeper absolutely no chance. This leading to an amusing episode when home number 1 (who was actually 13) picked the ball out of the net and punched it at one of the error making team mates and followed up with an explosive foul mouthed tirade . He need not have worried as almost immediately the three goal lead was restored when Osler was on hand to take advantage of more poor goalkeeping when the cross was fumbled by the keeper leaving a tap in header for the 22. But New Deer cut the deficit again almost instantaneously and you guessed it, via some poor defending when the 11 was given free reign down the left , the defence backed off and backed off leaving the chance for a speculative 25 yard effort across goal, which was duly taken with superb accuracy .

HT – 4 v 2

After a six goal thriller in the first half I was expecting a damp squib of a second period. I was almost correct. The third quarter of the match had very little of note. A few half chances for both sides but not much more. It was during this period I couldn’t help but admire how good a surface was on the go. This must have been a plowed park in a past life (the lower area next to the pitch suggests this) and the pitch was created by building up and raising. But it seem dead flat, agricultural thick grass free (I know all about that with my house being build on an old plowed park),the ball rolled really well and there was no signs of cutting up at all, an impressive surface at this level. Unfortunately, the pitch being where it is, it has swarms of midges in their hundreds which got to the unbearable, Fort William Claggan Park stage . At this point we moved toward the car due it looking the safest bet away from all the trees and bushes. As we did this the matches goal drout ended around 75 minutes in when Donaldson grabbed his brace from close range. 5 became 6 when Gordon tapped in after being laid the ball on a plate from some decent work on the right wing by his team mate. The home team were on their way to the three points but not without a wee scare when after New Deer’s substitute 15 launched an enormous throw into the box the keeper fumbled as he tried to catch after colliding with a man(very similar to the first Pitsligo goal and on exactly the same spot) left an easy prod home from 17. A few more gigantic throws caused a couple more hearts in mouth moments but the scoring was over for the night. The game petered out and the three points from this very well spirited game stayed at the Cyaak Playing Field

More proof that highly entertaining fitba doesn’t have to be created in the Champions League or even by professionals for that matter. A very decent Friday night out with the Wee Man.

Me 194, Wee Man 60