Forfar West End 2  Arbroath Vics 1  26/04/14

Arbroath Vics were away to Forfar West End in their final away match in the McBookie.com North Division on Saturday.

Injuries and illness meant Vics were again short on numbers with Ross Kenny and Andy Cowan joining those unavailable on the sidelines, while Grant Mowatt was missing due to flu.

David McLeish came back into the starting line-up, having missed out through suspension the previous week, while Chris Simpson was promoted from the bench and trialist Kane Hester was given a starting place.

Forfar West End were still in with a chance of claiming the second promotion spot to the Premier Division and they very nearly caught Vics cold in the first minute.  Scott Fullerton chased a deflected shot to the by-line and with Vics expecting it to go behind, he clipped it back into the middle where Matty Reynolds sent a header against the bar.  The ball bounced around the penalty area for a few seconds before the pressure was relieved when it was fired over the bar.

The home side had made the much better start to the game forcing Vics deep into their own half and Lee Hutcheson was called into action in the seventh minute when Scott Fullerton fired in a low shot, but the keeper dealt with it comfortably enough.

West End then forced a succession of corners, before Vics were able to gain their breath when Gavin Tinley eventually lashed a shot high over the bar.

It was 15 minutes before Vics made any worthwhile inroads into the West End half when Mark Fotheringham helped a Craig Stephen throw-in across to Kane Hester, but his shot was easily gathered by Cameron Johnstone in the home goal.

Kane Hester then put Vics back on the front foot, breaking forward before playing in Craig Watson, but his shot on the run didn’t seriously trouble Cameron Johnstone who was able to save.

Midway through the half, Gavin Tinley played the ball down the left for Ross McDonald to send over a cross, which David McLeish swept away from Liam Godfrey, but his clearance fell kindly for Mark Pirie who curled a shot just wide of the post from 18 yards.

At the other end, a good Vics move saw the ball eventually played back to Craig Sturrock who fired in a shot from distance, which Cameron Johnstone managed to hold.

A minute later, West End attacked with purpose down the right where Alistair Smith picked out Scott Fullerton on the “D” and his shot curled inches wide of Lee Hutcheson’s left-hand post.

In the 30th minute, Matthew Ramsay played the ball up to Ross McDonald on the overlap and he in turn sent it into the box for Mark Pirie, but Lee Hutcheson blocked his shot away with his legs, low down at the near post.

Craig Watson then had a chance to give Vics the lead when he was sent through on goal by Kane Hester, but Cameron Johnstone got his body behind the striker’s shot to block the ball away.

As half-time approached a skirmish on the Vics goal-line after Lee Hutcheson had saved resulted in Vics being awarded a free-kick and Mark Pirie and Kevin Durno being yellow carded.

With 60 seconds of the half left, Vics were forced into a change when Steve Florence picked up a knock and was forced to leave the field.  Colin Lawson came on as substitute and went into midfield, with Mark Fotheringham dropping back to partner Kevin Durno.

In time added on for the change, West End very nearly got the opener.  The chance came from a Scott Fullerton corner, which Alistair Smith fired goalwards, and when the ball reared up off the turf, it seemed destined for the top corner until Lee Hutcheson threw himself across his line to make a great save by tipping it over the bar.

Half-time: Forfar West End 0 Arbroath Vics 0

Vics were first out of the blocks after the interval with Chris Simpson finding Abdourahman Njie who helped the ball on got Craig Watson to crash in a shot, which Cameron Johnstone managed to turn round the post.

The goal was only delayed for a further minute when Vics opened the scoring.  Kane Hester twisted one way, then another, leaving two West End defenders in his wake on a run down the left before setting up CRAIG WATSON who drilled a low shot in at the near post.

West End replied by winning a free-kick just a few yards outside the box, when Chris Simpson was harshly penalised, but Mark Pirie was unable to make anything of the award, blasting the ball straight into the “wall”.

The home side made a change in the 53rd minute when Scott Fullerton was replaced by Darren Scott.

