07/09/2026
Arbroath Vics 0 Blairgowrie 4 – 05 August 2026
Arbroath Vics were without no fewer than seven players for their league match at home to Blairgowrie on Saturday.
Austin Whittet, Charlie Cargill, Callum Grant, Jamie Hume, Logan Whitelaw, Kyle Ramsay and Ryan Napier were all absentees for various reasons. Dean Hardie and Jamie Thomson were drafted back into the starting line-up, but apart from George Nedyalkov, the bench was made up of trialists.
The away side were first to have a go at goal and came close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute when a free-kick from wide on the right deceived everyone and came back off the inside of the post with Vics managing to get the rebound clear.
Soon after, Michael Gray played the ball into the box for Rian Robertson to get away a shot, which Dean Easton managed to block away with his feet.
It took Vics 15 minutes to make any headway towards the Blairgowrie box, but when Kyle Fraser crossed into the area for Nathan Ford, his shot spun into the arms of goalkeeper Harvey Thain.
Play was soon heading back towards Vics box and when Sean Johnstone gave the ball away to Stuart Heenan the number 16 advanced forward and sent a shot over the bar.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute when the away side took the lead. Rian Robertson sent a free-kick into the box and when the ball was played back across the six-yard box, AIDAN McKELVIE turned it in from close range.
Lewis Quinn almost got Vics back on level terms five minutes later with a low shot from distance which struck the base of the post and spun wide.
Vics were forced into a change in the 33rd minute when Dean Hardie pulled up and had to be replaced by George Nedyalkov.
Within a minute, Blairgowrie had doubled their advantage. A Stuart Heenan cross was turned back for RIAN ROBERTSON who steered a shot just inside Dean Easton’s left-hand post.
Michael Gray picked up a needless yellow card for Blairgowrie when he kicked the ball away after a free-kick had been awarded against him.
Just before the break, Vics had appeals for a penalty turned down when Sean Johnstone claimed to be held as he tried to reach a George Nedyalkov corner, but the referee was having none of it and the away side went in at the break with their two-goal lead intact.
Half-time: Arbroath Vics 0 Blairgowrie 2
Within a couple of minutes of the restart, Vics came close to pulling a goal back. Lewis Quinn flighted a cross into his own box which Aidan McKelvie was forced to head over his own bar for a corner. From George Nedyalkov’s flag-kick, Nathan Ford crashed a header against the bar before Lucas McKimmie saw his follow-up blocked away before Blairgowrie cleared their lines.
George Nedyalkov found his name in the book in the 51st minute when he upended Craig McLellen out on the touchline.
Any doubts Vics were likely to stage a comeback were eliminated a minute later when Blairgowrie scored a third. Michael Gray sent RIAN ROBERTSON through on goal and he kept his composure to drill a shot beyond Dean Easton and his left-hand post.
In a Vics attack, Lewis Quinn and Kyle Fraser worked the ball into the box for Lucas McKimmie to get away a shot, but his effort went wide of the post.
Nathan Ford was next to have a go for Vics, but Harvey Thain blocked his shot away with his legs after George Nedyalkov had supplied the cross.
Within a minute, it was 4-0 as Blairgowrie broke down the park and despite a block from George Nedyalkov, STUART HEENAN converted the loose ball from eight yards.
On the hour mark, Blairgowrie made a change when Ben McAllister came on for Rian Robertson.
Despite not playing well, Vics struck the woodwork for the third time in the match when a Lewis Grant cross beat Harvey Thain but crashed back off the inside of the post and back across the face of goal.
Despite that, Dean Easton was still the busier of the two keepers and he did well to beat away a Stuart Heenan drive after he had been set up by Cameron Ross.
Vics best chance of the afternoon came and went in the 66th minute when they were awarded a penalty when Lewis Grant was pulled back as he advanced into the box. Trialist Adam Boath was sent on for Lewis Quinn before the kick was taken, but Lewis Grant’s weak effort was easily saved by Harvey Thain.
The remainder of the match petered out with Blairgowrie content to hold on to their four-goal advantage with the nearest Vics came to reducing the deficit an Adam Boath shot that went just wide.
Late changes saw Blairgowrie send on Sam Tennant for Gary Axworthy who limped off following a tackle, before Vics replaced Nathan Ford with Sol Forbes.
Inside the last 10 minutes Blairgowrie made a double change when Callum Morgan and Sam Blyth took over form Craig McLellen and Stuart Heenan before Kyle Fraser picked up a late yellow card for a foul on the far touchline.
Teams:
Arbroath Vics: 1 Dean Easton 4 Dean Hardie (sub 3 George Nedyalkov 33 mins) 8 Lewis Quinn (sub 29 Adam Boath 66 mins) 9 Lucas McKimmie 11 Lewis Grant 18 Connor Gray 19 Jamie Thomson 20 Liam Thomson 22 Kyle Fraser 23 Sean Johnstone 24 Nathan Ford (sub 14 Sol Forbes 75 mins). Unused sub: 6 Garry Duff.
Blairgowrie: 13 Harvey Thain 2 Michael Gray 4 Aidan McKelvie 5 Rhys Fraser 7 Cameron Ross 8 Craig McLellen (sub 12 Callum Morgan 81 mins) 9 Rian Robertson (sub 17 Ben McAllister 60 mins) 10 Gary Axworthy (sub 22 Sam Tennant 72 mins) 19 Aiden McDougall 16 Stuart Heenan (sub 21 Sam Blyth 81 mins) 20 Cameron Whytock. Unused subs: 24 Gary Robertson Gk Liam Westwood.
Referee: Mr. J. McCunnie.
Yellow cards: Vics: George Nedyalkov, Kyle Fraser. Blairgowrie: Michael Gray. Red cards: None.
