(02/09/2023 – BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE – SPAIN PARK, ABERDEEN)

LOSSIEMOUTH escaped the astroturfed plains of south Aberdeen with a point after a tense encounter with BANKS O’ DEE. An early header from Lachie Macleod threatened to set the tone of the game, but Lossie held firm before deservedly levelling through Ross Morrison seventeen minutes from time. A Cameron Farquhar penalty save ensured the Coasters would leave with a draw, a result which raised eyebrows across the north come Saturday evening.

Lossie named trialist Henry Jordan into the starting eleven but were missing Niall Kennedy, Ross Elliott, and Fergus Edwards who is now on loan at Islavale to get game time into his legs. The hosts offered up the usual array of talent and had both Macleod brothers leading the line with former Elgin City man Chris Antoniazzi.

The game kicked off in baking heat as the Scottish summer shone for possibly the last time this year, and while the clouds overhead offered some respite from the sun the heat was far from ideal for a game played on the large, lightning-fast surface.

Ominously for Lossie, the hosts started well and took the lead with twenty minutes gone. Lachie Macleod powered home a Magnus Watson cross to get the hosts on the board for the day, leading to glum faces in the away enclosure as memories of last season’s defeat at the ground were brought to the fore.

The away support had little to worry about, however, as both sides had one of those days. The hosts appeared frustrated by both themselves and by Lossie’s much-improved concentration and workrate, and the tourists built on the latter and grew in confidence as the half progressed. Banks O’ Dee offered little in the way of the goal threat that has earned them an enviable home record since joining the league, and come half time the lead remained a slender one.

HALF TIME – BANKS O’ DEE 1-0 LOSSIEMOUTH

Cameron Farquhar was the busiest play on the park in the opening stages of the second half, forced to make a flying save from Watson just minutes after the restart and then another soon after. A strong breeze on the backs of the Banks O’ Dee players looked like making the second half a tougher prospect for Lossie, but the hosts continued to bumble about in the Lossie half and were kept on a tight leash by the Coasters.

With just a goal in the game, Lossie were still in with a chance of a point and seventeen minutes from full time, a superbly worked goal hauled Lossie back into the tie. Ross Paterson got things started with a terrific outside of the foot pass down the left to Brandon Hutcheson, and his cross to the back post was met in full flight by Ross Morrison, who slammed the ball high into the net beyond Andy Shearer to square things up.

Ten minutes from the end, a friendly penalty award handed Banks O’ Dee the chance to take the lead for the second time. Darryn Kelly went down under minimal – if any – contact with Liam Archibald, and referee Brown immediately pointed to the spot, inciting yet more fizz amongst the rowdy travelling support. Mark Gilmour stepped up to convert but scuffed his kick, and Cameron Farquhar was down on the ground waiting to collect the ball on the line. The save was the second penalty saved by Farquhar in a row at the same end of the ground, coming after Neil Gauld was denied from the spot last season.

Banks O’ Dee survived a loud appeal for a penalty at the other not long after, with the Lossie players and management adamant a handball offence had been committed in the area, but nothing was given. With normal time up, the chance to win the game fell to Young of Banks O’ Dee, but his effort from the edge of the area was wilder than expected and cleared the bar and almost the fence behind the goal.

The Coasters are back in action next Saturday, and have revenge on their mind as they get ready to face Nairn County for the second time in a fortnight, having narrowly lost to the Wee County in the North of Scotland Cup in August.

FULL TIME – BANKS O’ DEE 1-1 LOSSIEMOUTH

TEAMS…

BANKS O’ DEE – Andrew Shearer; Darryn Kelly, Dean Lawrie, Jevan Anderson, Kacper Lewecki, Kane Winton (Max Alexander (61)), Magnus Watson, Mark Gilmour, Lachie Macleod (Marc Young (70)), Chris Antoniazzi, Hamish Macleod (Michael Philipson (61)); UNUSED SUBS – Michael Philipson, Matthew Wallace, Alasdair Stark, Ramsay Davidson, Luke Emmett,Ewen Robertson, Greg Sim

LOSSIEMOUTH – Cameron Farquhar; Brodie Mitchell, Jared Kennedy, Dean Stewart, Lewis Mcandrew, James Leslie, Liam Archibald (Ryan O’Halloran (88)), Ryan Farquhar (Fraser Forbes (69)), Henry Jordan (Brandon Hutcheson (64)), Ross Morrison, Ross Paterson; UNUSED SUBS – Ross Archibald, Michael Weir

GOALS:

BANKS O’ DEE – Lachie Macleod (20)

LOSSIEMOUTH – Ross Morrison (73)

PENALTY SAVED:

Mark Gilmour (Banks O’ Dee) saved by Cameron Farquhar (80)

REFEREE: Lewis Brown