MATCH REPORTS

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V BUCHANHAVEN HEARTS 27 SEPTEMBER 2008

by Duncan McKenzie - 11:52 on 01 October 2008

Inverness City 4 Buchanhaven Hearts 3

Team: Young, MacLennan, D Beaton, J. Fraser, K. Fraser, K. Mason (45), C. Mason, Stewart (60), Miller, Turner, Sanderson. Subs: Mapplebeck, Pearce (45), Nicolson (60), Murdoch, Kerr.

BELIEF THE KEY FOR CITY AS THEY BREAK BUCHANHAVEN HEARTS

ENTRY to Inverness City’s first ever game at the Northern Meeting Park on Saturday may have been free but their magnificent victory over Buchanhaven Hearts was priceless.

The junior league newcomers may have gone into the weekend’s North Regional Cup tie as underdogs, but at full time their players and management were grinning like Chesire cats.

What made City’s victory even more impressive was that they had been pitted against one of the most experienced sides in north junior football in Buchanhaven Hearts.

This point was certainly not lost on Inverness City co-manager Mike Pollard as he reflected on not only one of the most impressive victories in the club’s short history, but one of the most exciting matches of the season so far.

He said: “Buchanhaven Hearts are one of the big boys in junior football. A lot of people had written us off, but we believed we could do it.

“I make no apologies for the cliché, but this game was definitely a David v Goliath encounter. It just shows that our boys really know the meaning of bouncebackibility. They never know when they are beaten.”

Pollard added: “Words cannot describe how happy we are for the boys. It was not their greatest footballing performance, but they showed real grit and determination, particularly when they were two goals behind midway through the second half.

“The fantastic support we got at the weekend saw a classic cup tie, full of goals and excitement, but this will count for nothing if we can’t repeat the feat in the Scottish Junior Cup at home next weekend.

“We would love to get the same level of support or more next weekend and hopefully we can come up trumps again for the supporters.”

Excitement levels were at fever pitch as City stepped out onto the Northern Meeting Park pitch for the first time ever in a competitive match, but the visitors looked like they were there to spoil the party, taking the lead in the first minute of the match.

And it could have been worse for City two minutes later when a slip from defender Jamie Fraser allowed the Buchanhaven striker to create space for a shot from the edge of the area, but fortunately his effort clipped the bar and went over.

Those early shocks sparked City to life and in 5 minutes the home side scored their first goal at their new home. A clever through ball from Stevie Sanderson allowed Keith Mason to race through on goal and thrash the ball past the helpless keeper.

City knew this was never going to be plain sailing and in 8 minutes keeper Ian Young had to race from his goal to produce a brilliant block to deny the visitors.

The home side were finally beginning to settle and in 20 minutes a Michael Turner cross from the right was cleared just over the bar by the defender, with Sanderson waiting to pounce.

On the half hour mark Buchanhaven regained the lead. A curling free kick from the left came back off the junction of post and bar and the rebound was hammered home.

The visitors looked dangerous after the break and they extended their lead in 54 minutes. A ball from the right found their striker unmarked inside the area and he hammered home from close range.

Pollard and co-manager Stevie Graham decided to go for broke in 60 minutes, replacing the unusually quiet Graeme Stewart with pacy Gavin Nicolson. And that decision proved to be a masterstroke as the super sub reduced the deficit to one with virtually his first kick of the ball.

Seconds after sprinting onto the pitch Nicolson couldn’t believe his luck when a ball from the far right was missed by players on both sides and he rifled a shot in off the left post to give the home side hope.

Then in 75 minutes temperatures flared when City were awarded what, at first, appeared to be a dubious penalty. However, after the referee consulted with his linesman there was no doubt that Turner’s cross was handled by the defender.

Despite protestations from the visiting players and a delay before the spot kick was taken Kevin Fraser kept his cool to thunder the ball past the keeper for the equaliser.

That goal gave City the belief that they could take the scalp of the junior league big boys and in 83 minutes the golden goal they craved arrived in somewhat unorthodox fashion. Turner’s corner from the left curled viciously towards the near post and was helped into the net by the unfortunate Buchanhaven defender.

That mattered little to the 300 strong crowd, players and management who went into raptures. Despite the referee playing seven minutes of the three allotted for stoppages City held on comfortably to book their deserved place in the next round.

Comment from Gary Park at 17:24 on 01 October 2008.

The Hearts are far from one of the "big boys" of junior football & haven't been in the premier league for years. Their starting 11 on Saturday featured a 15 year old,a newly 16 year old, several 17's & 18's &,other than the centre-half,the oldest player was 23. However, this is not sour grapes as you deserved your win as the Hearts fell to pieces & their substitutions were disastrous which led you to comeback. All the best for the future.

Comment from B.J.R at 20:25 on 01 October 2008.

Gary you know your team better than we do, You may not be the big boys of North Footy the now but after what I saw and previous results from this season you will be in the Super League sooner rather than later and I would say do extremely well there to so all the best for the future and I would love a visit to Peterhead to take in a game one day

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