Lossie welcomed Highland League new boys Formartine United to Grant Park for their first visit as a senior club and proved to be very gracious hosts, conceding a two-goal lead and a last minute equaliser against the big spending Pitmedden side.

Lossie were without Darren McConnachie due to injury and drafted in Craig Masterton to play in goal. Formartine lined up looking like an Inverurie Locos select from the past five years, but were without former SPL star Phil McGuire.

The visitors looked a bigger, more physical side than Lossie and retained possession well in the opening stages. Chances were at a premium, with only a Kenny Coull free kick causing the Lossie defence any problems.

Lossie inched ahead on 19 minutes. A foul on Dan Smith inside the area resulted in a penalty for the home side, and Shawn SCOTT stepped up to convert for his sixth goal of the season.

Half time – Lossiemouth 1 Formartine United 0 

The second half continued with along the same lines as the first, with Formartine having plenty of the ball but struggling to find a way through a well-organised Lossie side. As the minutes ticked away, Lossie came more into the game, but neither side looked like adding to the score.

When the second goal came, it kicked off a busy last fifteen minutes. As darkness fell and the glare of the floodlights grew brighter, Lossie doubled their lead. Substitute Nikki Smith once again came off the bench to good effect, this time setting up Shawn SCOTT for a side-footed finish from inside the penalty area.

The recently acquired habit of conceding more or less immediately after scoring appeared once again however, and a lack of concentration from Lossie handed Formartine a lifeline. For the third time in just over a month, Lossie wasted an advantage, allowing Barry SOMERS to dribble his way into the area before picking his spot beyond Masterton.

Lossie avoided conceding an immediate second, but that other bad habit from this season – conceding late goals – reappeared in the dying seconds. A corner was whipped into the box and Barry SOMERS rose highest to nod home to snatch a point for the visitors.

Referee Dougie Ross blew for time before Lossie could even get the ball out of the centre circle following the leveller, and Lossie were left to rue the dropping of more points against Aberdeenshire sides.

Full time – Lossiemouth 2 Formartine United 2 

Teams

Lossiemouth - Craig Masterton: Craig Donaldson, Sam Milton, Steven Sim, Kevin Stuart, Dan Smith, Martin McMullan, John Urquhart, Shawn Scott, Sean McIntosh, Jamie Bagley
Formartine United - Stewart Gray: Stuart Cumming, Mark Simpson, Callum Irvine, Ally Graha, Marc Young, Jamie Winter, Barry Somers, Michael Fyfe, Stuart McKay, Kenny Coull

Lossiemouth - Kevin Flett (Jamie Bagley, 56), Nikki Smith (Sean McIntosh, 62), Scott Matheson (Dan Smith, 80)
Formartine United - Robert Maitland (Michael Fyfe, 46), James Sievewright (Kenny Coull, 47), Andrew MacAskill (Jamie Winter, 60)

Lossiemouth - None
Formartine United - None

Referee

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