United arrived in Wick on the back of a 5 match winning run scoring 30 goals and only conceding 1, however United were to suffer their first blank of the season and in turn get dumped out of the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup. It was a fairly low key start to the game
certainly in comparison with recent games as Staxigoe looked to stifle the
United attack from the outset. The first effort on goal came very ambitiously
from James Murray taking on a volley from fully 30 yards off balance when Ross
Allan had found space on the right. United had re-shuffled the pack for the
game moving Jamie Mackenzie back to sweeper but this did not stop him posing a threat
in the opposition box and he was narrowly off target from an Allan corner from
the right the swept to the back post. Former United man Jimmy Budge was
the next to threaten this time after 25 mins narrowly wide with a header from a Shearer chip to the back post after United had failed to properly deal with the original freekick. United continued to huff and puff but really the quality of their attacking play did not lend
itself to clear cut chances although Mark Nichol latched on to a delightful pass from Ryan Begg ten minutes before the break, on the angle but his shot driven was well defended by Alan Sinclair in at the near post at the expense of a corner. From the resulting corner Grant Steven should have put United ahead with a clear jump in front of goal he seemed destined to meet Allan’s corner but the centre half somehow failed to make the necessary contact. In the last five minutes the home side pushed on and were awarded a freekick 30 yards from goal out towards the touchline that saw Colin Sinclair whip the ball in low and Jimmy Budge flicking the ball goalwards that saw Gray diving to turn it away for a corner.
Half time
Staxigoe 0-0 Pentland United
United made a very slack start to the second period as Gray fielded a pass back from
Mackenzie he switched the ball towards Grant Steven but the ball rather fell
between the centre back and Derek Manson in the confusion Niwa nipped in and
robbed the ball and drove towards the box but was stopped by a beautifully
timed tackle from Mackenzie that unfortunately referee Elder adjudged to be a foul. Colin
Sinclair stepped up to bend the ball goalwards but Gray held at the second time
of asking. However United never learned their lesson as ten mins into the half Gary
Mackay was adjudged to have brought Martin Banks down 25 yards from goal. Greg
Shearer took the shot on with a low drive that seemed destined to be a routine save for
Gray until it seemed to hit a divot and the keeper was extremely fortunate to
glove it for a corner. United had tried to influence a change introducing Watts
and Michael Steven for Manson and Begg respectively however the tone that had
been set seemed very hard to change although skipper Steven did have a half
chance when another Allan corner swept to the back post and the central
defender could only look on agony as his header went over. With less than
twenty minutes left the home side made the break through Niwa made good
progress down the right but the combination of Watts and Grant Steven seemed to
have snaffled the opportunity but Jimmy Budge showed great appetite to bulldoze
his way passed a coupe of lazy challenges before rifling the ball into the top
corner from what seemed a near impossible angle. United did step up their
efforts after this set back but were perhaps fortunate not to fall further
behind when elusive play from Budge down the left saw him eventually square for
Martin Banks whose effort was blocked by keeper Gray. A couple of set-pieces
did present some almighty scrambles but when United were looking for composure
none was to hand to apply the clinical touch. Nichol finally warmed Daniel
Budge’s gloves with a freekick from 25 yards on 83 mins but it was no more than
a routine save.
Full time
Staxigoe 1-0 Pentland United
1. M Gray 2. G Mackay 3. D Manson (c) (T Watts 65) 4. G Steven 5. D Mackay 6. R Begg (M Steven 60) 7. L Sutherland 8. J Mackenzie 9. M Nichol 10. J Murray 11. R Allan
Subs not used
Mckechnie
Coghill
View from the goal
A very disappointing performance not just the fact that we lost but the manner we lost, which was concerning. Certainly question marks over a few attitudes on display and we
have to learn from mistakes but that is life I guess and we move on to Keiss now in the E Macintosh Cup and desperate to get back on track.