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Jay Halliday’s goal on his return from injury gave Locos victory at Harlaw Park. Halliday started the game on the bench but was introduced in the first half and found the net just six minutes later.
Dean Donaldson made just one change from the side that beat Forres Mechanics last week, with Thomas Reid coming in for Josh Buchan. The game started quietly as the two teams sized each other up. The visitors had the first sight of goal with captain Graeme Rodger guiding the ball over the bar in the 13th minute. Shortly before the midway point of the half, Cole Anderson was forced off with a dead leg with Halliday taking his place.
Locos took the lead on 27 minutes. Aidan Wilson showed quick feet on the left hand side of the penalty area before Thomas Reid’s shot was blocked by the chest of Stuart Smith. Lloyd Robertson got to the loose ball and his low cross was turned in by Halliday.
Julian Wade headed wide for the visitors before Reid fired into the arms of Ewen MacDonald from distance. A rasping Matthew McLean shot then stung the palms of Zack Ellis.
Early in the second half, Wilson tried his luck from just outside the penalty area when the ball sat up nicely for him but he couldn’t find the target. Formartine had a golden opportunity to level when Aaron Norris went through on goal having closed down Reid’s clearance. Ellis was well positioned though, and made a fine stop.
Both teams were doing everything they could to add to the scoring and the next chance fell to Robertson whose shot was blocked by MacDonald at close range after a neat one-two with Wilson. Ellis was then called upon to keep out former Railwayman Robert Ward’s free kick and again to block Wade at point blank range. Tyler Mykyta also tried his luck from a set piece but couldn’t keep his effort down.
Substitute Josh Bolton, making his second debut for the club having signed from Fraserburgh earlier in the week, had a late chance to secure the points when he pounced on a Rhys Thomas mistake but hesitation allowed the defender to redeem himself. It proved immaterial in the end as Locos dealt with a number of Formartine balls into the box in the closing stages to see out the win.
This was the fourth meeting between these two sides this season. The previous 3 have all been tight affairs, and this was no exception. There was little between the teams but Donaldson believed Locos merited the victory. “Overall I thought we deserved to win. I thought the boys, from minute one, were really good” the gaffer said “I thought we played some really good stuff and probably could have been up one-nil before we actually scored” On securing another clean sheet, Deano was full of praise for his defence. “We’ve lost late goals here through the season and it’s disappointing, so you’re looking for them to stand up and be counted because you know you’re going to put under pressure in that last five or ten minutes when you’re winning. I thought Soapy, Couttsy and Dingers were unbelievable and Zack made a couple of important saves at the tail end of the game as well”
Locos will be looking to take confidence from this result into next week’s trip to Lossiemouth.
