Midlands League – 30/11/2024 @ Thomson Park
There was a welcome return to competitive action for Lochee United this afternoon following the anti-climax of last weekend’s cup cancellation. With our last fixture a week and a half ago – a 4-0 win in the derby away to Lochee Harp – the Bluebells were keen to build up some momentum ahead of a busy December schedule.
Today’s opponents Brechin Victoria JFC have found the going tough this season with three wins from fourteen games but Lochee went into this afternoon knowing that these games do not win themselves and that a professional performance would be required.
Brechin let it be known early on that they were not here to make up the numbers, whipping an early corner from the right into the middle but Lochee stopper Jamie McCabe settled the nerves with a commanding punch away.
Lochee soon began to show some attacking intent and with ten minutes on the clock they went close when Ryan Paterson played a clever ball though the gap for Kerr Hay who showed terrific technique to try and guide a controlled first time volley on the turn but the ball slid narrowly wide.
Lochee were then denied by some terrific goalkeeping and last-ditch defending as they began to crank up the pressure. When Callum Moore’s inswinging corner from the right found Paterson at the back post his header looked for all the world to have put Lochee ahead but for a miraculous fingertip save onto the bar and a heroic goal-line clearance denied Hay on the rebound.
Moments later Lochee thought they were in front when Callum Moore opened up the play with a cross-field pass to George Johnston and his cross was headed into the net by Ryan Paterson but the linesman’s flag was raised with Paterson just straying offside.
Not content to sit in and repel Lochee’s attacks, Brechin also carried their own threat from set-pieces and they were a whisker away from snatching the lead themselves when a free header from a corner squeezed inches wide of the post.
For all of Lochee’s patient build-up play they were struggling to break down a resolute visiting rearguard and Ryan Paterson took matters into his own hands firing a 25 yard rocket that looked to be flying into the top corner but for a fine fingertip save.
But with the first half ticking towards its conclusion Lochee finally broke the deadlock with a wonderfully executed move. George Johnston and Kerr Hay dovetailed beautifully off the left to craft an opening in the Brechin box and when Hay pulled the ball back into traffic Callum Lamb had timed his arrival to perfection to bundle the ball into the net from six yards out and send Lochee in at the break 1-0 up.
At times the opening 45 were frustrating for Lochee as a combination of good goalkeeping and defensive organisation within the Brechin ranks kept us at bay but Lochee picked a great time to score with gaffer Dougie Cameron’s half-time team talk made that little bit easier.
The opening exchanges of the second half proved to be a similar story with Lochee dominating possession and pinning Brechin back but unable to fashion any clear openings.
Brechin then looked to shake things up from the bench with a triple substitution and for a five minute spell it completely changed the energy of the game with the visitors looking to seize the initiative.
First an ambitious volley whistled just over Jamie McCabe’s crossbar, then a sweeping Brechin move out from the back sounded alarm bells in the Lochee defence with Louis Joyce making a decisive last-ditch tackle.
Lochee looked to rally and regain control of the match with Callum Moore bursting into the box and having a shot tipped onto the near post. But there was no doubt that Brechin were growing in belief and a long-range effort from the visitors took some alert goalkeeping with the ball bouncing awkwardly in front of McCabe.
Lochee knew they were now in a game and they tried to up the quality when substitute Connor Coupe drifted inside off the left flank and his pass was well dummied by Callum Moore to set up Callum Lamb whose shot flew just wide.
Things got a good deal harder for the home side when a Brechin counter-attack had to be broken up with Paul Lunan sprinting out of defence to make a challenge on the halfway line but he was deemed to be out of control in the tackle and was shown a straight red card.
But having battled admirably all afternoon, the visitors were unable to capitalise on the extra man advantage and it was Lochee who finished the stronger, finally killing the game off late on when Connor Coupe curled a cross into the box for the unmarked Kerr Hay to volley into the roof of the net from close range and secure the three points for the Bluebells.
Whilst this was far from being a vintage Lochee United performance, it is often too easy to point to what the heavy favourites could have done better and to do so would be a huge disservice to Brechin Vics who put in a monumental shift this afternoon to make this game competitive. They defended heroically, were brave in possession, and were not a million miles away from claiming some reward for their gameplan this afternoon.
For Lochee, in tight games like this it is all about understanding the situation and getting the job done and the three points will be all that matter in the home dressing room tonight.
There were a few candidates for man of the match this afternoon with Calvin Colquhoun winning all his headers at the back, Kerr Hay scoring one and setting up the other, and Callum Moore keeping us in possession and on the front foot in the midfield. But today’s award goes to Louis Joyce whose uncompromising approach to playing fullback was exactly what Lochee needed today and his crucial intervention midway into the second half could well have saved the points for us in a nail-biter of a game.
Next up is another home fixture in the league against Kirrie Thistle next Saturday. As always – COME ON THE CHEE!!!
