Fresh from a 2-10 demolition away to Rothes at the weekend, one may expect a bought of goals for Formartine against Turriff, who were yet to register a win this season.

Turriff kicked off the first evening game of the Highland League season, and took a surprising lead in the 4th minute. Reece McKeown received the ball on the edge of the Formartine box, and his shot deflected off the defender, rising up awkwardly and looping over the helpless Cameron Middleton in goal.

Formartine had to react, and grew into the game well with pace and strength through striker pairing Julian Wade and Scott Adams. Formartine managed frequent forays towards the Turriff goal but were stopped by a steely backline.

On the half-hour mark Formartine are awarded a first dangerous freekick 25 yards from goal. Tylar Mykyta skillfully lofted the ball over the Turriff wall but dragged wide of goal.

Another freekick for the home side allowed a chance to level, and Julian Wade did just that with a glancing header past the keeper from a deep Mykyta ball.

With renewed vigour, Formartine pushed to edge ahead before halftime, but were almost caught cold when a slack pass back to the keeper was collected by Turriff’s Callan Gray, who with all the time necessary was unable to place the ball past the keeper, eventually striking straight at Middleton.

Halftime came and went, and the action continued immediately, with Adams missing a wonderful chance to give Formartine the lead. The ball fell to his feet during a desperate goalmouth scramble, but he lofted the ball high from close range over the bar and outwith North Lodge Park.

Past the hour mark now and it was all Formartine, with large amounts of possession in the Turriff half, but still unable to break down the defensive pairing of Max Foster and Andrew Watt. Formartine’s biggest chance of the half fell to substitute Aiden Combe, who glanced his header wide from close range.

A much deserved late goal came for Turriff, when Formartine were caught cold in their box, allowing a  Ewan Clark sideways pass to Gray, who had enough time to take a touch and pick his corner, where he smashed the ball past a helpless Middleton and into the far right corner from close range. The away end were in raptures, with Gray’s goal enough for the 3 points, Turriff’s first half win of the season.

Formartine will be gutted with the result, after dominating the game for large portions. They will travel to league leaders Brora on Saturday whilst Turriff host Lossiemouth.