Harlaw Park, Highland Football League, 13/8/25
Me still 356
Inverurie Loco Works Football Club
Founded – 1902
Nickname – Locos, The Railwaymen
Senior Honours – Highland League Cup – 2007/08 and 2008/09. Aberdeenshire Cup – 2023/24 Aberdeenshire Shield – 2003/04, 2013/14 and 2016/17. Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) – 2004/05 and 2005/06.
Bloody hell, I did not expect to see anything like what transpired here. I knew Locos have had their woes so far but this was incredible goings on. Mistakes have consequences and the Locos had a lot of mistakes.
As I scoofed a pint in the bar I was thinking to myself this had draw written all over it and the Locos would finally get off the mark and get rid of the big fat zero in their points column and maybe even score their first of the season. It started reasonably well too for the home side who were on the attack early with Forres very much on the back foot. A Locos goal looked to be on the cards , not before an amusing lino shout to the ref when he reported Forres man Mark McLaughlan for continually talking out of turn “Get that 25 told to be quiet, tell him to clamp it it right now”. Its one of the joys at this level, being able to hear the officials. He was right as the Forres captain had had numerous goes at him despite just the handful of minutes on the clock. The goal came on 11 minutes when Blair Smith got in behind the Can Cans defence with ease sending a cross bang on the money to the head of Robert Ward who hammered his header off the bar and in, this coming on 11 minutes. The kiss off the bar adding a massive slice of aesthetic pleasure to the finish. They had another very similar move after where McCarthy in the Forres goal was a bit lost but the header was sent over. Then came the first bullet to their own foot as Forres equalised when Callum Frame was gifted a free run at goal through some awful defending. The big striker stuck it away with no issue only two minutes after his team conceded the opener. This clearly raised the blood pressure of Locos manager Dean Donaldson who let out a hugely audible “that’s shite” at his back line. I kept an eye on his body language from there and there was a lot of anger in the man including a throw of his clipboard and pen at one point. Totally understandable as the game aged as his team were letting him down and it was to get a hell of a lot worse. The ease in which Forres could get in behind the defence was becoming more and more apparent. There was another big chance for the home side before the half ended and without trying to sound like I am overdoing it, it brought one of the best clearances I have seen in a long time. Similar to the goal a cross found its man Cairns(I think) who did everything right. The header beat McCarthy and was destined for the the top corner but from out of nowhere Lewis MacKenzie got Michael Jordan like air and as he leapt toward goal managing to hook the ball off the line and away to safety. It was a genuinely incredible gravity defying piece of defending from the man who in my eyes was the best on the park.
HT 1 v 1
No sooner had the second half started it was 1 v 2. But bizarrely it felt like there was more than three minutes elapsed by the time the ball hit the net. Forres seemed to have held on to the ball for a great length of time knocking it about with ease and little pressure from the Locos out of possession. Finally the ball reached the feet of first half hero MacKenzie, with a through ball on he decided to to take matters into his own hands and let off a rocket across goal and beyond Douglas in the home goal. A brilliant hit that I quite rightfully let out an “ooocha” as it made a crack on connection with the net. Then it was three within a minute. Locos lost the ball after taking centre this culminating in MacKenzie breaking into the box from the right after a wee mazy run crossing to Frame who hit a shot, Douglas saved low but sent the ball straight to MacLeman who tucked the rebound away. Such a poor goal defensively with the ease of MacKenzie’s run and the flat footedness at the rebound. Nobody moved for it barring white shirts. Remembering this game was 1 v 1 at half time, come the 53rd minute it was 1 v 4 as Frame had grabbed his second of the game. Once again it was far to easy and once again it came from a MacKenzie cross from the right, this time leaving Frame a tap in. Going back to Lewis MacKenzie, I really thought he was bloody brilliant on the night. Also going back, the Dean Donaldson quote earlier, he could have voiced the same opinion at all four goals if truth be told. This was some capitulation unfolding and one surely nobody could have expected even with Inverurie’s problems so far this season. But the Locos really had nothing about them here. The game was summed up when Ethan Cairns was sent through into a dangerous position in the box but he seemed to just casually hit the ball straight at McCarthy. There was no conviction.They did have a very good chance half way through the half when Jack McKenzie powerfully headed at goal but McCarthy was up to it pulling off his toughest piece of work for the day tipping it over. But there was not much else. If the earlier Cairns effort summed up the proceedings so far, Daniel Agnew crossing the ball over the behind goal net and completely out of Harlaw Park said even more about the season. At the other end Calum Frame had a chance of a hat trick late on when clean through, but he was shut down well by Douglas with Cruickshank pulling another save from the rebound. From the follow up corner Cruikshank was again foiled by the Locos keeper and that was that. There were a few boos next to me as the final whistle went and a few ‘what the fucks going on?’ type conversations. I don’t personally understand it either. I would have expected much more from this side. Yes Forres looked good and did get in the Locos faces when trying to recover the ball. Big credit for how Steven MacDonald’s men went about their business. But the lack of anything from the Locos was perplexing, almost as perplexing as why you get your bottle lid removed off your juice at the pie shack. An utterly baffling night.
Entrance – £12
Attendance – 265 (Rough Head Count)
Pie – £6.50, Coffee, Juice, Snickers
Pint – £4.40, Tennent’s , Locos Social Club
FITBAWBAG 