Vics were inches away from increasing their lead two minutes later when David McLeish played the ball up to Kane Hester who rolled it into the path of Craig Watson and his shot crashed back off the inside off the post, and as luck would have it ran straight into the prostrate arms of Cameron Johnstone lying on the ground.

Three minutes later, West End were back on level terms from the penalty spot.  Matty Reynolds burst into the box where he was upended by Mark Fotheringham, who was booked for the trip.  DARREN SCOTT took the kick and his shot found the back of the net off the body of Lee Hutcheson.

Kane Hester found his name in the referee’s book for one foul too many for the whistler’s liking before West End took the lead in the 66th minute.  Matthew Ramsay sent over a corner and player/manager, DARYL McKENZIE charged in to bullet a header into the roof of the net.

Within a minute of the re-start, Craig Sturrock picked up a booking for lunging tackle on Alistair Smith right in front of the West End dug-out, which resulted in a shoving match between several players before the referee restored order.

Vics came close to getting back on level terms a few minutes later when a Craig Sturrock free-kick was only partially cleared and when Kevin Durno returned it into the box, Kane Hester sent in a snap-shot, which Cameron Johnstone threw himself across to push for a corner.

Both teams made further changes with West End sending on Neil Docherty for Mark Pirie in the 76th and then Mark McDonald for Matty Reynolds in the 80th minute; a switch which saw Vics replace Chris Simpson with Garry Warren at the same time.

Gavin Tinley thought he had secured the points for West End when Lee Hutcheson raced way out of his box to win a tackle in midfield and the ball landed at his feet.  He immediately fired it back towards the open goal from 40 yards and turned to celebrate as it dropped under the bar, but he hadn’t seen Mark Fotheringham race back to chest it off the line.

As Vics pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, it left gaps at the back and Lee Hutcheson kept them in the game with a brave save at the feet of Darren Scott as he was about to pick his spot.

In another break from a Vics corner, Lee Hutcheson made a double save to deny Neil Docherty and Mark McDonald from getting the goal that would have given West End some breathing space.

With a minute left, a timely intervention from Daryl McKenzie prevented a through ball from reaching Craig Watson and putting him through one-on-one with Cameron Johnstone.

Colin Lawson became the fifth Vics player to see yellow as the match entered stoppage time, and West End saw out the additional minutes by running the ball into the corners to preserve their slender lead.

Vics did well to get to the break on level terms, before taking the lead early in the second-half.  Had Craig Watson’s shot gone in off the post instead of rebounding back to the keeper the match might have had a different outcome, but West End fought back to claim the win and move into second place on goal difference above Kennoway Star Hearts and Blairgowrie with a game in hand over both of them.

Teams:

Forfar West End:  1 Cameron Johnstone  2 Alistair Smith  3 Ross McDonald  4 Daryl McKenzie  5 Matthew Ramsay  6 Gary Robertson  7 Scott Fullerton (sub 14 Darren Scott 53 mins)  8 Gavin Tinley  9 Mark Pirie (sub 15 Neil Docherty 76 mins)  10 Liam Godfrey  11 Matty Reynolds (sub 12 Mark McDonald 80 mins).  Unused subs: 16 Kieran Crichton  17 Scott Wilson.

Arbroath Vics:  1 Lee Hutcheson  2 Craig Stephen  3 Craig Sturrock  4 David McLeish  5 Kevin Durno  6 Steve Florence (sub 12 Colin Lawson 44 mins)  7 Kane Hester  8 Mark Fotheringham  9 Craig Watson  10 Abdourahman Njie  11 Chris Simpson (sub 14 Garry Warren 80 mins).  Unused sub: 15 Matty Johnston.

Referee: Mr. R. Milne.

Yellow cards: West End: Mark Pirie.  Vics: Kevin Durno, Mark Fotheringham, Kane Hester, Craig Sturrock, Colin Lawson.  Red cards: None.