Ugie Park , NESFA League 2, 20/8/24
Me 319 , Wee Man 184
The penultimate team to visit to complete the set in the “Summer League”. The North East Scotland FA has become somewhat of a tradition over the last three summers and this latest match threw up the goods once again. I watch fitba for entertainment, goals and incident and if you have the latter two then the former is a given and entertainment was a plenty on the edge of the North Sea tonight.
For Wee Man it started brilliantly as there are mini-goals next to the pitch and he had his gloves with him, meaning, 25 minutes of me smashing shots at him pre-game and him getting filthy. On the pitch the it was the visitors who started well and dominated proceedings for as good as the first quarter of an hour passing up a couple of half chances in the process. But the first clear cut effort fell to Peterhead United’s Josh Strachan who from point blank range undercooked an effort straight at Murray Green in the Town goal. This was quickly followed by a Jamie Benzie effort for Cuminestown which just lacked the required dip to bother Emslie in the Peterhead goal. Emslie was then called into action to make the save of the match when he was at full stretch to his right to get no more than a finger tip on an effort that bounced in front of him but it was enough to send the ball onto the post and away to safety. No sooner had he dusted himself down he was again on the ground, this time with his game over for the night as he was clattered by Town striker Marc McLaren, who I will add was as entitled to go for the ball as the keeper, it was just one of these unfortunate collisions in fitba. (It was during this long delay I noticed a ex-team mate of years Billy Dailly playing for the home side. Fair play to him, surely 40 now)Ryan Leys was to replace the keeper and the makeshift goalkeeper was to pull off an decent early stop to prevent McLaren. But only a minute later the Cuminestown striker managed to find the net when he was left in too much space mid box to nod home an effort which seemed to head into the top corner in slow motion. The home side should have equalised when Robertson struck an effort when unmarked but it was too close to Green who dealt with it with ease. The home side did then equalise , this from a penalty when the ref was quick to point to the spot after an uncontested infringement on Strachan saw the nippy striker tumble. DJ Strachan buried the kick getting it caught in the stanchion to make it more aesthetically pleasing. But they failed to stay on level terms for long as Cuminestown swiftly had the ball in the net again. This when Struan Morrison stuck a toe out to divert a cross into the bottom corner dinking the post on the way in. A classy deft wee finish it was which I doubt any keeper was saving. However, was he in too much space to get the effort away? Again, Peterhead United should have equalised but failed. This when Jamie Dorta managed to hit the bar from a couple of yards out. He really should have been making a hole in the net from that range. The leveller did come though, and it was from old head Kevin Norris who lofted a free kick into the box, only to see it cleared and he stepped on to the clearing header sending the ball perfectly through a plethora of bodies and into the bottom corner. A very tidy finish to put the teams into the break even Stevens.
HT 2 v 2
The second half opened with Norris failing to take advantage of his own good footwork in the box when his finish wasn’t up to the ability to fashion the chance as he sent the ball wide from a few yards out. The ex-Highland League man was cursing himself again soon after when he headed a corner wide. He had to score but saw the effort clatter off the old Ugie Hospital wall behind the goal. If he was pissed off with himself there he was even more so when the resulting goal kick was sent up the park and struck brilliantly with venom into the the Peterhead goal by Morrison who grabbed his brace. Then came the moment of the match, and a bloody controversial one at that. On the attack Peterhead broke with Strachan, who is rapid for the record, taking a touch past one Town man then another past the incoming defender, he was then wiped out by the next defender who was all that was standing between the striker and being clean through. A certain red card thought everyone at the end of the River Ugie. But the one person who didn’t was the ref who claimed there was cover from not one but two defenders. No chance of one let alone two. So it was a yellow only. Games can change on moments like these. For the good and the bad depending which side and it was for the bad for the hosts. A depleted squad on the night who were forced into subs and started to run out of steam. Would it have happened v ten men? Ifs and buts but the 11 men of the Town came up trumps and especially striker McLaren who went on to bag a hat-trick. He added a second when he was sent clean through to prod the ball under the onrushing Leys. He then made it a treble when when he toed a cross across the face of the goal and beyond Leys into the bottom left hand corner. Another tidy finish for the night killing what had been a bloody entertaining 90. The score line probably flattered but another seven goals on our summer jollies can never be sniffed at.
On Ugie Park it may be basic but the views are quality given its proximity to the sea. Parts of St Fergus Gas Terminal are visible, Rattray Head Lighthouse is clearly on show, the Ugie meeting the sea where the supply vessels sit and wait is also a stones throw away. A pleasing place on the eye. Then of course there is ample opportunity for a kick about for Wee Man. We both left the place chuffed and also both left one NESFA club shy of completing the set
Entrance – Free
Attendance – A bit skewed by kids having a kick about but let’s say 43
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 2, Wee Man 1 v 3
Score Prediction Season Total – Me 0 v 0 Wee man
FITBAWBAG 