Huntly continued their unbeaten start in the Breedon Highland League with a 3-2 win against Inverurie Locos at Harlaw Park.
The Black and Golds were the more creative side throughout this derby encounter and a second half brace from Andy Hunter and a late strike from Brodie Allen earned them the points.
The victory means the Strathbogie side have taken 10 points from a possible 12 to begin the season.
Meanwhile, the Railwaymen – who scored through Glen Donald and Callum Duncan – are still pointless after four games.
The sides had met last weekend in the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League cup with Locos winning 2-1 at Christie Park, but it was a different story this time around.
Inverurie made five changes to the side defeated by Formartine United on Wednesday.
Thomas Reid, Josh Buchan, Demilade Yunus and Blair Smith dropped to the bench while Mark Souter was suspended. In came Jamie Michie, Calum Dingwall, Logan Johnstone, Garry Wood and Cole Anderson.
There were two alterations to the Huntly side which beat Lossiemouth in midweek as Cameron Heslop and Alex Thoirs replaced James Connelly and Brodie Allen.
Early efforts
It was the home side who had the first chance when Anderson dispossessed Thoirs at the edge of the Black and Golds’, but the midfielder’s shot was tame and easy for goalkeeper Fraser Hobday.
On 12 minutes the Railwaymen had tentative penalty appeals when the ball appeared to strike Thoirs’ arm in a tangle with Wood, but referee Mike Roncone wasn’t interested.
At the other end Huntly striker Hunter fired a free-kick from 30 yards over the top. In the 15th minute Inverurie goalkeeper Andy Reid had to move sharply to turn Robbie Foster’s inswinging corner from the left over the crossbar.
Inverurie were next to have a go with Dingwall’s drive from 25 yards deflected through to Hobday.
Midway through the first period Michael Dangana flicked on a long throw from Thoirs, but Foster blasted over.
On 27 minutes Foster powered clear of Michie on the left flank, but just as Foster was ready to shoot Johnstone got across to make a terrific sliding block.
The endeavour from both sides couldn’t be questioned, but the final pass or shot was lacking quality with Anderson sending a scuffed low shot from the edge of the area straight at Hobday.
Goal ruled out
In the 33rd minute Huntly had the ball in the net with Dangana outmuscling Johnstone which gave Allen – an early replacement for Lewis Crosbie – the chance to fire in a low cross from the right which the sliding Hunter forced over the line.
But the goal was ruled out with linesman Shaun Telford ruling the ball had come off Hunter’s hand on its way into the net.
Two minutes later Andy Reid made a superb save to keep out Foster’s volley at point-blank range after Thoirs swirling cross from the right dropped at the back post.
In the 38th minute the Black and Golds broke quickly on Inverurie and Dangana slipped Ryan Sewell through only for Michie to make an excellent slide tackle to avert the danger.
At the other end Hobday made a great stop to repel Johnstone’s back post header from Paul Coutts’ free-kick on the left.
Foster had two more efforts before the half was out: a curler that was easy for Reid and then a volley from Lyall Booth’s cross that whistled wide.
Search for opener
Two minutes into the second half Glen Donald headed over from a Coutts corner.
On 49 minutes Huntly showed their threat again with Hunter’s low shot from 25 yards hitting the inside of the left post before Locos cleared.
However, Hunter wasn’t to be denied and in the 55th minute he gave the Black and Golds the lead.
Sewell’s free-kick from the right was knocked down by Ross Still at the back post and Hunter was on hand to ram the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.
On the hour mark things got even better for the visitors as Hunter made it 2-0.
Sewell sent in a free-kick from the left and Hunter glanced a header beyond Reid from six yards.
Shortly after Allen went in search of a third for Huntly, but his blast from long range was off target, then on 65 minutes Still’s smashed a volley narrowly over from 25 yards.
The visitors continued to look dangerous with Dangana and Allen breaking at pace, but the latter couldn’t pick out Foster with his cross.
In the 70th minute Reid made another fine save to keep the score at 2-0. Hunter clipped a fine pass out to Foster on the left and after he broke past Michie into the box his low shot was parried by Reid before Donald booted clear.
Three minutes later Inverurie were grateful for Reid’s save as they pulled a goal back.
Johnstone’s throw-in from the right was headed back out to him he delivered a cross to the back post which Donald headed home.
As time ticked down Garry Wood lashed over from 25 yards as Locos chased a leveller.
But in the 87th minute Huntly sealed the points with their third goal. It was worked down the left flank with Dangana breaking free and cutting the ball back for Allen to loop a shot from 12 yards into the right corner.
There were some nervy moments for the visitors when Locos pulled another back in the second minute of injury time as Nathan Meres crossed from the right for fellow sub Duncan to finish past Hobday from 12 yards with the aid of a deflection.
