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Saints shine at Stoneywood
BANCHORY St Ternan showed no signs of rustiness as they picked up maximum points with a 3-1 win at Stoneywood.
Having only played three times in the last three months and with limited training time this was a tremendous display against a very experienced Stoneywood side which included several former Culter and Sunnybank players and others with Highland league experience.
New signing Grant Campbell slotted in at left back in place of the injured Lewis Shand with Saints making a confident start, knocking the ball around with ease and keeping their opponents working very hard to shut down the spaces that were being created.
After eight minutes Andy Courage won a tackle in midfield and fed Campbell Watt on the left whose teasing cross to the back post was scrambled clear for a corner.
Phil Watson met the subsequent kick and his knock down was beautifully struck on the volley by Mark Glashan but clipped the bar on the way over.
Glashan and Alan Ogston combined to put Richard Stainer through but the goalkeeper read the situation and just managed to beat him to the ball.
A minutes later, Gordon Milne played a great pass through to Andy Courage who lobbed the ball past the keeper but was flagged for being marginally offside.
At times, Saints were guilty of overplaying and Glashan got away with an error which gave Gordon Farmer a sniff at goal but he didn't trouble Gavin Robertson unduly. Moments later another similar error, fortunately for Saints, went unpunished.
Normal service was soon resumed with Alan McRae extremely unlucky not to score with a tremendous volley from outside the box which beat the keeper but crashed down off the underside of the crossbar.
Saints then got lucky on the half hour mark when a fairly innocuous looking handball by a Stoneywood player in the box resulted in a penalty and Andy Courage didn't ask too many questions as he thundered the spot-kick into the net.
Stoneywood, who had been under the cosh for most of the game, had another opportunity to score after good work by Farmer gave his fellow forward a clear view at goal but he was unable to beat Robertson.
The second half started the way the first ended with Saints making their opponents work very hard by their intelligent passing.
Saints almost doubled their lead on 52 minutes when a free kick from the right was knocked into the path of the inrushing Kris Downing whose half volley struck the inside of the post, ran along the line and was eventually cleared.
Saints appeared to be doing their best not to score with Ogston slipping when clear on goal before Andy Courage hooked the ball over the bar with not a defender in sight.
Alan McRae then hit a screamer from 25 yards which missed the target by millimetres.
But Saints' pressure eventually paid off when Phil Watson forced the ball over the line after his first attempt had been blocked, with Richard Stainer making sure it was in.
With the game surely won Stoneywood began throwing men forward at every opportunity, leaving space for Saints to exploit and they should have increased their lead.
Again more complacency allowed Gordon Farmer space to run into and his attempt beat Gavin Robertson but a lung-bursting run by Kris Downing got him back in time to clear off the line.
Saints replaced their forwards with Keith Horne and Alan Forbes coming on for Stainer and Courage.
Stoneywood pulled a goal back when Farmer beat the offside trap to slot past Robertson and give his side a glimpse of a point.
Banchory boss Steve Scott brought on Michael Skene to shore things up at the back as they looked to see out the last eight minutes.
As Stoneywwod threw caution to the wind Saints broke upfield and Keith Horne struck a third with two minutes to go to seal the win.
There was still time for a Stoneywood substitute to get himself sent off as Saints comfortably saw out time.
This was a really good performance against a vastly improved Stoneywood side who had been beaten 4-0 at the Milton earlier in the season.
Team: Gavin Robertson, Kris Downing, Mark Glashan, Phil Watson, Grant Campbell, Alan Ogston (Michael Skene), Alan McRae, Gordon Milne, Campbell Watt, Richard Stainer (Keith Horne), Andy Courage (Alan Forbes). Subs Greg Sim, Laurence McLelland, Ricky Moir, Lee Shanks.
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Weather for Banchory
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
