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Locos suffered their second defeat of the Breedon Highland League season on a disappointing afternoon at Harlaw Park. After Chris Parton’s first half strike, any hope the Railwaymen had of getting back into the game was extinguished by two quick yellow cards for Jay Halliday in the second half before Michael Dangana put the result beyond doubt.
Zack Ellis returned to the side while Jack Robertson, who arrived on loan from Cove Rangers on Saturday morning, was named on the bench with Blessing Oluyemi set for a spell on the sidelines following the concussion he suffered in midweek. Cole Anderson passed a late fitness test to start but Ethan Cairns was not able to play any part.
There was little in the opening exchanges but the away side quickly began to pose greater danger with Locos struggling to muster any attcking threat. Ellis had twice made routine stops to deny Tyler Mykyta before he was beaten for the opener. Parton took down Hamish Ritchie’s ball into the box with his left foot before hitting low into the net with his right. Ellis then produced a fine fingertip save to keep out a Rory McAllister effort.
In the 6th minute of the second period, Halliday picked up his first yellow card for a foul on Dangana. If the skipper was frustrated but that decision, he was infuriated three minutes later when he was sent off. As a the ball came down in a swirling wind, Ritchie go took possession. As Halliday persued him, he went down under what appeared minimal contact. Before Ritchie had hit the gound, several Formartine players were demanding a second yellow card and the referee duly obliged. As Dean Donaldson noted after the game, Locos hadn’t been troubling McKenzie with eleven players and it seemed unlikely that they would be able to change that with ten.
Just after the hour mark, Dangana lashed in a second at the near post to remove any lingering doubt over the result. United saw the game out comfortably, with the closest they came to adding to score being a shot from substitute Julian Wade that was blocked by the legs of Ellis.
This was a lacklustre display from Locos that Donaldson put down to conplacency. “I think that’s the porrest we’ve been all season” he said “you can’t think you’ve just got to show up and play well, you’ve got to apply yourself” He felt that Formartine were more street wise than his players, and that was seen in Halliday’s second yellow card.
Locos are on the road again next week as they travel to Rothes looking to put this result behind them.
