Clachnacuddin manager Jordan MacDonald was pleased to defeat Lossiemouth 2-1 at Grant Street Park and admitted they’ve played better this season and lost.
The Lilywhites picked up their third Breedon Highland League win of the season with Paul Brindle netting the winner in the 91st minute.
Reacting to Clach’s first victory since September 3 MacDonald said: “Thanks for reminding me about that. We have had a tough run but there are no excuses.
“We’ve played some of the top teams which you know will be tough, we’ve had good spells in all those games but come away with nothing.
“It was nice to get three points and show we can do the ugly side of the game when we have to.
“All the goals were scrappy but I’m not going to complain.
“I don’t know how many times this season I’ve come away saying we’ve played really well but taken nothing from the game.
“We tend to concede late on so it was a nice change to score one.”
Deep into injury time Clach survived a strong penalty appeal for handball against Martin Callum, but MacDonald felt his side should have had a free-kick prior to that incident.
He added: “Is it a penalty? Yes. Is there a foul on Alasdair Gillies in the lead up to the penalty? Yes.
“We should have had the free-kick in the first place because Ali was taken out after winning the header.”
Comeback win for Clach
Playing into a stiff breeze the Coasters caught Clach cold by taking a 12th minute lead.
Ross Morrison dispossessed Callum on the edge of his own box before confidently firing into the bottom right corner.
The Lilywhites were shaken by the loss of the opening goal but as the first half wore on they regained their composure and began to look more threatening.
In the 37th minute Brindle found Robbie Thompson on the left side of the box but after rounding goalkeeper Logan Ross he shot wide from an acute angle.
Two minutes later Clach did equalise with Lewis Mackenzie’s cross from the right bundled beyond the despairing Ross by James Anderson.
Buoyed by their leveller the Lilywhites finished the first half strongly with Jared Kennedy making an excellent last-ditch challenge to deny Anderson a second from Brindle’s cutback.
In the 67th minute Clach goalkeeper Martin MacKinnon made a good block to keep out Ross Archibald’s header after Adam MacLeod hooked a ball on to the back post.
The contest was frenetic until the finish but in the closing stages it was the Coasters who looked more likely to claim the points.
In the 84th minute MacKinnon made a smart save to turn away Dean Stewart’s volley from 15 yards.
From the corner that followed Ryan Farquhar’s inswinging delivery was sent into the side-netting by James Leslie at the back post.
But in the 91st minute Clach snatched victory with Brindle volleying home at the back post from Alasdair Gillies corner.
Before the game was over referee Billy Baxter turned down strong Lossie penalty appeals for handball when Leslie’s shot was blocked by Callum.
Russell sees red
Coasters boss Joe Russell was shown a red card after the final whistle for his complaints.
He said: “I’m extremely disappointed with the result. We were poor in the first half, we didn’t cope with the conditions and Clach put us under a lot of pressure.
“We pressed well to get the goal early on and with the way Clach play we wanted to try to press like that.
“We got our rewards but then we settled back and stopped doing that and the wind and the sun made it particularly difficult for the back four.
“I was relatively content with 1-1 at half-time and I felt we controlled the second half.
“We had chances and we’ll watch the video back, but everyone is convinced it’s a stonewall penalty, it hits the guy’s arm.
“For Clach’s winner I was looking right along the line and I’m not convinced it was a corner.
“I spoke to the referee after the game and he didn’t like me criticising his decisions so he sent me off.
“When you see the players’ reaction that tells its own story. It’s hit his hand and the only person who either hasn’t seen it or doesn’t think it’s a penalty is the referee and in my eyes it’s a poor decision.”