Buckie Thistle vs Livingston FC 21 July 1998

This game meant an eight hour round trip journey for this reporter and this was after working the best part of days shift. This meant that if the boys had failed to turn in a good performance the dissapointment would have compromised my happiness to say the least. The boys responded well and gave the travelling support plenty to be happy about and I got a goal per hour.

Buckie quickly showed themselves to be a tougher test than Forres Mechanics both in defence and they also looked far more dangerous up front. The first real chance of the game fell to Brian McPhee but his shot was straight at the keeper. Shortly afterwards Neil Alexander had to look sharp to gather a defence splitting ball at the feet of the Buckie attack.

Marko Rajamaki hit a great free kick which was volleyed just wide by John Millar. McPhee then hit the post before Dave Bingham brilliantly netted a flicked pass from Robertson to open the scoring. Buckie’s Kevin Will then hit a rasping shot that was deflected just wide with Alexander scrambling. Rajamaki skillfully controlled a Millar pass and slotted home number 2 on the 25 minute mark. Bingham netted again but was ruled offside by the farside linesman before McPhee chipped home from outside the box. Dave Bingham powered home a header from a pinpoint Gordon Forrest cross shortly after the half hour.

H-T 4-0

Buckie almost put the ball in their own net just after the restart. Brian McPhee headed his second before Rajamaki netted again but was correctly (just) flagged offside.

Grant McMartin and Mark McCormick replaced Forrest and Bingham. Forres the had their best chance of the game when Stephen Bruce was released to run clean through and beat Alexander to the ball. Neil did brilliantly and staying on his feet and not commiting himself did enough to put Bruce off and the shot went high and wide. Lyon and Feroz replaced Millar and Rajamaki on the hour.

John Robertson tumbled in the box shortly after and the penalty was awarded. Brian McPhee stepped up and but hie failed to even test the keeper..

McMartin set up Mark McCormick for his first and Livi’s sixth shortly after. McCormick himself started a move that saw pinball in the Buckie six yard box as Feroz, McPhee, Lyon and at least one other Livi player had net bound shots blocked in rapid fire succession before McCormick himself nearly burst the net. Craig Feroz completed the scoring from McMartin’s cross 8 minutes from the end. though McMartin, Robertson, Watson and Feroz himself all had chances to add a ninth before the end.

On a personal note I would like to express a big thankyou to Buckie Thistle who made us feel just about as welcome as we could be by laying on food after the game and were genuinely warm and open. After certain events in France this summer they could teach a lot of people a lot of lessons.