St Machar Academy, Association Trophy Second Round, 15/2/25
Me 332, Wee Man 198
Woodside Amateur Football Club
A rare dip into the Aberdeenshire AFA this season with this being only the third game related to the association in 2024/25. A local game was always on the cards for today but the pre-match carvery was not. It wasnt my idea either. Wee Man chucked in the suggestion so we headed to the Buckie Farm at the other side of the Tilly Bridge from the fitba. A solid suggestion it was as the ham was excellent. But all the meat was needing burnt off during our elongated pre-match kick about on the adjacent astro to the pitch. Proper old school Loftus Road type astro too with the lashings of white sandy crap on it. Crossbar challenge was a good laugh though
I must have driven past St Machar thousands of times in my life however I only ever played there once in my life. It was against King Street back in my juvenile fitba days. Today circa 25-27 years later I was there watching. The reason it was the choice for the day was split between the fact it looked to be a decent game and the ref was an ex-team mate in Andy MacLean. A slow burner was this encounter, one with a backdrop of numerous city landmarks, the Zoology building, the awful Library building across the road and the Tillydrone Highrisers. The first half was very evenly matched forty five. I would say Echt shaded it as the better team going forward but I have to credit Woodside at the back, stern and not willing to give anything away. I was impressed, especially with left back Blair Hendry who was solid throughout. But they all mucked in including keeper Walker who was put under pressure numerous times at set pieces, but he dealt well on the whole. Chance wise Echt thought they were in when Marc Macauley had a chance but he seemed to fail to connect well and sent the effort wide. This was quickly followed by Woodsides first real chance of the game when Jack Hearns was in only to pull a sound stop out of Lloyd Sharp. The biggest chance of the half also fell to Woodside when Cheyne burst free bearing down on Echt keeper Sharp, the forward got the ball past the keeper but also past the post. It really should have been 1 v 0 but at half time it was blank .
HT 0 v 0
The second half burst the game into life and became more end to end. Wee Man was worried we had a 0 v 0 incoming amd we would head to pens which we would not be able to watch as I had plans with the littler of Wee Men. I had to assure him that amateur games never ever end nil-nil (well very very seldom but I had to bend the truth and force the point). He was in luck as Woodside finally broke the deadlock when a nothing ball to left edge of the Echt box was well battled for by Lee McKenzie who did really well to find Aiden Milne who sent a ball onto the head of Hearns who looped an effort up and over Sharp and into the top corner. Relief for junior and game on as the pitch seemed to open up more. Echt went in search of the equaliser but as they had all game so far, the Woodside defence stood up to everything put at them with the last man in the four Greg Donald putting in a iron like shift in the second half. Woodside were then given a simple opportunity to double the lead when a daft penalty was given away when Echt midfielder Adam tugged his man. With little protest from anyone in red the away side knew it was daft and stonewall which it was. Veteran striker McKenzie stepped up making no mistake. Given how Woodside had defended so far I felt a two goal lead would secure their berth in the next round of the cup. It did but it didn’t come without a scare as Echt grabbed a late consolation and followed up this by ending the game on the front foot. But it was the men in white , and a lot of brown after the battle on this heavy city pitch who were making their way to the third round and on the defence alone I would have to day deservedly so too.
As mentioned earlier, we have had a lack of amateur games this season. This meaning we have missed out on some of the darker elements of the game which there was a bit of off the ball here today. Some sneaky assaults off the ball. (You know who you are). Magic stuff. That and some of the angry threats of violence type conversations too. Roll on the midweekers so we can get some more soon enough
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 39
Pie – N/A
Pint – £4.10 , Tennent’s, Buckie Farm
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 4, Wee Man 1 v 3
Season Score Prediction Totals -Me 2 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 