(23/10/2021 – BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE – PRINCESS ROYAL PARK, BANFF)

Lossiemouth slumped to their heaviest lost of the season as they were outfought by a scrappy Deveronvale at Princess Royal Park. The Coasters were only rarely in the game as the hosts dominated proceedings, and two first-half goals were followed by another four after the break as Vale cruised to the points, while Lossie ended the game with ten men after Ryan Farquhar saw red.

Logan Ross was restored to the Lossie goal after sitting out three games, while Ross Morrison made way for Ryan Stuart. Vale went into the game on the back of a heavy loss at Rothes, and the sides were separated by just a point ahead of kick off.

A grey, blustery day met the teams as they emerged from the bowels of the stand at Princess Royal Park, and the hosts were visibly more up for the fight than Lossie right from the start. Dean Stewart was invalided out of the game replaced by Lewis McAndrew, and within minutes of coming on Matty Jamieson had picked up a yellow card for a foul on the Lossie sub.

After Lossie had a goal disallowed midway through the half, Vale took the lead as Jamieson converted a Ross Aitken assist. Aitken was enjoying his afternoon and set up the second goal of the game, again cutting down the outside of the area before squaring the ball across goal for Dane Ballard to stroke home from almost the same spot Jamieson scored from.

HALF TIME – DEVERONVALE 3-0 LOSSIEMOUTH

Lossie’s hopes of salvaging something from the game blew up just minutes after the restart when Michael Watson gleefully ran onto a Grant Noble pass before finding the corner of the net. The Coasters were only an occasional threat in front of goal and Ryan Sewell found himself with a chance to shoot as Vale momentarily switched off, but the youngster snatched at his shot and the ball rolled wide of the target.

Jamieson went on to bag his second of the game just after the hour, ahead of a red card for a frustrated Ryan Farquhar, who has still to reach full fitness this season and for whom the game was one to forget.

The ten men of Lossie had little in the way of an answer to Vale’s questions late on and the happy hosts plundered a pair of late goals to add a shine to the score. Innes McKay added a fifth thirteen minutes from the end before Ballard rounded off the scoring in the final minute.

Lossie at least have the chance of a quick revenge, as they return to Princess Royal Park next weekend to face Deveronvale in the preliminary round of the GPH Highland League Cup. The Coasters will have to toughen up if they are to book a place in the first round.

FULL TIME – DEVERONVALE 6-0 LOSSIEMOUTH

TEAMS:

DEVERONVALE – Sean McIntosh; Ross Aitken (C), Kyle Willox, Ben Allan (Rory Davidson (75)), James Connelly, Innes McKay, Michael Watson, Matthew Wallace, Dane Ballard, Grant Noble (Jamie Tinnock (81)), Matty Jamieson (Nathan Ross (81)); UNUSED SUBS – Robert Scott, Max Stewart, Robbie Allan, Gavin Still

LOSSIEMOUTH – Logan Ross; Michael Weir, Dean Stewart (Lewis McAndrew (13)), Fergus Edwards, Jared Kennedy (Ross Archibald (67)), Liam Archibald (C), Ryan Sewell, Connor Macaulay, Ryan Farquhar, Ryan Stuart, Brodie Allen (Ross Elliott (51)); UNUSED SUBS – James Leslie, Ross Morrison, Niall Kennedy, Oliver Kelly

GOALS:

DEVERONVALE – Matty Jamieson (32, 63), Dane Ballard (44, 89), Michael Watson (49), Innes McKay (77)

RED CARDS:

LOSSIEMOUTH – Ryan Farquhar (67)

REFEREE – Darren Munro