Inverurie Locos boss Dean Donaldson joked that Mark Souter wasn’t following the script when he netted a stunning goal in their Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup victory against Formartine United.
The Railwaymen progressed to the semi-final of the tournament with a 3-0 win against the Pitmedden outfit at Harlaw Park.
Centre-back Souter broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion with a thunderbolt from 40 yards.
Manager Donaldson was relieved the ball found the net and said: “I’ve been telling the boys I don’t want any of my centre-backs shooting from 30 yards plus.
“Mark obviously hasn’t got that memo and has rifled it in the top corner.
“But when he does that I can’t say anything to him about it, it was a great strike.
“When he was lining up I was thinking ‘why are you shooting?’
“If he hadn’t hit the target I’d have been annoyed because I wanted them to keep the ball moving.”
Railwaymen in it to win it
Inverurie’s prize for winning is a semi-final clash with Aberdeen on a date yet to be confirmed. Fraserburgh will face Buckie Thistle next Wednesday in the other last four tie.
Locos have never won the Aberdeenshire Cup and haven’t lifted any silverware since December 2016.
Donaldson hopes that can change and added: “It was a hard-fought win and a good performance from every single one of my squad.
“Aberdeen will be tough, but we’re in it to try to win it and keep our season going.”
Locos’ opener arrived in the 19th minute with Souter hammering a magnificent right-foot shot into the roof of the net from 40 yards.
Five minutes into the second period Inverurie struck again. Paul Coutts’ inswinging corner from the left was headed home by the unmarked Milosz Ochmanski from inside the six-yard box.
Formartine pushed to try to come back into the tie, but struggled to seriously test home goalkeeper Zack Ellis.
The closest they came was Julian Wade’s free-kick from 25 yards which flashed narrowly wide.
On 82 minutes it looked like Wade would be left with a tap-in before Ochmanski made a crucial intervention.
Five minutes from time Coutts completed the scoring from the penalty spot, finding the top right corner after Aaron Norris had pulled down Nathan Meres inside the area.
Frustration for United
Formartine boss Stuart Anderson said: “When you’re in a cup quarter-final you don’t want to get beat 3-0 so we’re extremely disappointed.
“I know what the boys are capable of and for some reason it wasn’t there on this occasion.
“Inverurie have won 3-0, but our goalkeeper has had nothing to do. At the moment we seem to be giving away goals which are very avoidable.
“We’ve lost one from a corner which is unlike us, the first one is a great strike and there’s nothing you can really do about that and then the other one is a penalty, our goalkeeper hasn’t had to make a save.
“At the same time we haven’t caused them enough problems and asked enough questions.
“They were better than us and we need to take it on the chin and move on.”
Wick Academy 0-0 Brora Rangers
Brora Rangers’ faint title hopes faded with a goalless derby draw at Wick Academy with the home side ending the match with 10 men after striker Gordy MacNab was sent off.
The result means Brora remain ninth but go level on points with Turriff United, but are 19 points behind leaders Brechin City, having just played four fewer fixtures. Wick’s point takes them above Keith into 14th position.
Wick made three changes from the team which went down 3-1 at Brechin, with Graeme Williamson, Owen Rendall and Kyle Henderson stepping up.
Amid the four Brora changes from the side which drew 2-2 at Banks o’ Dee, young Ross County defender Alister Morrison made his debut just hours after his loan move until the end of the season was confirmed.
It was a bright opening from both teams, with Wick’s Ross Gunn and Brora’s Ali Sutherland amongst the liveliest creators.
Wallace, who was partnering Jordan MacRae in Brora’s attack, tested the home goalkeeper with a shot which Williamson gathered.
At the other end, Henderson flashed a low effort wide of goal before MacNab beat the offside trap to latch on to a long pass and drew a save from goalkeeper Logan Ross.
Henderson went close again on the cusp of half-time, but again the ball was pulled wide of the left post.
Scorries suffer dismissal
Mark Nicolson flashed a header off target early in the second period as Brora came out with the bit between their teeth.
On 57 minutes, Academy suffered a blow as MacNab was sent off went he was booked for a second time by referee Billy Baxter.
He had been yellow-carded late in the first half and kicking the ball away in frustration led to his dismissal.
Substitute Kyle Macleod had two efforts saved by Williamson as Brora pressed for a breakthrough.
In the closing moments, there were two great chances at either end, with Jordan MacRae heading wide for Brora then, from a breakaway, Conor Farquhar blazed over when lined up by fellow sub Mark Macadie.
This Saturday, both these sides will face title-hunters, with Wick hosting Formartine and Fraserburgh visiting Brora.
Buckie Thistle 3-0 Lossiemouth
Buckie Thistle moved from fifth to third in the Breedon Highland League table and reduced the gap to seven points behind leaders Brechin City with three games in hand.
The Jags started brightly in their quest to keep their title dream very much alive and within three minutes they were ahead.
Jack MacIver’s pin-point corner kick picked out Jack Murray and his superb six-yard header drifted beyond Lossiemouth keeper Cammy Farquhar’s outstretched hand.
Seven minutes later it took a brilliant flying save from Farquhar to stop a ferocious MacIver 20-yard drive from doubling the home side’s advantage.
Farquhar was in top form and shortly after the keeper did well to clutch a dangerous Max Barry cross.
Murray had another free header at a corner kick two minutes after the break but this time his effort ballooned over the top and shortly after livewire MacIver fired wide from a good position.
Buckie Thistle made it 2-0 in the 51st minute with a Max Barry grounder from just inside the box.
Lossiemouth were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd minute when Ryan Farquhar was shown a second yellow card by referee Scott Donohoe.
With nine minutes to go substitute Marcus Goodall stabbed home Buckie’s third goal with his first touch of the game, referee Donohoe incurring the wrath of the Lossie supporters by over-ruling his far-side assistant Paulina Ruszniak who had her flag up for offside.
Forres Mechanics 2-2 Huntly
Forres Mechanics and Huntly fought out a 2-2 draw at Mosset Park.
The hosts went close after the quarter-hour mark when Callum Frame shot low forcing Fraser Hobday to save.
Three minutes later, James Connelly found Huntly attacker Angus Grant from a throw whose effort was wide of the post.
Huntly broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. Great work down the right from Angus Grant saw the player turn Calum Howarth on the by-line before cutting the ball back for Matthew Wallace who marked his 26th birthday by turning in his first goal for the club.
Forres went close to levelling as Hobday clawed away a Thomas Brady long-range effort.
FULL TIME
Honours even after a well contested 90 minutes.
Calum Frame and Mark McLauchlin with the Cans goals ⚽️#monthecans pic.twitter.com/Bw4RwNtF6N
— Forres Mechanics F.C. (@TheCansOfficial) February 28, 2024
As the half came to a close, a poor kick out by Hobday went out to Mark McLauchlan whose speculative effort went wide.
In the 56th minute a goal kick from Robert Donaldson was flicked on by Benjamin Kelly for Callum Frame to run on to net his sixth of the season.
Forres went in front in the 66th minute when McLauchlan gathered the ball and ran on before firing in a low drive for his first of the season.
Huntly pulled level in the 71st minute when Ryan Sewell swung in a corner from the left for Andy Hunter to head in his 20th of the campaign.
Both sides had chances in stoppage time with Michael Clark heading over from a Sewell corner while Fraser Hobday turned a Jack Grant shot round the post.