Newmachar United 1 - Postal ALC 2. Div2 North - Strathburn Park. Saturday 6th Aug 2022

TEAM - 1. S.Walker 2. C.Reith 3. A.Baxter 4. S.Carter 5. B.Patterson 6. M.Hunter 7. S.Ahmed 8. J.Steele 9. L.Melia 10. K.Dowbekin 11. B.Webster 12. N.Cain 14. N.Wiley 15. S.Cotovici. 16. B.Campbell 17. G.Gormack

OPPOSITION MOTM – S.Walker

Postal arrived at Strathburn Park Inverurie, to play Newmachar United for this opening league game of the season.

The first 5 minute were fairly even. Newmachar looking to use the advantage of their various giants at setpieces and Postal trying hard to get the ball down but struggling a bit to get their first touch.

It was Postal who would take the lead, though on 6 minutes. A high ball up to centre forward, Melia, was headed down by the striker into the path of Bruce Webster. He did well to latch on to the knock down and get his shot away. When the keeper saved the shot, Hunter was on hand to provide a great finish from about 15 yards out high into the net. 0-1.

Again, the game was fairly even with neither side playing particularly good football, but the home side, shooting down the slope, were beginning to push Postal back.

Postal weren’t passing or controlling the ball as well as they can do, and too many clearances were getting sclaffed.

On 25 minutes, the home side spurned a great opportunity. A slack pass from Webster was intercepted, and when the Newmachar player ran in and rounded the keeper, it looked a certain equaliser. Luckily for Postal, the ball bounced off the post and Carter cleared the danger for Postal.

It only took the home side a couple of minutes to make up for the miss, though. A simple free kick into from the Postal left, with Postal defending on the 18 yard line, saw Patterson lose his man and the tall number 9 made no mistake to slip the ball past Walker in goal.. 1-1.

Postal defended for the majority of the remainder of the half, with the home side dominant.

HALF TIME – NEWMACHAR UNITED 1 - POSTAL ALC 1

The second half was much better from Postal. Shooting down the slope, Newmachar found it much more difficult to get out and their only looked like one team who would score next.

Postal sent on Cain for Webster at half time.

1 minute into the half, Dowbekin was sent down the line by Baxter. His through ball to Melia was easily defended by the big defender at the back for Newmachar.

On 5 minutes, Cain had a great chance to score when he met a cross from Baxter at the back post, but he could only get a toe onto the ball and it went past the post.

It was beginning to look like a draw was on the cards when Postal finally scored. Postal won a free kick on the left of the pitch. From the resultant cross into the back post, Melia headed a looping header into the net. 1-2.

This should have settled Postal down but, the passing was still slack with the ball being given away far too easily and the defence getting deeper and deeper as the half went on.

With the referee looking like he’d play on until the home side equalised, it looked like they had done, 45 minutes into the second half. Luckily for Postal, though, the headed goal was deemed to be offside. A real let off.

The game eventually ended about ten minutes later.

Overall a very very pleasing result. Postal have had a massive re-build this pre-season so with 7 new players in the starting 11 it’s great to get off to a winning start. Still getting used to each other and we can certainly play nicer football but some nice moves at times today and a bit of “dig” to get the game won against a tall and physical Newmachar team.