The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Hunter closing on quarry
Chase is on: Formartine manager’s joy as title bid stays firmly on course
Formartine United’s Highland League title dream is still alive thanks to last night’s 2-0 victory against Clach at Grant Street Park. Stuart Anderson struck with a fine sixth-minute volley and a late Neil Gauld strike put the icing on the cake.
United now trail league leaders Buckie Thistle by eight points but have a game in hand.
Delighted Formartine manager Kris Hunter said: “I thought it was a thoroughly professional performance from ourselves on a
Clach made five changes from the side which went down 5-0 at home to Brora Rangers last Saturday, while Formartine brought in midfield pair Anderson and Scott Ferries, with Conor Gethins dropping to the bench.
The visitors showed their intent right from the start by forcing two corners in the first two minutes.
The Formartine pressure paid dividends when they opened the scoring in the sixth minute.
Jamie Masson’s enticing free kick from the right was superbly volleyed past Aidan MacDonald by Anderson from eight yards, the former Southampton player’s seventh goal of the season.
Clach goalkeeper MacDonald had to be on his toes to pick a Jamie Michie cross off the head of Graeme Rodger just as the United midfielder was about to pick his spot. At the other end, in a rare Clach attack, central defender Matty Grant headed a Struan Scott-Woodhouse free kick past the upright from six yards.
The Lilywhites were coming into the game more and a dangerous Wilson cross into the danger area found no takers.
Seven minutes from the break MacDonald was in exactly the right place to block a net-bound Rodger effort with his legs.
United number one Andy Reid did well to divert a James Beeston drive round the post for a fruitless corner kick.
Just after the restart Masson fired in a rising 25yard drive but it cleared the crossbar without troubling MacDonald in the home goal.
MacDonald got out of jail when Gauld closed him down quickly as the goalkeeper dallied making a clearance but the rebound flew wide for a throw-in.
A 1-0 lead was far from comfortable for the title challengers and, with Clach coming more and more into the game, the visiting supporters’ nerves were jangling.
With 10 minutes to go United sealed their win when referee Proctor played an advantage after Rodger was fouled and Gauld ran on to fire home from 10 yards, much to the relief of the Formartine faithful. Hugo Lloris says his Tottenham Hotspur future depends on Mauricio Pochettino but admits he could still be tempted away by one of Europe’s top clubs.
Lloris signed a new contract until 2022 in December as Spurs put their captain among the squad’s top earners, second only to star striker Harry Kane.
Tottenham have made great strides since Lloris joined in 2012, with Pochettino’s men on course to finish runners-up in the Premier League this season and seal Champions League qualification for a second successive year.
Pochettino, linked with taking over at Barcelona this summer, has been the chief architect of Spurs’ progress and Lloris admits his manager remains the key to him staying at White Hart Lane.
“I feel good at Tottenham, but in football everything’s fragile and can change. Some things you can’t refuse,” said Lloris.
“Certainly, my destiny is linked to Mauricio. He matters a lot to me. Our relationship
“In football everything’s fragile and can change”
goes beyond football, it’s a match, and one day he will be the best manager in the world.
“For me he is already. His presence and our relationship are the most important elements for me.”
Lloris was one of the few Tottenham players to excel during this season’s miserable Champions League campaign and the 30-yearold is widely considered one of the world’s finest goalkeepers.
But Lyon’s Coupe de France triumph in 2012 remains Lloris’ only major honour during his career and he admits a top European club would be difficult to turn down.
“There are things you cannot refuse, but that does not mean I am desperate,” the France international said. “There are some teams that demand admiration, they are monsters for what they have done in their past, and in 10 or 15 years they will win again.”