North Section Superleague

Well with last weeks result a distant memory (or nightmare!) and the loss of Billy Smith, Steven Doak and Lee Simpson, todays game against the current Superleague Champions couldn’t have come at a better time !

There were a few changes to todays line up, including the debut for Derek McKechnie and Razor being made Club Captain, but the general feeling before the game was that everyone had something to prove, especially to the knobs outside the club who thought  this was the end for Maud, sorry knobs, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The game kicked off and for the first 15 minutes the lads ran their considerable arses off, closing them down, plenty of off the ball movement and a lot of good interplay with Zander looking more like his old self causing all sorts of problems with his movement off the ball and on it.  That was the start, because on 15 minutes, we got the ball on the right, it was played across their defence about 20 yards out to Derek in the middle and he played a great reverse ball into their box where Dane ran onto it and slid it past the keeper for the first goal, a really well worked one too, 1 - 0 to us.

Unfortunately 5 minutes later they equalised, they broke down our right into the box where their forward ran through and from a very tight angle hit  low shot inside Scotts near post, 1 - 1.  Even this setback didn’t seem to have any effect on the lads because on 26 minutes we were in front again when Zander ran onto a ball down thier left, into the box and hit a low shot across the keeper for 2 - 1 to us. A couple of minutes later Iain Arthur, who had to come on for Richard after 16 minutes, made a great tackle on one of their forwards in the box just when he  was about to pull the trigger. On 37 minutes Zander played Dane into the box again but this time the keeper saved it, then just on half time, Zander again turned and crossed onto Danes head but the header was cleared. So a really good performance in the first half but we all knew there was still a lot of hard work to be done.

Right at the start of the 2nd half, Zander again played the ball into the box, this time to Stevie Whyte at the far post but he couldn’t get his shot away.  On 22 minutes we got a free kick and it went right through to Dane clear in the box but his shot didn’t hit the target. Showing how hard the guys were working was typified on 30 minutes when Capt Razor made a goal saving tackle when they broke into the box.  Just after John Willox, who had come of rot Derek after 16 minutes, got the ball outside their box and hit a hard low shot that the keeper saved but let go, unfortunately nobody was following up. On 35 minutes they got a free kick out on their left, a simple high ball into the box was headed home for their equaliser. At this point the lads were on their last legs due to the amount of work done so far, however the heads didn’t go down and 3 minutes later a ball to Dane on the right saw him take it past the defender as he cut into the box and hit a great shot that went over the keeper for his 2nd goal, an absolute beauty ! So with 7 minutes of normal time it was a matter of keeping those legs going and again it showed the fighting spirit with some great tackles and Scott also made a goal saving , er , save when they got time outside the box to hit a rising shot that he saved and pushed onto the post and away for a corner then right at the death he had to make another match winning save when a piledriving shot came in from the right that he did really well to save.

And that was it !

This was as far removed from last weeks performance as you could get, everyone played their part and everyone showed how well they can play by winning today which should now instil a lot more confidence as it shows what this team is really capable of.

Lots of movement, lots of tackles, lots of throwing bodies in to block passes and lots of commitment.

Well done guys it was great to watch.

Grahams Report

Match Stats

MAUD BANK ALL 3 POINTS AT THE DEE.

What a difference a week can make, Kicking off against the current league champions Maud took the game to them. Settling down well Maud started to find their feet and finally in the 14th minute got their reward. Good play by A Davidson who slotted a through ball between Dee's defence for Ballard to latch onto and bury past Pennet in goals. The lead was short lived as Dee came back into the game and good interlinking play from midfield out to Turnball who came down the left wing, cut in past Maud's defence and well finished off past Cowe in the 19th minute. Not to be out done Maud after being caught offside, launched a great goal kick up field. Bouncing past the Dee defence, A Davidson nipped past his marker and collected the ball and calmly finished off past the keeper in the 25th minute. Arthur who had replaced an injured Wisely put in a great timed tackle to deny Foy a shot on goal. Dee forced a corner which was crossed in and cleared out to A Davidson who set off on a run up the length of the pitch before being taken down by Turnball who earned a yellow for his troubles. Dee forced another corner but the poor cross in was well hit past the post. Great ball up to Ballard who turned his marker and let loose a rifled in shot only for Pennet to close down and push the ball out for a corner which came to nothing. McKechnie should have scored at the end of the first half but again great keeping from Pennet denied Maud a third.

Dee started the second half on fire but Maud were up for this game and stood their ground well. A let off for Maud as the forward came down the right, cut in and let loose the shot which fortunately went past the post. A dangerous crossed in ball inside Maud's six yard box was missed by Cowe only for B Davidson to clear the shot off the line and keep Maud in front. Ballard was unlucky as after doing the hard work sent his shot just the wrong side of the post. In the 75th minute Rae put in an excellent tackle to bring the Dee attack to a halt. Willox who had came on for a tired McKechnie sent in a thundering shot which Pennet could only parry but no one was following up to finish off. Dee finally got the equaliser from a free kick. Sending a high ball in to the unmarked Dick who rose above all and headed home past Cowe in the 80th minute. The level score lasted two minutes when a great ball through to Ballard who got himself into space and lobbed a left footed shot past Pennet for Maud to regain the lead. Foy missed a chance to equalise for the Dee as the clock ticked down. Finally after 5 minutes added on time Maud ran out victorious in a hard fought game. A massive improvement on last weeks performance with all the players taking a bit of pride and commitment in their game. Next week Maud look to keep up the good work at home to Ellon with a 1.45pm kick off.