With last weeks debacle fresh in everyone's minds, all the players wanted to make amends and perform more like Maud can. Straight from the off it was obvious that the lads wanted to show what they can do and it only took 2 minutes to go into the lead. A long ball was knocked on by Gibby, back in the team after a 2 game suspension, to Zander who's shot was well saved at the edge of the area but the ball come out to John Willox who fired through a ruck of players and into the net, excellent start.  not long after Gav had a speculative shot from 25 yards but it was well over the bar. Gibby was getting a lot of good balls onto Zander and John just after Gav's effort his knock on again found Zander in the box but the shot was blocked  and then Gibby had a try but again it was blocked. The lads were playing some great football and every time we went forward it looked like we'd score. After 22 minute it looked like Gibby was fouled in the box, but the penalty was not given but the ball ran wide to Zander who's shot across goal just missed the far post. It was becoming obvious not only to the team but also to the crowd that the refereeing was dubious to say the least and even Stonehave were wondereing where some of the decisions were coming from. After 24 minutes we got a reminder of how slender a 1 goal lead is when they got a free kick, it was put into the box and was eventually pushed onto the post by Paul who made a smothering save eventually to keep it out. After 27 minutes another knock on from Gibby this time to Stevie Whyte coming in from the right but his shot across goal was also just wide of the far post. The they went up to other end and only a brave save with his feet by Paul stopped a certain equaliser. Just before the break Zander fed John in the box but his rising shot was saved by their keeper who was proving very difficult to beat. So at half time a deserved lead but still some work to do.

The 2nd half started off like the 1st, we won a free kick around 25 yards from their goal after 3 minutes, Gav stepped up and hit an unstoppable low drive to the keepers right just inside the post to double the lead, 2 - 0. Although it looked like the game could have been over, this is Maud ! Needless to say a couple of minutes later they won a corner and a simple long ball into the box was met by one of their guys as Paul had misjudged it and the defenders had left the post, the ball bounced once before going into the net, 2 -1, game not over yet ! After 16 minutes Zander had a shot across goal but none of his efforts were testing the keeper which is unusual but after 19 minutes another free kick from Gav was met by Stevie Whyte but his shot was blocked.  With 14 minutes to go the refereeing hit an all time low when a speculative ball was put into our box, their forwards were nowhere near the ball but somehow the ref had decided it was a penalty, eh!! Sometimes I think (personal opinion!) some refs think they are there to be the centre of attention and with some of the decisions today this ref certainly was ! Needless to say they were delighted to get it, even though they didn't appeal for it and duly dispatched it for the equaliser, Just after Zander had a great chance to head us back into the lead from a ball from the right but he headed straight at the keeper. Then on 37 minutes we really went for it, a long ball was yet again won by Gibby, his knock onto Zander on the right was knocked over the keeper but he made a fantastic stop and put the ball narrowly past the pst, However we were not to be denied ! Gav took a fantastic corner right onto Gibbys head and he buried it into the net, 3 -2. The just before the final whistle Gibby scored a deserved 2nd when a long ball from deep over the top found him in space but with the ball bouncing high he just managed to lift it over the oncoming keeper and it bounced into the net with the keeper desperately trying to keep it out.

So a really fantastic 4 - 2 win, with a much, much better performance to last week and a battling performance to go two goals up and then pegged back with 14 minutes to go, to then go on and score two more shows the character of the lads and it was a richly deserved victory.

 

Grahams Match Report

MAUD TAKE THE STING OUT OF THE "HIVE"
Following a brisk start a long ball punted upfield in the 3rd minute was well won in the air by Stephen and flicked on to A Davidson. Slipping past his marker, he unleashed a thundering shot which could only be parried out by Smith only for Willox to make no mistake from close range. Some determined play inside Stonehaven's box by nearly resulted in another goal but were prevented by some scrambled defending. Stephen again won a high ball and flicked onwards only for the shot to be launched clear upfield. A long in by Powell from inside Maud's own half fell inside the penalty box for Smith and Stephen to contest with the latter coming out on top. Arthur was alert as Stonehaven surged up the field and a well timed tackle brought the attack to a halt. Again in the 21st minute, A Davidson was unlucky from a Stephen knock on to see the shot go past the right side post. Stonehaven managed to break into Maud's penalty box and only good reactions from Leask with a goal line clearance whilst on the deck kept Maud in front. A long ball cleared out from Maud's box found Whyte out on the right. Cutting in goalwards he sent in the shot only for it to shave past the left post a yard in front of the fast incoming A Davidson. Stonehaven attacked up the left and went through Maud's defence but a fast running out Leask put in a great block just inside the 18 yard line. Willox was denied a second goal by some inspired goal keeping by Smith who conceded the corner. Crossing in the ball was cleared out as far as Middleton who struggled to bring it down under control and could only shoot over the bar. The first half drew to a close with Stonehaven on the attack and Craig receiving a yellow for a two footed challenge on Whyte.
Within 3 minutes of the restart, Maud had doubled their lead from a free kick from about 26 yards out. Middleton stepped up and thundered the ball straight through the defensive wall and into the net before Smith could react. Two minutes later from a conceded corner which was sent in high and picked out Campbell who headed into the net to pull one back for Stonehaven. Stonehaven wasted a chance from a free kick 20 yards out when it was blasted through Maud's wall but well cleared by Rae. Stephen missed a golden opportunity to kill off the game when a crossed in ball by A Davidson went too far in front of him. A blatant tug on the shirt of Willox when he was inside of the box in front of the ref was totally ignored as he waved play on, one of many weird decisions by the ref that afternoon. A foul on Powell led to Stonehaven getting the free kick followed by a strange penalty decision that only the ref saw when a Stonehaven player blatantly dived inside the box before the ball had been crossed in. Waving aside all protests he pointed to the spot and Adams dually converted in the 76th minute to level the scores. This inspired Maud to up a gear and another chance went to A Davidson from a cross in from Powell but it went straight into the keepers hands. Another long ball upfield was won and flicked on by Stephen only for Smith to concede the corner under pressure from A Davidson. A lovely floated in cross was met and finished off by Stephen in the 83rd minute for Maud to regain the lead. With 3 minutes left A Davidson was replaced by Usher. In the 90th a loose ball was picked up out on the left by Stephen. Calmly watching the keeper making his move, he lobbed the ball over his head and into the net to kill off the game. A vastly improved performance this week with some outstanding individual displays so we now look forward to playing Formartine at home next week with a 2.15pm kick off in the Norsco regional cup.