Clachnacuddin vs Deveronvale
Clach\'s long awaited first game of the new year ended in a rout as the Lilies ran out 7-0 winners against Deveronvale at Grant Street Park.
After adverse weather caused back-to-back postponements, Clach returned to action against a ‘Vale side that were looking to extend their league unbeaten run to 6. The hosts were looking to bounce back after a last minute winner cost them a point against Fraserburgh.
There was one change to the side that lost at Bellslea Park, with Joe Malin replacing Logan Ross between the posts. There was a spot on the bench for centre half Josh Meekings for the first time since November.
The hosts hit the ground running, and were ahead within five minutes. A free kick from the left was half-cleared by the Deveronvale defence, but was nodded back into the area where Andy Macrae was on hand to lob the ball over Ethan Hopkinson on the half volley and open his account for his new club.
The home side were on top, and threatened to extend their advantage within five minutes, with Troy Cooper’s effort comfortably rolling into the visiting keeper’s gloves.
On 19 minutes, Clach did extend their lead, as Vale defender Murray Esson misjudged a long ball, nodding the ball backwards towards his own goal for James Anderson to run onto. Anderson dispatched a clinical effort beyond Hopkinson into the right hand corner, and doubled the Whites’ advantage.
The visitors finally sparked into action, with Dlugosz forcing a great save from Malin low to his right. But the home side continued to have the lion\'s share of the chances, and minutes before half time they went close again, as Macrae cut in from the right and slipped in Craig Lawrie, but the winger\'s effort rolled agonisingly wide of the left upright.
Five minutes into the second period, the home side found a third. Joe Malin\'s kick out soared over the Vale defence, and dropped to Macrae, who chose to selflessly square the ball to Cooper, who passed the ball beyond Hopkinson.
The Macrae-Cooper link up was on full display again within a minute, as Macrae was played in down the right, and sent a low ball across the box, only for Cooper\'s effort to be cleared off the line by Jamie MacLellan.
The home side smelled blood, and on the hour mark they spurned another gilt-edged opportunity. Anderson knocked the ball on for Lawrie, who played Cooper through, but the winger\'s touch let him down, the away keeper was out to divert his shot wide from a difficult angle.
Minutes later, the Lilies did find the net again. Tobias Davies-Browne played into trouble at the back, and lost out to Anderson, with the ball breaking to Rorie Macleod, who coolly chipped the ball over Hopkinson. This was becoming a thrashing.
And it was set to get better for the home side, as sub Lewis Mackenzie cut in from the right and was brought down by Davies-Browne just inside the area. Referee Darren Munro pointed to the spot and, after a prolonged delay as the goalie changed his boots, Scott Davidson stepped up, sending Hopkinson the wrong way and slotting the ball into the bottom left.
Davidson then assisted his (almost) namesake, Jack Davison. Davidson won the flick on and Davison ran onto it, calmly slotting the ball beyond Hopkinson.
Davidson was on the scoresheet again moments later, as he played a cross-field pass to Allan Macphee, before arriving in the box to meet the ensuing cross and nod home the seventh of the afternoon.
And the striker\'s afternoon nearly got better still, as in the dying moments he met another cross with a header at the back post, only to be denied a hat trick by a great save.
Conor Gethins’ side register their third 7-0 victory of the season, with a dominant home display. Next they travel through to Victoria Park to face Buckie Thistle.
Clachnacuddin:
J. Malin, B. Cormack, A. Gillies, J. Mackay, J. Anderson (S. Davidson), A. Macrae (J. Davison), T. Cooper (L. Mackenzie), F. Adams (H. Nicolson), R. Macleod, C. Lawrie (A. Macphee), J. Kerr.
Deveronvale:
E. Hopkinson, J. Goldie, H. Noble, J. Bradford, M. Esson, J. MacLellan, A. Reid, D. Yunus, B. Hermiston, K. Matheson, A. Dlugosz.
