Lossiemouth and Deveronvale took a point each from an entertaining game at a windy Grant Park, but the Coasters will be happier with the outcome after playing for almost a full half with ten men. Scott Dunn opened the scoring midway through the first half, but Vale were level just before the break thanks to Martin Charlesworth. The dismissal of Kevin Flett left Lossie with a difficult second half but the hosts coped and saw the game out.
Lossie welcomed Ryan Farquhar back into the starting line-up, while Connor Hall was again in goals for the home side. Vale had a very familiar look about them, with four ex-Lossie players on the pitch at kick-off watched on by former Coasters supremo Charlie Charlesworth.
For all their recent woes, the winless visitors certainly didn’t look a side lacking in confidence as they took the game to Lossie early on, with Craig Cowie and Liam Archibald asking questions of Connor Hall in the opening stages.
Lossie then stole into the lead. Kyle Rae failed to keep Scott DUNN on a tight enough leash and the youngster took a touch before thumping an unstoppable shot past McConnachie. After scoring his third goal in three games Dunn went close to a fourth, forcing McConnachie to tip over the bar a free kick.
Vale sagged after the opening goal as their mix of experienced Highland League players and youngsters failed to click, and while the Banffers were ever industrious the visiting fans grew ever more frustrated with their sides’ lack of end product.
Lossie’s hopes of making it to the interval with their lead intact were dashed as the half drew to a close. Martin CHARLESWORTH raced on to a defence splitting pass and was unfazed by loud appeals for offside as he fired the ball below Hall to tie the game.
Half time – Lossiemouth 1-1 Deveronvale
Lossie were put under pressure almost immediately following the restart when Kevin Flett reacted to the attentions of Graeme Rodger by shoving him in the chest, and was quickly dismissed by the referee.
Vale made a double change short of the hour, subbing off Liam Archibald and Alan Quill for Craig Simpson and Philip Watt as the Banff side looked for a second goal, but the changes failed to improve things for the visitors who continued to labour as Lossie held firm.
Lossie made changes of their own with fifteen minutes remaining, and Willie Mathers, on for the goalscorer Dunn, could have swung the game back in favour of Lossie had his shot across the box connected with anyone, before instead rolling out for a goal kick.
The visitors had the ball in the net with three minutes to go but were denied a winner by the linesman’s flag. Lossie stifled the game in the closing moments by introducing Ryan Green for the hardworking Shawn Scott and made it to the final whistle, collecting their first home point of the season in the process.
Lossiemouth move onto another home game, this time against Forres Mechanics, as the packed August schedule continues. Deveronvale welcome Strathspey Thistle and Fort William to Princess Royal Park this coming week and will hope to at last find form against the perennial strugglers.
Full time – Lossiemouth 1-1 Deveronvale
Lossiemouth – Connor Hall, Tony Ross, Jordan Main, Chris Ross, Grant Mitchell, Kevin Flett, Ryan Farquhar (Scott Gordon, 73), Scott Miller, Shawn Scott (Ryan Green, 90+), Scott Dunn (Willie Mathers, 73), Darren Bailey; Unused subs – Jordan McBain, Scott Wilson, Errol Watson; Sent off – Kevin Flett (51)
Deveronvale – Darren McConnachie, Kyle Rae (Liam Forbes, 74), Scott Henry, Connor Rennie, Craig Cowie, JJ Urquhart, Martin Charlesworth, Graeme Rodger, Liam Archibald (Craig Simpson, 57), Colin Charlesworth, Alan Quill (Philip Watt, 57); Unused subs – Jack Presly, Ross Aitken, Jamie Wilmshurst, Rhys Fyfe
Referee – Graham Beaton