Monday 13th November 2023 Aberdeenshire U15 Select vs Aberdeen U15 Select Match Report

Aberdeenshire U15 Select 4-4 Aberdeen U15 Select

Wet conditions at The Haughs, Turriff made for an entertaining match in this Under 15 National Trophy Group 1 fixture. After the first round of games against the North of Scotland, Aberdeenshire needed to win the match to go through the group stage. A point or more would be enough to see Aberdeen City through at the top of the group.

It seemed that no-one in the Aberdeen team had noted that a win or a draw was required to progress and, after a very poor first half display, they were staring at an exit from the competition. Aberdeenshire, who looked the team more likely to succeed, took a deserved 3-0 lead into the half time break with Leyton Stuart and Lucas Rossi both on the scoresheet.

The home side continued the second period where they ended the first with their sharp form in front of goal making it 4-0 early into the second half with the goals shared equally between Stuart (Mintlaw) and Lucas Rossi (Westhill). It really had been a golden hour for Shire.

Against the run of play, Aiden Smith (Portlethen) managed to pull one back firing a right footed shot from 30 yards which crashed against the underside of the bar and into the net, leaving the keeper with no chance.

Despite conceding a goal, Aberdeenshire looked for a fifth and continued to apply pressure. From this pressure the ball broke to Cohen Leiper (St Machar) who took a good first touch and lobbed the keeper with his right footed shot finding the roof of the net. The deficit was now down to two.

The momentum was starting to shift and a touch of good fortune saw Aberdeen pull another goal back with Aiden Smith’s in-swinging corner clearing all players in the box and finding the bottom corner at the back post.

At 4-3 down, Aberdeen were still going out of the competition but another goal would turn things completely around.

The equaliser fittingly came from the best strike of the day. Lewis Pirie (Hazlehead) picked up the ball in the right back position, drove forward and struck the ball into the top left hand corner from well outside the box.

Twenty minutes earlier, Aberdeen were looking at a heavy defeat and now they have a home draw in the quarters where they wait for the results of group 2 to see who they face there.

Only a person with a heart of stone couldn't feel for the defeated Shire side who had given so much, however.

Full time Aberdeenshire 4-4 Aberdeen City.