Huntly 1-6 Clach
There are many reasons to love the Highland League. Proper Grass-Roots football, played by people whose names you can just about pronounce. Well maybe with the exception of Kuba. Sorry Kuba. I try, I really do, but I\'m probably getting it sooooo wrong. But, yes, reasons to love this League. Away days for a start. If it weren\'t for football, what other possible reason would you have, to go go to places like Rothes, Formartine, Inverurie or especially Brora. These places don\'t even have a Greggs, for crying out loud.
Venturing out of the metropolis that we call Inverness, gives us an opportunity to sample exotic delights. To visit Stadiums with their own unique character and charm. And all in the knowledge, that while there may be varying degrees of banter, it rarely descends into actual hostility or violence. There is nobody waiting to "meet" you at the station for example.
"Oh,that\'s nice" as Griff Rhys Jones comedy character once said to his partner Mel Smith, when discussing football supporters. "No, it\'s not nice" he replied, "They\'re there to kick your head in".
There is no fear of rival teams supporters taking offence to your colours on the journey. No officious Police Officer or Steward insisting you take out the laces of your boots. Or even worse, your actual boots. Nobody throwing darts at you, like I experienced at Anfield. Being shot at in Amsterdam or being pelted with coins at Brighton. There is none of that. The worst I have ever experienced from my travels in the Highland League was the after effects of a dodgy pie.
Thankfully, the pies at Huntly are always a culinary delight.
And Huntly was our inaugural away journey for this 26/27 season. Christie Park fits into that definition of charming, and, irrelevant of results, it is always a pleasure to come to.
After last week\'s draw on the opening day to Turriff, it was important to recreate the energy of our first half performance on that day, but with perhaps a bit more in the final third. Some of our link up play last Saturday was breathtaking, and we have a group of players that are going to provide a fair share of thrills. And just like the title of The Happy Mondays best selling album, we are going to get Thrills Spills and Bellyaches this season.
This game was as unpredictable as the weather today. An unchanged side took to the Park, knowing that they would need to be at their best if they were to return home with three points. Whether this was us at our best is arguable. But there is little debate about how we put Huntly to the sword in the dying moments.
The first exchanges of this contest, though, were spent mainly in the middle of the park, as both sides looked to impose themselves. Both teams also lacked the clinical edge that might have made the difference, and chances were at a premium.
That the breakthrough came with our first "proper" attempt on goal shortly before the half hour mark probably tells you all you need to know about the game so far. It involved some great teamwork involving Troy Cooper and Harry Nicolson, and smartly finished off by the ever improving Jordan Macrae. He was to put the ball in the net again shortly after, but it was sadly ruled out for an infringement. Robbed I tell yer!
The guys went in at the interval 1-0 to the good, and we were looking solid, if not entirely convincing. I had made the schoolboy error of coming to the "cash only" pie shed without any, thus depriving me of those aforementioned delicacies. I was tempted to play the "Don\'t you know who I am?" card, but I just couldn\'t.
The second half started frantically, as our hosts looked to come out the traps first. Now, i don\'t like to applaud opponents goals, but sometimes you just have to. Lewis Crosbie was the Clubs Player of the Year last season, and this strike illustrated why. 1-1.
When, moments later, we were denied the lead again, thanks to a world class double save from close range by Wilson in the Huntly goal, you had to wonder if it was going to be one of those days.
But we are a good side, with good players. Players who can take advantage of any situation. On this occasion it fell to a set piece from Kuba Lesz... Leszc... Lesz.... Kuba, to curl a beautifully guided freekick past the diving Wilson. 2-1, and we were looking good. While we may have largely been helped by a side determined to implode, it does not matter. You still have to do the business. And we went about ours mercilessly. Great work by Kuba again lead to Jordan Macrae doubling his tally, and he has to complete his hat trick with less than 15 minutes left on the clock. I could not be more happy for the fella, and it will be a real confidence booster.
As their heads went down, our tails were up, and we finished this rout with two goals from two subs. The energetic Ross Logan made it 5, before Struan Coli rounded things off shortly before the final whistle.
I would love to give you a detailed breakdown of those last two goals, but sometimes you just have to balance getting away earlier to get a train with missing the dying minutes, and potentially a goal(or two). Sorry guys. I\'m sure they were both "Worldies". Next time, promise. But, what I had seen today filled me with a bit more hope and optimism. I am loving Harry in midfield, loving our revamped back line, and loving seeing players taking people on.
So, finishing our first away day, we walked back through the deserted Huntly High Street, knowing that while we might have missed two goals, we knew we would be back in Inverness in time for Alan Carrs Picture Slam. Plus, there was no Police escort, and no Huntly supporters bricking the windows.
It had been an enjoyable, but slightly weird game, but bodes well for the onslaught of fixtures that we have coming up in August and September. The travelling Lily Loyal, and there were a good many, went home happy, and hopefully feeling the love. The first of our incoming matches is a tasty local mash up at Grant Street Park on Wednesday, as we welcome League new boys, Invergordon. It should be a cracker. I\'ll have to polish up my Dr. Martens.
Oh, and I might have been wrong about there being no reason to go to Inverurie. I have just seen the Factory Direct advert. Apparently it\'s got A\'hin you need. And at a rit good price.
