Allan Hale was delighted with Huntly’s return to action as they defeated Turriff United at Christie Park following more than a month on the sidelines.
The Black and Golds hadn’t played since December 3 due to postponements before Saturday’s 2-0 victory in the Breedon Highland League.
The result moves the Strathbogie side above United into 10th in the table.
Manager Hale said: “For us it was about getting through the game and getting three points.
“We’d had almost five weeks without a game and you’re always a little bit concerned coming back.
“But everything we asked for before the game in terms of intensity and our press we got.
“We started well and took control of the game with two goals, we missed chances to kill the game but we managed it well in the second half.
“Turriff are a good team who were always going to come back at us so to get three points and a clean sheet against a team as good as them is something we’ve got to be pleased with.”
Huntly finished 10th last season and Hale hopes they can reach the top half this term.
He added: “The objective is to break into it (the top half) this season.
“The first objective is to try to beat our points total from last season and hopefully that will be enough to take us there.
“But there are no easy games in this league, they’re all tough.”
Fast start
Two goals in the first seven minutes gave Huntly control of the contest.
The first came in the fifth minute. The Black and Golds forced three corners in succession and from the third Callum Lamb’s inswinging delivery from the left was headed home by Kyle Dalling from six yards.
Two minutes later another Lamb corner – this time from the right – found Michael Clark at the back post and he prodded the ball into the net.
Andy Hunter headed over from another Lamb corner and then the on-loan Dundee midfielder had an effort blocked by James Chalmers following a rapid break from Callum Murray.
Hunter tested Turra goalkeeper David Dey with a 30-yard free-kick on 33 minutes before Angus Grant lobbed over after an excellent one-two with Ross Still.
The visitors didn’t test home goalkeeper Fraser Hobday in the first period and were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time.
Max Foster was shown a red card by referee Alan Proctor for a sliding challenge on James Connelly, although Foster got a touch on the ball the officials weren’t impressed with the lunging nature of the challenge.
Just before the hour mark Hunter had three chances to net Huntly’s third.
First he had a strike from 14 yards blocked by Dey, before heading a Lamb cross over from close range and his third effort was a shot from 18 yards that clipped the top of crossbar.
Turriff to their credit battled until the end and had a flurry of late chances.
Owen Kinsella almost caught out Hobday with a cross-cum-shot, Reece McKeown curled a free-kick into the custodian’s hands and Callan Gray hit the left post from three yards from Kinsella’s right-wing cross.
Early stages cost United
Turriff manager Dean Donaldson said: “I’m disappointed with the first 20 minutes and how we started the game.
“It was like we thought we could just show up to Huntly and stroll about for the first 20 minutes.
“That’s what we did and Huntly got two goals from set pieces.
“I look forward to watching it back because we didn’t match our runners or defend collectively as we should have and they’re disappointing goals to lose.
“It’s an uphill battle after losing those goals. Against Inverurie last week we didn’t start well and lost the first goal.
“But like that game we got a reaction after the first 20 minutes, I felt we were the better side and played some good football.
“But we didn’t have the final ball, we seemed to play a pass too many at times.
“With the red card the referee has one chance to look at it and if he feels it’s reckless or dangerous that’s his decision.
“I didn’t feel it was a red card but I was a fair bit away from it so I’d need to look back at it.”