Turriff United came from behind to defeat Inverurie Locos 3-2 with a superb display at The Haughs, with Aaron Reid netting for Turra in his last game before joining Aberdeen.
Locos went ahead on seven minutes, a quick free-kick releasing Robert Ward into the area, and he had time to pick out Garry Wood to slide in and tap home from close range.
Turriff levelled with a tremendous long range strike from Owen Kinsella that swerved high into the net past Andy Reid in the 21st minute.
Kinsella then helped to make it 2-0 Turriff on 39 minutes, driving forward and finding Ewan Clark – and his lay-off was swept confidently past Reid by Callan Gray from 12 yards.
Gray was only denied a quick second by a superb Andy Reid tip over the crossbar from his stinging drive.
Locos keeper Reid then made a vital save just after the break to deny an inrushing Kyle Gordon, before Aaron Reid fired just over from Gordon’s cutback.
Gordon missed a great chance to make it three on the hour mark, screwing his effort wide after great work from Murray Cormack.
Number three did come for Turriff in the 70th minute, Clark playing in Cormack on the right of the area and, although Andy Reid got a hand to his low drive, Aaron Reid bundled the ball home at the far post.
69' Turriff break and Reid adds a third from close range with Locos looking for a flag 3-1
— InverurieLocoWorksFC (@InverurieLocos) December 30, 2022
Keir Smith saw red for a late lunge on Locos’ Mark Souter in the 72nd minute, before Andy Reid made a great point blank save from Cormack.
Locos pulled it back to 3-2 late on with a deflected strike from Greg Mitchell, but Turriff held on for a deserved win.
Goalless at Grant Park, with three players sent off
A goalless draw was just about right as evenly-matched Lossiemouth and Forres Mechanics battled it out a chilly Grant Park.
After a slow start, Forres keeper Stuart Knight got down at his near post to stop a deflected Lossiemouth effort in the 20th minute.
A minute later, at the other end, home goalie Logan Ross parried a stinging 20-yard drive from Ben Barron.
In the 35th minute, Lossie central defender Lewis McAndrew saw his powerful 10-yard drive deflected for a corner kick.
Early in the second half, Mechanics missed a great chance to take the lead when another Barron close-range drive, from an Ethan Cairns cross, flew high over the top.
Callum Johnston then tried his luck with a snapshot, which was well held low down by Ross.
Just after the hour mark, Lossie were reduced to 10-men when Niall Kennedy picked up his second yellow card of the night.
Ross then brought off another superb flying save to deny Johnston as Forres looked to press home their numerical advantage.
Sean Morrison saw his 18-yard drive cannon back off the base of the post with Ross beaten as Forres turned the screw late on.
With six minutes left, Lossie were reduced to nine men when Dean Stewart was shown a straight red card for apparent dissent.
However, three minutes later, Forres’ Dale Wood followed him up the tunnel for a last-man challenge.
RED CARD! DALE WOOD SENT OFF FOR A THUGGISH FOUL ON ROSS MORRISON (89)
— Lossiemouth FC (@lossiemouthfc) December 30, 2022
Conversation