Barclay Park, Gordon Leask Memorial Cup Group 1, 7/4/23
Me 270, Wee Man 142
Glenugie United Football Club
Founded – 2013
Nickname – Ugie
Honours – Brucklay Cup – 2019. Ardallie Cup – 2021 and 2022
Random Fact – The club have reached the Scottish Welfare Cup Semi’s this season. A great effort.
After a bit of rain and pretty much a murky day the sun stuck its head out in the North East. As it did we were having a kick about in the backie and Wee Man asked “football tonight?”. A quick look at the fixtures and Irvine and Halkirk seemed a bit far, however Peterhead. Nae bother, this getting us back on the NESFA horse. A set up which has given us a couple of cracking games over the last couple of seasons inclusive of a memorable a 5 v 5 between Cuminestown and Macduff.
Tonight on paper had the makings of a cracking watch, two of the better teams in the set up and a derby to boot. We turned up and just as the game was kicking off (early) in front of impressive numbers looking on. The game started with an early blow to the home side when Daniel Mair was forced off with what turned out to be a dislocated shoulder after a coming together on the deck on the far touch line. The game was hard with some meaty challenges coming in, there were the amusing shouts from the sidelines and two teams who were up for the battle. Exactly what you are wanting from a derby. The first half though was a bit limp. There were a spattering of decent chances, Haven had the first when Ben Danton pulled out a solid save from Watt in the Ugie goal but he got the rebound wrong and blazed over the bar from ten yards. Ugie’s Liam Tinney was then guilty of two big misses in quick succession. The first where he rose unmarked at a corner only to head past the post. His second was a bigger chance where similar to Danton at the other end fired one over the bar on the rebound from close range. Then came a rare sighting, so rare Wee Man didn’t have a clue what was going on. In over 150 live games he had never seen a pass back leading to a free kick in the box. His mind was blown. The kick came to nothing though as it was struck off an ass in the wall. As the half was closing there was an almost calamity when a bit of pinball in the Glenugie box culminated in Jordan Fraser trying to clear hitting his own man off the back sending the ball inches over the bar with keeper Watt looking on stranded.
Points of note, It was interesting to see ex Fraserburgh man Kevin Norris still kicking a ball about at 48 for Haven. Fair play to him. Also to note my ex-teammate and college classmate(from when I was serving my time as an apprentice) was playing centre half for Ugie. Kris “Snuggs” Keith. I wasn’t surprised to see him still moaning at refs like he did when we were 15/16 years old.
HT 0 v 0
It was not until half time that Wee Man spied the adjacent Raemoss, home of Buchanhaven Hearts which we visited earlier in the season. I explained that there used to be a third pitch here and the Morrisons looking back at us was once Recreation Park. Only once I managed to get there to watch Peterhead (smashed Cove rangers 7 v 2 for the record). Just as our kick about started it ended quick sharp as half time was as good as just a turn around, most likely due beating the darkness. Haven had three big chances to take the lead and further kill off the game in the first five minutes. First up was Alexander Buchan who may have thought he should have done better with a header from close. This was quickly followed up by Matthew Bruce trying his luck with a curling effort across goal at the top left corner missing my a fag papers width. The third chance fell to full back Craig Murphy who received the ball on the left and cut inside into acres of space but his effort across goal screwed wide. Then came a bit of controversy when a studs in challenge from Ugie’s Douglas was let go by the ref leading to Haven’s Ethan Geary firing in with an even worse two footed effort as retribution.This led to some pushing and shoving and even a cheeky punch. I am sure I saw one, Snuggs was hounding the ref after he saw it too. The game was heating up nicely. To make it better, as soon as Ugie took the resulting freekick Norris fired into a wild diving challenge immediately. Let’s face it, it is what we want to see when rivals play.The deadlock was broken finally with around seventy minutes on the clock when a defence splitting pass sent Ben Danton through and after a couple of touches to swallow up some yardage he coolly sent the ball under the onrushing Watt. The lead did not last long though and it was even Stevens soon after when Callum Gasson was on hand to toe home from close range after Haven could not deal with a long throw. As far as celebratory cheers at amateur games go this was up there. Impressively loud. Game on with 15 minutes to go. Glenugie stepped up their game from here and bacame the better team. Mark Thomson was unlucky not to grab a second when he smashed the ball left to right but seemed to maybe cut across the ball a bit much. Ugie continued to push and it paid off when after what can only be described as determination from Thompson against couple of Haven men out on the left he managed to cross perfectly for Gasson who struck his second of the night and a late winner sending the Glenugie bench and fans on the pitch celebrating complete with shithousery type shouts at their opponents. But it was all down to wide man Thompson who did all the hard work to help grab the win late on.
Good to get back to the “Summer League”, a much better second half than first. But an enjoyable rivalry none the less. I see I am home for Haven v Glenugie in the league. Marked on the calendar already.
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 102 (when I counted, it fluctuated)
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Prediction – Me 2 v 2, Wee Man 1 v 2
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 1 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 