Aidan Wilson netted five times as Rothes eased to a 9-0 victory against Strathspey Thistle.
The victory moves Rothes to within a point of Inverurie Locos in sixth place with two games in hand.
This was the first game in charge for new Jags manager, former Alness United boss, Robert MacCormack.
Rothes opened the scoring in the fifth minute when the ball rebounded off the bar straight to Wilson who drilled low past Oliver Kelly in the Jags goal from 12 yards.
In the 20th minute Aidan Sopel sent in a superb cross and had Wilson headed it either side of Kelly, instead of nodding it straight at the keeper, it would have been 2-0.
Rothes doubled their advantage in the 26th minute when Liam Shewan picked up a loose ball and beat Kelly with a low drive.
Rothes 9-0 Strathspey Thistle
5 goals from Aidan Wilson, 2 from Liam Shewan and 1 each from Alan Pollock and Ewan Neil win the points
🍊🟠⚫️ #MonTheSpeysiders pic.twitter.com/VJjdGS5ZsU— Rothes FC (@RothesFC) February 22, 2023
It was 3-0 in the 36th minute when Wilson lashed the ball low into the far corner from just outside the box.
A minute from the break Wilson completed his hat-trick with a fine back-post finish.
Five minutes into the second half it was Wilson on target again when he beat the Jags’ offside trap to net his fourth.
In the 62nd minute Wilson was in the right place to stab the ball home at the back post for his fifth.
Five minutes later substitute Ewan Neil added another from close-range before a ferocious 25-yard Alan Pollock free kick made it 8-0 in the 76th minute.
With three minutes to go Shewan completed the rout with another composed 12-yard finish.
Huntly 1-0 Keith
A solitary Michael Dangana goal gave Huntly a 1-0 win and maintained a six-game unbeaten run over Keith at Christie Park.
Three minutes in, James Connelly curled past the post after Craig Reid punched away a Lyall Booth corner.
The visitors failed to register a single on target on the night and the best chance they had was with half an hour gone when Matthew Tough’s glancing header went wide of the post following a Kieran Yeats corner.
The hosts came close again from another Booth corner with four minutes of the half remaining with Kyle Dalling heading wide.
Tonight’s teams @huntlyfc v @KeithFC pic.twitter.com/hxxfcbo47k
— Keith Football Club (@KeithFC) February 22, 2023
Huntly had claims for a penalty five minutes into the second half when Demilade Yunus took out Lyall Booth in the box but referee Lewis Brown waved away the claims.
Craig Reid denied his former side before the hour mark blocking Angus Grant’s shot at the near post after the forward got on the end of an Andrew Hunter flick-on.
Hunter passed up a great opportunity himself blazing over after getting on the end of a Michael Clark through ball.
Huntly were still causing problems from corners and Dalling came close again with a header from a Cameron Blacklock header.
Two substitutes combined after 70 minutes when Callum Murray crossed for Brodie Allen but his shot on the turn was just wide.
The winner came in the 74th minute. Good play from Callum Murray created an opening in the last third and Dangana managed to squeeze a shot past Craig Reid at his near post.
A goal-line clearance denied Michael Clark five minutes later after a well-worked corner routine.
Hunter came close again with minutes to go heading over with a diving heading from a Murray cross.
Conversation