For Wick Academy player-manager Gary Manson their victory against Formartine United was worth the wait.
The Scorries triumphed 3-1 at Harmsworth Park in a fixture that didn’t kick off until 4pm to allow the pitch to dry out following a downpour.
Manson said: “The pitch was absolutely fine in the morning, but from 11am until 12.30pm there was a massive downpour and there was standing water on the pitch.
“The referee (Robert Mackinnon) arrived at 2pm and said if he made a decision then it would be unplayable.
@WickAcademyFC v @FormartineUtd
Kick off at Harmsworth Park is currently delayed due to surface water on the pitch.We are all trying to give the match as much chance as possible so no time for kick off at the moment.
There will be an update as soon as we have a time
— Wick Academy FC (@WickAcademyFC) March 2, 2024
“But Formartine were willing to wait, so were we and the referee was happy to inspect again at 3pm and he deemed it playable.
“It was fine, there were some soft patches, but it was good to get the game on.
“It was a really good performance from everybody and it’s our best result of the season.
“When we got to the halfway stage of the season I set the guys some targets.
“Taking points off top six teams is something we haven’t been doing on a regular basis and that was one of the targets.
“That’s two games in a row against Brora with a draw and Formartine with a win where we’ve done it.
“The effort everyone put in to get the game on paid dividends and it was a good day all round.”
United took the lead on 34 minutes when Lewis Duncan’s curling free-kick from the left flank evaded everyone and found the net.
Playing down the slope with the wind at their backs in the second period Academy rallied.
On 55 minutes a mix-up between Johnny Crawford and Cameron Middleton gave Kyle Henderson a chance he converted.
Henderson turned creator in the 71st minute, putting Jack Halliday through to score.
Six minutes later Henderson weaved in off the right and teed up Mark Macadie to finish from the edge of the box.
Formartine boss Stuart Anderson said: “We were happy to play the game, with the delay the pitch dried up and we were please to get the game on.
“I’m disappointed with the result, we had a really good first half. But it’s Jekyll and Hyde, the second half was the total opposite.
“The manner in which we lost the goals was disappointing. It’s been a bit of a theme in the last three games and we need to look at it and rectify it.”
Elsewhere, Buckie Thistle v Strathspey Thistle and Keith v Brechin City were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
Nairn County 1-1 Clachnacuddin
Nairn County manager Steven Mackay lambasted the officials after his side were reduced to nine men by the end of feisty 1-1 draw with local rivals Clachnacuddin at Station Park.
The Wee County boss was left frustrated with the decisions which led to his skipper Fraser Dingwall and central defensive partner Ross Tokely being dismissed.
He said: “Unfortunately it was all about the officials. For the first red card (Dingwall’s), the ball is clearly out on the side of the park, everybody can see it, but he lets play go on.
“Fraser makes a tackle – is he last man? I don’t think he is, but it’s a straight red card without any consultation – it’s a rash decision.
“For the Ross Tokely one, it’s two committed players, which I love to see, going up for a header fairly.
“He’s going up to head the ball not to injure the player. Again he’s so quick to get the card out, it just ruins the game – it’s so frustrating.
“The Highland League and the authorities need to look at it and make sure we are bringing in the correct standard of official.
“I’m so frustrated by it, we had a great crowd, two teams battling hard trying to get a victory but it’s all about the officials.”
The visitors came close to a sixth minute when Lewis MacKenzie curled a shot from the edge of the box off the far post.
Nairn were reduced to 10 men five minutes from the break when Dingwall was shown a straight red card for a last man tackle on Connor Bunce on the edge of the box.
The Lilywhites took the lead in the 67th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Tokely fouled Troy Cooper. Bunce sent Dylan MacLean the wrong way from the spot.
Nairn got back on level terms 10 minutes later with a spot kick of their own. Andrew MacLeod was taken down in the box and Ben Barron coolly converted from 12 yards.
Goal 1-0 pic.twitter.com/nq3sORqBlI
— Inverness Clachnacuddin FC (@clachfc) March 2, 2024
The home side were reduced to nine men in the stoppage time when Tokely picked up a second yellow card.
On his return to Station Park Clach boss Conor Gethins said: “I felt we were a bigger threat in the game but our decision making in the final third was just abysmal.
“There was no guile, no cuteness, no imagination. We were just relying on two or three to do something outrageous, like we do every week.
“That can’t happen, we need to nullify that and just get on with it.
“If you said ‘would you take a point away to Nairn?’ Absolutely, they are one of the most in-form teams in the league with strength throughout the team.”
Huntly 3-0 Forres Mechanics
A Robbie Foster hat-trick helped Huntly secure a 3-0 win against Forres Mechanics at Christie Park.
Foster took his tally for the season to 13 goals with Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth praising the Englishman’s contribution.
