Breedon Highland League leaders Brechin City ruthlessly brushed aside Banks o’ Dee 4-1 to move four points clear at the top of the division.
The two sides had fought out a 4-4 draw at Glebe Park before Christmas, but this encounter at Spain Park was thoroughly one-sided.
A stunning first half hour from the Hedgemen did the damage with Michael Cruickshank, Botti Biabi, Fraser MacLeod and Grady McGrath all on target.
The result means Brechin are four points clear of Buckie Thistle at the top of the Highland League with both sides having played 17 games.
Dee boss Jamie Watt made two changes from the draw a week ago.
Dean Lawrie and Lewis Crosbie dropped out with Neale Allan and Hamish MacLeod coming in.
Brechin gaffer Andy Kirk made three alterations with Cruickshank, Nathan Cooney and Biabi replacing Jamie Bain, Aaron Arnott and Ewan Loudon.
Blitz puts Brechin in command
The visitors started brightly and Biabi had the ball in the net with barely a minute played, but McGrath was flagged offside in the build-up.
On three minutes, Kevin McHattie blazed over from 10 yards after Euan Spark headed down a Kieran Inglis corner.
Brechin made the breakthrough in the 12th minute. Marc Scott’s low cross from the right found Cruickshank at the back post and he had the easy task of tapping home.
Dee improved after conceding without threatening the City goal too much.
Then the Hedgemen hit the hosts with three goals in five minutes.
In the 25th minute, Brechin broke from a Banks o’ Dee corner with Inglis releasing Biabi on the left side of the area – and he blasted a left-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Andy Shearer.
Three minutes later, Dee were caught trying to play out from the back with Scott forcing a mistake.
Biabi picked up the loose ball and slipped MacLeod through. He rolled his shot into the bottom left corner.
In the 30th minute, it was 4-0 when Darryn Kelly was penalised by referee Filippo Mazzoni for high feet in a challenge with Scott inside the box.
McGrath fired the resultant spot-kick into the top left corner.
Brechin looked a threat every time they came forward and McGrath sent a low shot inches wide from 20 yards as half-time approached.
Hedgemen in control
The second period wasn’t as exciting as the first with Brechin having established such a commanding lead.
One moment of disappointment for the visitors was losing captain McHattie to a suspected ankle injury after 56 minutes.
Midway through the second period, Dee had a decent penalty claim turned down after the ball struck Inglis’ arm.
On 77 minutes, sub Loudon exchanged passes with Biabi before lashing a shot against the crossbar from the left side of the area as City searched for another.
Banks o’ Dee to their credit kept plugging away until the end, but visiting goalkeeper Lenny Wilson was never seriously worked during the course of the contest.
Deep into injury time, Brechin were reduced to 10 men with Loudon sent off for a bad challenge on Matthew Wallace and, with the last kick of the game, Rob Armstrong netted a consolation for Banks o’ Dee with a finish from 12 yards.
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