Huntly came from behind to defeat Inverurie Locos 2-1 at Christie Park to reach the final of the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield.
Nathan Meres put the Railwaymen ahead, but goals from Kyle Dalling and Greg Buchan sent the Black and Golds into their first final since 2008.
Allan Hale’s side will take on Buckie Thistle or Banks o’ Dee in the final.Â
Entertaining first period
The tie was played at a frenetic tempo from the outset with little time afforded in a congested midfield area.
It was Inverurie who had the first half chance after quarter of an hour, but Neil Gauld’s snap-shot flashed over from 20 yards.
Huntly were looking to exploit the pace of Gavin Elphinstone on the right flank, but for the majority of the first half the home side’s balls in behind weren’t accurate enough to release the winger.
The Black and Golds’ first chance came down the other flank with Kyle Dalling’s clipped pass finding Logan Johnstone, but he sliced a shot wide from the edge of the box.
On the half hour mark Gauld had an opportunity for the visitors, but he couldn’t control Kieran Shanks’ cutback when well-placed inside the area.
In the 34th minute Huntly carved out an excellent opening. Elphinstone nipped in ahead of Mark Souter on the left and managed to pick out Greg Buchan in the middle, but he stabbed a shot over from 10 yards.
Action was flowing from end to end and shortly before half-time Shanks headed wide from Gauld’s pinpoint cross following a period of Inverurie pressure.
The last chance of the first period was for Huntly, however, Mark Souter made a great block to thwart Buchan.
Locos make breakthrough
The Railwaymen had the first opening of the second half with Shanks’ diagonal from left to right finding Meres, but Huntly goalkeeper Tom Ritchie blocked the effort.
At the other end Andy Reid did well to hold Jack MacIver’s dipping drive from 25 yards.
In the 55th minute Gauld slipped Shanks clear on the right side of the area, but Ritchie blocked the powerful drive.
But seconds later Locos did grab the opener with Shanks playing the perfect pass down the right channel for Meres who raced in behind and finished confidently beyond Ritchie.
In response to falling behind Huntly boss Allan Hale sent on two strikers with Joel MacBeath and Fergus Alberts introduced from the bench.
In the 64th minute Elphinstone had a decent opening at the back post from Jack MacIver’s cross, but he couldn’t sort his feet out and scuffed the ball wide.
On 72 minutes Huntly equalised when MacIver’s corner dropped for Dalling and his shot was from 14 yards was ruled to have crossed the line by assistant referee Jack Bell -despite Inverurie’s protests that Reid had kept it out.
Four minutes later the home side took the lead with MacBeath burrowing his way down the right and found Alberts with a low cross.
The striker’s shot was blocked by Reid but Alberts followed up and bundled the ball back towards goal and Buchan slid in and forced it into the net.