Report

KNOCK-OUT BLOW FOR GARIOCH IN CUP

A GOAL in the second period of extra time saw West Garioch's 10-game unbeaten run since the start of the season come to an end in this Murray Cup second round encounter.
The home side took the lead in this closely-contested game through Callum McRitchie midway through the second half but the visitors grabbed an equaliser with less than 10 minutes remaining to take the tie into extra time. Formartine's winner came after just 10 minutes to book a place in the semi-final.
Before the game West Garioch were presented with tracksuits for the squad by Kenny Pirie of sponsor TDC electrical and mechanical engineers, of Bankhead, Aberdeen.
Garioch coach Sandy Bremner fielded an unchanged starting eleven after their super win in the Scottish Cup in Glasgow the previous week.
The home side were the first to threaten and Josh Boyle set Andi Bremner up for a screamer over the top of the crossbar in 10 minutes. Formartine went close eight minutes later when a cross on their left was met in the middle but the effort went wide.
Good work by Callum McRitchie saw a looping shot from Bremner again fly over the crossbar in 20 minutes and then a close-range header from Formartine was well held by Garioch goalie Lewis Helme.
Boyle was presented with a chance in 30 minutes after good work again by McRitchie but sent the ball wide.
The visitors piled on the pressure in the last 10 minutes of the first half and a curling effort was well held by Helme again before the big goalie brought off a great save from a header with three minutes to go.
A minute later Formartine had their best chance to take the lead when a great ball in from the left again found a player with acres of space and despite having all the time in the world he knocked the ball wide of the target.

Half-time 0-0

The visitors opened the second half strongly and in 49 minutes a shot from the edge of the box following a throw-in went just past the post although Helme looked to have it covered. Then a corner saw the ball go over the top of the woodwork from a header.
It was the home side, though, who broke the deadlock in 63 minutes through Callum McRITCHIE who stole in with a superb near-post header from a Sean Bremner corner on the left.
The home side were content to defend their lead and looked like doing so until the latter stages when the visitors again stepped up a gear.
Boyle went close to extending Garioch's lead from a free-kick in 78 minutes before Formartine hit back with just nine minutes remaining. A softish free-kick was delivered into the box and headed back across the goal for a Formartine player to score from close range. The visitors finished the 90 minutes strongly, again going close from two corners.
An effort from Formartine hit the post in the fifth minute of extra-time and the winning goal came five minutes later, a well-hit low diagonal drive in the box that gave Helme no chance.
The home side huffed and puffed in the spell of extra time with nothing really to show for their efforts. The nearest they came to scoring was an attempt by substitute Stuart Kenn with 10 minutes to go.
The visitors carved out more chances in this game but, frankly, it could have gone either way. It was a big ask for the home side to produce another performance like last week and they were unable to sustain the sort of skilful play they are capable of. The visitors, it would appear from this showing, rely on power and physical strength to win games and this was apparent in the latter stages of the game.

Garioch coach Sandy Bremner said it was end-to-end stuff but felt his side had not enough attempts on target throughout the game and let it slip in extra time. "When we stroked the ball about the way we know we can we did open up Formartine," he added.