United’s first game in the Highland Amateur adventure took them to Lybster and a reasonably competitive match, which was marred by James Murray’s red card in the dying minutes removing the gloss from an efficient performance. The game could not have got off to a better start for United Ross Allan picking the ball up on the right from a short free kick cutting inside before drilling in a low shot from 20 yards that flew passed the unsighted Mowat. Many people may have thought the flood gates would have opened after that but a defence well organised by Henderson repelled United for the another 55 minutes although at times the build up play was decent the final ball all to often was not. It was a new partnership for United up top with Jamie Mackenzie and James Murray forming the JJ partnership and they nearly combined to double the lead after 12 mins Allan picked out Murray down the left hand side and his cross to the far post picked out the Mackenzie on the stretch but his effort just went wide. There was very nearly a nasty sting in the tail just before the twenty min mark though as the Steven brothers got in a bit of a mix up allowing Lightley to break in on Gray but his low drive found the feet of Gray and the follow up flew miles over. Keeper Mowat has been on trial at Rangers for the supporters team and he showed great agility to get down and block Murray as he raced clear in from the left channel as United probed but conviction was lacking. In quick succession the central midfield duo of Begg and Petrie saw fit to take on Mowat from distance but neither showed the accuracy required to trouble the keeper. United appealed in vain for a penalty on the half hour when Allan appeared to be impeded as he set about taking the defence on drifting down the right but referee John so no infringement. In fact Miller was the first booking of the game ten minutes before the break for persistent fouling as the home side midfield worked hard to contain the United side. Territory was not proving a problem but the United set-pieces rarely troubled the Lybster rear guard as Allan far too often failed to beat the first man. Coupled with the failure to deliver from the wide areas where Lee Sutherland and Michael Petrie had a few chances meant that United only came into the break one up.
Half time
Lybster 0-1 Pentland United
There were certainly words of encouragement from the management team towards increasing the pace and direction in the final third, no question United had played some pretty stuff but in area’s not liable to cause damage. In fairness the second half did have a greater pace but not quite what Ross Sutherland from the touchline was looking for but just about enough to get United home the clincher came around the hour mark and it was a super move right from Steven at the back through Lee Sutherland to Jamie Mackenzie and finally James Murray cut in from the right beat his man and side footed home from ten yards to finally give the necessary breathing space. The changes started to flow firstly Darryn Mackay entered the fray replacing Lee Sutherland Jamie Mackenzie narrowly headed over from a good Ross Allan corner as United tried to turn the screw but Lybster to their credit continued to battle and they again forced Gray into a save with his feet after a scramble in the box following a long freekick into the area. That however was to be the final real chance for the home team as United killed any lingering doubts as Darryn Mackay and Derek Manson linked up down the right for the later to whip in a very good cross and that man Murray picked his spot from 8 yards with a downward header passed the helpless Mowat. The striker thought he had completed his hat-trick minutes later racing on to a great through ball from Begg but it was belatedly ruled out following a flag from the home linesman much to the strikers disgust. Watt and Mckechnie entered the game in the final twenty minutes or so replacing Petrie and Harrold and United completed the scoring shortly afterwards again it came from the right Mckechnie releasing Mackay who whipped in a decent cross with Mackenzie and his marker challenging the ball flew into the net. The game fell pretty flat afterwards with the only real chance a brilliant flick over the top from Mackenzie picked out Begg who took a superb first touch but his second only found the cross bar and Lybster cleared. There was still time for Murray to completely undo his good work when he was sent off for treading of his marker after the defender had lunged in at the striker, referee John wasted no time in flashing the red and suddenly the day did not seem so good.
Full time
Lybster 0-4 Pentland United
M Gray 2. D Manson 3. L Harrold (McKechnie 68) 4. G Steven 5. M Steven (C) 6. R Begg 7. M Petrie (Watts 72) 8. L Sutherland (D Mackay 65) 9. J Mackenzie 10. J Murray 11. R Allan
View from the goal
Could not have asked for a better start but after that it went rather flat although the football was decent it struggled to create the necessary openings against a resilient Lybster team. Through now to a home tie versus Kirkwall Hotspurs and a very different challenge but before then the domestic games kick in and a trip to our old rivals Halkirk who have made a very good start to their league campaign.