North Region Junior football: Dyce frustrated with draw at Montrose – but boss Alfie Youngson pleased to get game played

Montrose Roselea and Dyce shared the spoils in their McBookie.com Premier League encounter at Links Park – with the 1-1 draw the only top-flight fixture to beat the weather on Saturday.

Visitors Dyce went in front in the first half when Sam Robertson broke on the right and found Gui Barbosa, who rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home.

Roselea equalised with 11 minutes remaining when Chullain Doan fired home from distance to give the home team a point.

Dyce manager Alfie Youngson, while satisfied with the performance, reckons his side need to be more ruthless, saying: “I felt we were totally dominant and it was a pleasing performance, but we just lacked a wee bit of ruthlessness in front of goal.

“Their goal was the only shot on target they had all afternoon when we switched off at a throw-in and Roselea’s manager Eric Watson admitted it was a bit of a smash-and-grab from their perspective.

“That said, we played some of our best football of the season and that was only our third game in eight weeks because of postponements and the festive break. I was delighted that the match went ahead and it’s a great set-up at Links Park.

‘There are some excellent players in the squad’

“Although we’ve had a few matches postponed, we’re not too far behind.

“At this level, you’ve just got to accept that a bit of bad weather will affect the pitches and now that we have floodlights at Ian Mair Park, hopefully, we’ll get some midweek games under the lights.

“We had a massive turnover of players in the summer and 40 percent of our squad are now teenagers, with the oldest at the moment being 27 – so it’s a very young group.

“There are some excellent players in the squad and they’re getting better all the time but I don’t think we’ll get the full benefit of them for about 18 months.”

Next up for Youngson’s squad is a league trip to Nairn St. Ninian, a side he’s been impressed with.

He added: “They’re on a good run and we drew 2-2 with them earlier at home.

“They lost heavily the following week which indicates that, like ourselves, a lack of consistency might be an issue, but they’re very capable.

“Everyone came through Saturday’s match, but we’ll still be without Blair Johnson, who has a broken hand. He’s been a big miss over the last eight weeks or so, but he should be back soon.”