Rothes edged out Clachnauddin 3-2 thanks to a stunning 35-yard debut goal from ex-Lilywhites striker Liam Shewan.
Speysiders manager Ross Jack was quick to praise his new recruit, who signed from Nairn County on Friday, and said: “Liam has set some standard for himself.
“He told me that he saw the Clach keeper off his line and he went for it, and why not.
“I am delighted with his first appearance from the bench and I hope he can keep it up.
“I didn’t say anything to them at half-time which is printable, but once we got a bit of cohesion about us in the second half it was much better. Having said that I felt we could have come in at half-time two or three goals up.”
The visitors took a 19th minute lead when Lewis Mackenzie’s 12-yard drive took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Rothes keeper Iain MacKenzie.
1-0 Clach!! pic.twitter.com/QrYGlcqZB5
— Inverness Clachnacuddin FC (@clachfc) January 28, 2023
MacKenzie then excelled himself to turn a net-bound Kieran Chalmers 10-yard drive past the upright and from the resulting corner kick Gary Warren saw his header rebound off the crossbar.
Rothes equalised with the last kick of the first half, Aidan Wilson crossed and Fraser Robertson stabbed the ball home from six yards, with the Clach defence looking for offside.
Five minutes after the restart Rothes turned the game on its head when Robertson headed home his second goal of the afternoon, again from six yards.
Two minutes later it took a magnificent save from Martin MacKinnon in the Clach goal to stop a ferocious 15-yard drive from Matheus Machado.
Clach equalised in the 73rd minute when Connor Bunce ran on to a long through ball, rounded keeper MacKenzie and rolled the ball into the net.
Rothes brought on Shewan and in the 78th minute he marked his debut with a candidate for goal of the season, beating MacKinnon with a fabulous 35-yard effort which flew into the roof of the net.
ROTHES 3-2 Clach
Liam Shewan on his debut! pic.twitter.com/uXIQ3U714m— Rothes FC (@RothesFC) January 28, 2023
In the final minute another Rothes substitute, Jake Thomson, passed up a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 4-2.
With Clach keeper MacKinnon up in the Rothes box for a corner, the winger, with an open goal, slipped just as he was about to put his foot through the ball.
Clach manager Jordan Macdonald said: “The best team lost the game, we had enough chances in the first half to win the game and their first goal was miles offside.
“But the second and third goals we gave away were schoolboy errors, we didn’t want to do the hard yards, and it’s cost us.”
-
Forres Mechanics 1-2 Turriff United
A spirited Turriff United came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory against Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park.
Goals from Callan Gray and Keir Smith either side of half-time, after Callum Johnston’s early opener, gave Turra all three points on the road.
United manager Dean Donaldson said: “We lost an early goal, which I was pretty peeved about.
“But the boys reacted and second half we pretty much dominated and should have scored a couple more.
“I’m pleased to get a win and it’s important we keep trying to climb the table.”
Forres struck first when Johnston fired a 20-yard effort in via the post after four minutes.
Turriff’s first chance of note fell to Reece McKeown after a mix-up in the Forres midfield, but Robert Donaldson was out to smother.
Donaldson was called into action again a minute later, getting down low to his left to keep out Luke Kinsella’s free-kick. Forres’ Tom Brady cleared a looping header from the resultant corner off the line.
Ben Barron had a chance to double Forres’ advantage on 20 minutes when he raced through one-on-one, but slotted wide.
The same man was unfortunate a minute later to see his 20-yard effort come back off the post.
Turriff levelled the game 10 minutes before half-time when McKeown’s shot, which was going wide, was parried by Donaldson into the path of Gray, who knocked into an empty net.
Smith gave Turriff the lead when he turned a low cross from the left in at the back post on 57 minutes.
Kyle Gordon almost added a third two minutes later but his shot was blocked and tipped behind by Donaldson.
Turriff had further chances to tie up the points late on, most notably when Dylan Stuart nodded inches wide.
Failing to kill the game off almost cost the visitors as Forres went close late on.
A corner was dealt with poorly by David Dey, who only punched as far as Connall Ewan, but nobody was on hand to turn the centre half’s header across goal in.
Mechanics manager Steven MacDonald said: “We started well and were good in the first half.
“Second half we have been well beaten and it could have been more.”