Gotta behave myself with this Report because it has to go into the Buchanie while Graham and Ronnie are sunning themselves on a hot beach somewhere (that doesn’t conjure up a nice image!!)

Anyway, with a few of the usual suspects missing from the squad today it was a totally different line up to previous games but the lads did have an early chance when Ush laid the ball to Zander who broke free of the defence but his shot was just wide. A couple of minutes later Banchory got a corner out on the left, it came into the box and wasn’t cleared but their shot hit Iain smack in the pus and although it was sore it saved a goal, well done mate another bloody nose all for Maud ! After 15 minutes we got a free kick which Ush took with venom and it only just cleared the bar with their keeper scrambling to get there. We got another free kick after 21 minutes, this time it was floated into the box where Gibby challenged the keeper legally and the ball fell to Zander but his shot was scrambled clear. Banchory had been playing well too and after 23 minutes a long ball into our box found Andrew Courage and Puds had to make a great diving save to his right to keep it out. They then had another chance to score ater 28 minutes when another ball deep from our right ran into the box and when it looked like either Courage or Jack Meldrum had to score they both missed and it was cleared. Immediately after an identical ball found Richard Stainer but he ballooned his shot over the bar.  We started to get back into the game again and on the half hour a long kick from Puds has headed on by Gibby to Zander in the box but his first time volley was right at Greg Sim, Banchory’s keeper. A minute later Ush played the ball across their defence to Ross who hit a venomous shot on target but the defence headed it out for a corner which came to nothing. On 37 minutes the lads were playing some great patient interplay on the edge of the box when Ush put a great ball through which Zander ran onto and as he went past the defender he was taken down, defo pen, Jas took it again and expertly hammered it in off the post ! 1 - 0.. Just before half time Richie got the ball off Ush and he laid it to Gibby but his shot was blocked. SO half time and we just about edged it but this game was far from over !

Banchory made the first sub with Allan Ogston coming on for Graham Innes but it was Gibby with the first effort on goal after 3 minutes from 20 yards but it went over the bar. Then Banchory countered and laid a long ball over the top to Substitute Ogston but Puds made another great save. Then three goals in  3 minutes ! . First one to Banchory when after 6 minutes the ball was played into the box to Courage who collected the ball, turned and shot well past Puds for the equaliser. Directly from the kick off, Gibby hit the ball forward down our left where Ush had sprinted, from his own half, to collect at the edge of the penalty area, he turned inside 2 defenders and hit a magnificent shot across the keeper and into the net, 2 - 1. The next one was Banchorys a couple of minutes later when they were allowed down our right and Banchory’s McRae was fouled near our goal line. We seemed to be sleeping when it was hammered in low into the box when Ush seemed to swipe at it and it flew past Puds off his shin for the equaliser 2 - 2. After 11 minutes Banchory nearly scored a third when another long ball into the box was met by Stainers head but Puds again saved well. On 14 minutes Gibby again won the ball with his head and put Zander into the box but his weak shot didn’t trouble the keeper.  A minute later Ush again got the ball out on the left, he looked up and lobbed the keeper from 20 yards but it was fractionally over the bar.  A couple of minutes later we got a corner to the far post where Iains header was hacked clear right in front of the goal line. One 23 minute we nearly went ahead when Jas put a great ball into their box and was met by Gibbys head but it cannoned off the bar and away. Then with 13 minutes to go Banchory got a penalty with an almost identical build up to ours, Courage hit the ball well past Puds to put them 3 - 2 up. A couple of minutes later Richie has a chance but his shot was well over the bar. On 33 minutes Banchory took Courage off and replaced him with Keith Horne. On 38 minutes we got a deserved equaliser when Stevei Whyte, who had come on for Gavin, whipped in a great cross from the right, right onto Gibbys head and he placed it over the keeper and into the far corner for 3 - 3.Right at the death Horne nearly snatched the points for Banchory when he fizzed a shot just wide from 22 yards.

In the end it was propbably the right result because both teams could have won but were probably happy they didn’t lose.

On Saturday we are away to Islavale in the Inter Regional Cup with a 2.15pm kick off.

Match Stats

(Subs used marked)

North Section Superleague