Strathspey Thistle recorded only their second win of the Breedon Highland League season with a 2-1 victory against Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park.
It was a first win for Jags boss Robert MacCormack following his appointment last month.
It was also Strathspey’s first win in more than four months since a 2-0 victory against Clachnacuddin at the start of November.
Wick went into the match on the back of successive 6-0 defeats at the hands of Fraserburgh and Formartine and it was the bottom of the table visitors who took the lead after 32 minutes through Daniel Whitehorn.
It was Whitehorn’s second goal of the season and things went from bad to worse for the hosts five minutes before the break when defender Joe Anderson was sent off by referee Billy Baxter.
Full-time: Wick Academy 1-2 Strathspey Thistle. Goals from Whitehorn and Mackenzie earn three points for the #STRATHYJAGS
— Strathspey Thistle FC (Official) (@JagsStfc) March 22, 2023
The Scorries made a change at the interval with Cameron Montgomery replacing Conor Farquhar.
The 10 men of Wick levelled just after the hour mark through Marc MacGregor with his third of the campaign.
But parity lasted only two minutes when Michael Mackenzie put the Jags back in front.
With 20 minutes remaining, the home side brought on James Macintosh and Mark Munro for Mark Macadie and Richard Macadie as they tried to find another equaliser but Strathspey held on for a welcome win.
Despite the victory, Strathspey remain 10 points adrift of second bottom Keith having played two games more.
Turriff United 3-1 Rothes
A strong second half display gave Turriff United all three points against Rothes at The Haughs
Goals from Rhys Clark, Fergus Alberts and Callan Gray won it for the home side, with Aidan Wilson replying for Rothes.
Wilson got the first sight of goal for the visitors on nine minutes, but James Chalmers did well to block his fierce drive.
Rothes missed a great chance to go ahead six minutes later when Dylan Stuart was adjudged to have fouled Jake Thomson in the penalty area, only for David Dey to make a good block from Alan Pollock’s spot kick.
The home side went ahead in the 22nd minute, Rhys Clark firing home via the left post from eight yards for his first United goal after a scramble in the box.
Dey made a great save from a Greg Morrison piledriver from 20 yards as it swerved towards the left corner of the net.
Michael Finnis was denied by the crossbar with a free header from Pollock’s corner on 35 minutes, before Turriff raced to the other end and Alberts was denied by the legs of Mackenzie from a tight angle.
— Turriff United Football Club (@TurriffUnitedFC) March 22, 2023
Wilson equalised five minutes from the break, getting across his man to flick a superb finish into the far corner from Aidan Sopel’s cross.
Dey then kept his team level with a superb diving save from a Pollock free kick from 25 yards.
The home side regained the lead on 49 minutes, Jordan Cooper doing well to dig out a low cross to the far post and Alberts slid in to bundle the ball home from close range.
Cooper almost grabbed another two minutes later, driving forward and rifling a shot against the post from 20 yards.
Callan Gray grabbed number three for Turriff on 57 minutes, bursting onto a through ball and placing a fine finish beyond Mackenzie from 12 yards.