Another year over and another blank Saturday as the frost failed to lift from the goalmouth areas in time to save the match with Formartine.
That gives me an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to look forward to 2015 for Inverurie Locos.
It all looked so promising this time last year as the club started 2014 with a settled and developing squad which reflected a healthy blend of youth and experience.
Neil Gauld hit a record 43 goals as Locos finished runners-up to champions Brora Rangers and the team lifted the Aberdeenshire Shield with a fine 5-0 thumping of Turriff United at Huntly.
The only disappointment was the 3-1 defeat to Buckie Thistle in the semi final of the League Cup at Harlaw Park as the team underperformed on the day; and that after a good 5-2 win over Nairn County in the previous round.
For the first time in many years the club started the new season with no new signings and that reflected the potential of the settled squad.
Unfortunately a series of injuries and a lack of consistency at times has seen Locos out of both Aberdeenshire Cup and Shield and sit in fifth position in the league at the turn of the year.
And yet Kenny Coull and Scott Buchan must take heart from many of the performances from a team which has been “patched-up” on several occasions, including a narrow single-goal defeat at Brora recently.
There is good team spirit and perhaps the string of postponements in December will help the recovery of some key players.
Leaving high-spending Brora aside, the current benchmark must be Turriff United who are on a tremendous run.
I cast my mind back to Locos’ fine 3-2 Aberdeenshire Cup win at The Haughs last August. That evening Locos were the better side and deserved to progress, but in truth there was not a lot between the sides.
Turriff have realised their season’s potential and Locos should take encouragement from that. If Turriff can challenge Brora, then so can Locos.
This year’s Championship is probably now out of reach, but a good run in the League Cup would go a long way to make up for a slightly disappointing season. A change of fortune on the injury front would help.
Inverurie Locos are not far away from sustaining a league challenge all the way and, with one or two “refinements”, I can see no reason why they can’t do so in 2015/16.
Happy New Year!