He said: “If you give him half a chance, he’ll finish it.
“We’ve got players who can put the ball across the face of goal and he’ll gamble on those chances making those runs late into the box and he did that with three great finishes.
“He was worthy of his man of the match award.”
Robbie Foster's hat-trick against Forres Mechanics saw the winger take his tally for the season to thirteen goals pic.twitter.com/bG3jv6TMQb
— Huntly Football Club (@huntlyfc) March 3, 2024
The hosts broke the deadlock when a counter-attack in the 12th minute saw Angus Grant play a through ball for Foster to fire in high at the near post.
Huntly doubled their lead in the 54th minute when Andrew Hunter’s cross was headed back across goal by Grant for Foster to finish at the back post.
Foster claimed his first Highland League hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining.
Ross Still’s cross was laid off by Hunter inside the opposition box before Foster fired home.
Forres manager Steven MacDonald said: “We didn’t start the game well, we conceded a poor first goal then after that we were the better team and played some good football.
“We went in a half-time disappointed to be 1-0 down and optimistic we could turn it around like we did on Wednesday but we never got near that and Huntly were much the better team in the second half.”
Inverurie Locos 1-1 Lossiemouth
After the midweek high of reaching the semi-finals of the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup, Inverurie Locos were brought back down to earth having to share the spoils with a spirited Lossiemouth side.
Locos manager Dean Donaldson bemoaned his team’s inability to finish off their good work with goals.
He said: “I felt we were good in spells and could have scored a few goals in the first half when we created 10 good chances but put none away.
“Some of the players looked leggy after the midweek win over Formartine so we needed to bring a freshness to the team.
“Young Blair Smith was excellent, others were too.
“Lossiemouth had one shot, scored then sat in and could have got a winner at the end. “Overall they worked hard to get their draw.”
After a run of 445 minutes of play without conceding a goal, Locos went a goal behind just before the hour when ex-Forres striker Brandon Hutcheson held off the challenge of Paul Coutts before despatching past Zack Ellis.
SHUT OUT RECORD
Well done to Zack Ellis and Blessing Oluyemi (and the lads in front of them) for securing our record shut out run in the senior era. Four hundred and forty five minutes between the goals conceded on Feb 10 and yesterday. 👏👏
🚂🔴⚽⚫ pic.twitter.com/u3jwFWniQM
— Inverurie Loco Works FC (@InverurieLocos) March 3, 2024
Locos levelled nine minutes later when a Myles Gaffney effort found the back of the net with the aid of a deflection off Lossie substitute James Leslie.
Lossie boss Frank McGettrick said: “It was a good game and we thoroughly deserved the point.
“Locos are a good side and have had great results recently.
“We’ve had five or six away games recently so we were delighted to take the lead.
“Young Brandon puts in a hard shift and I was delighted with him. The back four were excellent, the whole team played the ball about. Cameron Farquhar made some great saves.”
Deveronvale 2-2 Rothes
Deveronvale fought back from being two goals behind at the break to earn a point at home to Rothes.
The hosts dominated possession in the first half but they were denied by several fine stops from Rothes keeper Sean McCarthy and the visitors opened the scoring after 21 minutes when Kenzie Shepherd side-stepped Aaron Hamilton to score from just inside the box.
Jaydan Bradford then saw a Liam Shewan free kick rebound off his leg for an own goal to increase the visitors’ advantage five minutes from the break.
Jack Mitchell led the Vale fight back by firing home from eight yards after 63 minutes before Innes McKay grabbed the leveller ten minutes later when he turned his marker in the box to net from six yards.
Both teams had chances to win it but Rothes went closest when Sean McIntosh brilliantly blocked a Jake Thomson effort in the final minute.
Vale manager Craig Stewart said: “Over the piece we dominated the game and had six clear-cut chances to open the scoring only to go behind to a piece of poor defending.
“We then lost an own goal and from having created nothing Rothes have a two goal lead.
“We had a good discussion at half time and said if we carry on playing the way we were we would get something out of the game.
“We didn’t quite hit the heights we did in the first half but we got the goals and should have got a winner as the points were there for the taking.”
Rothes manager Richard Hastings said: “We have to learn from that and also build on the things we can take from it.
“We are still building and trying to manage a squad at the moment so we will have a measured outlook on it and take things from there.
“I am a realist and know our keeper kept us in the game in the first half with some fine saves before we had to put even more young players on than we started with.
“I had two boys in the squad I had never seen before so fair play to them for coming in and helping us out.
“I am hoping to have some of our injured players back in the next few weeks.”
Butcher hailed by Broch boss
Fraserburgh boss Mark Cowie hailed super-sub Sean Butcher’s goalscoring knack after his late winner against Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park.
You can read Callum Law’s full report and reaction from the Broch’s 2-1 win at Brora by clicking on the link below.