Inverurie Locos bounced back from successive league defeats to book a first round GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup tie away to Rothes by winning 2-1 at Huntly in the preliminary round.
Jay Halliday’s opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Huntly’s Ross Still, before Inverurie’s Blair Smith netted the goal which proved to be the winner, all in the opening period.
Locos manager Andy Low paid tribute to his players for securing cup progress after a difficult couple of weeks, saying: “I’ve got a lot of faith in this squad, but something just hadn’t clicked the last couple of weeks and we pulled it right back to basics, defended first and foremost and looked a threat on the counter attack scoring to great goals.
“Blair Smith has been itching for a start but I wanted to pick the right moment, and it paid off.”
Low was also pleased to see Sam Robertson fire back to form in teeing up both Locos goals, with the Railwaymen boss adding: “I said to him to go back to his Buckie days and play wide, be direct and get balls into the box.
“I thought he was brilliant and he’ll always take on board what you ask of him and give one hundred percent.”
Locos took the lead after nine minutes when Sam Robertson’s cross from the right was flicked on by Lloyd Robertson for Jay Halliday to open his account for the season.
Huntly then came close to an equaliser when Michael Dangana cut in from the left, firing low towards the far post, but a fingertip save from Andy Reid prevented the leveller.
Huntly did draw level on 29 minutes, however, when Lyall Booth delivered from a corner and Ross Still headed home.
The visitors regained the lead minutes later, though, when a good piece of counter-attacking play saw Robertson cross for Smith to net for the first time since early December.
Huntly piled the pressure on the Locos goal in the second half and Michael Clark nodded wide from a Robbie Foster corner, before, deep into stoppage time, Andy Hunter headed over from a Booth free-kick.
Huntly boss Allan Hale thought it was game of two halves for his side.
He said: “Locos were comfortably the better team in the first half.
“We gave away a horrendous goal on the counter, which comes from a lack of concentration and lack of organisation.
“At half-time, we adjusted a few things. Although we had a lot of possession in the second half, we just lacked a real cutting edge in the last third, and – on the balance of that – we deservedly go out.”
Wick Academy 0-1 Nairn County
Nairn County manager Steven Mackay was pleased to reach the first round of the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup.
The Wee County defeated Wick Academy 1-0 in their preliminary round tie at Harmsworth Park.
Nairn will face Keith at Kynoch Park in round one a week on Saturday.
Mackay said: “Getting through was always the main thing and when you’ve done that you’ve got to be happy.
“But there were aspects of the game where we could have been more clinical and made it easier for ourselves.
“The cups are something we hope to have some joy in, but we know it’s not easy, and we’ve got another tough away tie against Keith next.”
The only goal of the tie came on 11 minutes when Sam Gordon’s cross from the left was laid off by Tyler Eadie for Conor Gethins to finish.
11' Goal for Nairn!
Nairn pressure pays off, Wayne MacKintosh intercepting a wayward pass, Playing through Sam Gordon, precise cross and an unselfish layoff from Tyler Eadie allows Conor Gethins to put it in the bottom corner.
⚫️ 0-1 🔴 pic.twitter.com/X7wteC2nuY
— Nairn County FC (@NairnCounty) August 12, 2023
In the second period, Gethins hit a post and Jamie Carnihan was denied when through one-on-one with Wick keeper Graeme Williamson.
Wick’s best chance fell for Gordon MacNab at the back post, but he could not hit the target, while Ross Gunn and Richard Macadie had attempts deflected off-target.
Scorries player-manager Gary Manson said: “We didn’t create enough clear-cut chances. We only really had half chances, which we could have done better with.
“Nairn took one of their chances and that means they deserve to go through.
“We can’t have any complaints and it’s disappointing to exit the cup at the first stage.”
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