Forfar 3 - 3 Dundee United

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Dundee United and Forfar shared the spoils in a 6 goal thriller at Strathmore Park. Both teams will feel they spurned chances to win the game and in the end, both teams deserved to take something out of the game. United went into the game minus 6 players through injury and work commitments.

Forfar stared of the brighter of the teams and only for some good goalkeeping by Clark who made saves from Webster and Davidson, keeping the score at 0-0.

Forfar took the lead after ten minutes. The ball was slipped through to WEBSTER and despite McCully’s best efforts; she slipped the ball under Clark to give Forfar a deserved lead.

Forfar then had further chances to add to the lead as United struggled to get into the game but the United defence and Clark stood firm and United equalised after 23 minutes.

The ball was worked down the right involving Johnstone and Blyth who found BOAG and she lashed an unstoppable shot into the top left hand corner.

Forfar regained the lead on the half hour mark. A Long ball found Bruce and her cross was deftly touched into the net by WEBSTER.

Forfar’s goal seemed to spur on the depleted United side and they had their best spell of the game in the final 15 minutes of the half but with no success, Forfar went in 2-1 ahead at the Interval.

H/T – Forfar 2 – 1 Dundee United.

United started the second half by far the better of the two teams. Forfar struggled to contend with the increased tempo of the game as United pressed for an equaliser.

United got that equaliser on the hour mark following a defensive mix up which was caused by a period of sustained United pressure. A mix up by McNicol and Collier in the Forfar defence caused McNicol to panic and smash the ball against BOAG and the ball deflected in the Forfar net.

United were causing Fofar all sorts of problems and McCulley in particular was causing the Forfar defence a torrid time. Her pace and direct running won United a corner from which they took the lead. Hughes corner was headed back across goal by Harkin and BOAG was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net. A lead United deserved.

United should have been awarded a penalty with 72 minutes on the clock, McCulley was blatantly pushed in the box but the referee somehow waved play on, a decision which would come back to haunt United only 3 minutes later.

Forfar then equalised against the run of play. Clark failed to deal with a low dipping effort and Fofar’s No 14 was on hand to poke the ball home.

United pressed for a winner and McCulley had a wonderful 25 yard effort tipped over the bar by McNicol and Gallagher and Boag all had chances to take the 3 points back to Dundee.

Blyth passed up United’s final chance. One again, McCulley was at the heart of it, outstripped Thomson and deliver a low ball into the box but Blyth on her weak side blazed the ball over the bar in what was the final play of an Action packed match.

For both teams’ efforts, they were clapped off the park by a crowd of around 100.

F/T – Forfar 3 – 3 Dundee United

Manager Mary McDonald commented after the game “Forfar deserved to go in at half time a goal up but our response in the second half was fantastic. The shear energy of the players second half caused Forfar all sorts of problems and this in turn caused the mistake for our second goal. When we went ahead I thought there was only to be one winner but the penalty decision, for our second game running, went against us and has cost us a further 2 points. Forfar on the other hand has the better of the first half exchanges and on reflection over the 90 minutes, a draw was probably a fair result.”

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Forfar Farmington 3 v Dundee United 3

Both sides can take much from this game such was the quality of the football on display. Played at a tremendous pace, with passion, commitment and skill in abundance this derby had everything and a draw in the end was the only fair result. Forfar began the brighter of the two sides forcing a couple of early corners.  Two fine shots from Nicola Davidson and Caren Webster brought out good saves from Gemma Clark.

 

 With 10 minutes gone Caren Webster, Forfar’s most outstanding player, created the opening for the first goal with a superb long pass from wide left to wide right which the electric Alana Bruce latched onto and with her blistering pace drove past the Dundee defence and slotted home past the helpless Keeper. 1-0

Both sides worked hard to deny each other space but quick passing and clever runs meant scoring opportunities were never far away. Dundee’s Clark was kept busy, again saving well from Webster. However, just as Forfar thought they were beginning to take control of the game Dundee’s Laura Boag wrestled the ball from Forfar, some twenty yards out, and fired off a powerful shot into the top right corner of Forfar’s net. 1-1 (18min)

Forfar continued to look the more threatening in the first half and again took the lead with the outstanding goal of the game. Alana Bruce, causing all sorts of trouble for the Dundee defence with her pace out wide, again got beyond the defence and delivered an inch perfect cross which Webster, sprinting in to the box, volleyed left footed with enormous power into the net giving Clark no chance. 2-1 (32min) The best chance in the remainder of the half fell to Forfar’s Emily Phillips who unfortunately shot too straight.

Half Time 2-1
 

Within minutes of the resumption Forfar were dealt a heavy blow when Br uce was forced to retire.  As the second half wore on it was clear Bruce’s withdrawal had allowed Dundee’s midfielder Emma McCully to spend less time on defensive duties and turn her attention to attack. The midfield battle continued relentlessly with Avril Gourlay and Claire Galloway throwing themselves about, vainly attempting to stem the Dundee flow that increasingly directed pressure toward the Forfar goal. Bizarrely, Dundee equalised on the hour mark when Forfar keeper Fiona McNicoll, in attempting to clear the ball from the 16yard box, smashed the ball against Boag’s back only to see it rebound over her head and into the net. 2-2 (60mins)

Dundee were now in full flow, playing some fine passing football and just as Forfar had in the main controlled the first half, Dundee were exerting similar pressure. They finally took the lead in the 67^th minute when Boag tapped in from close range, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the 6yard area. 2-3 (67 min) Neither side was ever going to give up on this game, Dundee pushing for a two-goal cushion and Forfar counter attacking. Forfar drew level again in the 73^rd minute, Tracy Brogan scoring from close in following a parry from a Phillips shot.

Further chances fell to Dundee’s McCully, Kim Thomson rattled Dundee’s post and Caren Webster was left to consider ‘what if’ when Clark in goal took a shot from her weaker foot at comfortable height. Both Coaches will have much to be pleased with and might reflect that most of the goals scored were down to the positive play rather than defensive frailties.