A Garry Wood brace earned Banks o’ Dee a 2-1 Breedon Highland League win at home to Huntly – with three players shown red cards following an altercation at the death.
Wood’s close-range finish had Dee in front at Spain Park, but Andy Hunter levelled with a spot-kick before the break.
Wood’s second half winner also came from the penalty spot, before Huntly’s Ross Still, and Dee’s Alasdair Stark and goalie Daniel Hoban were dismissed for violent conduct after a melee sparked by an injury time challenge by Still on the home keeper.
Dee co-Manager Josh Winton was pleased to see his side remain unbeaten against Huntly over 11 matches and paid tribute to two-goal forward Wood.
He said: “I didn’t think we were at our best, but created some good chances.
“We reacted well into the second half and I’m glad to get the three points.
“It wasn’t pretty – but it is still good to get a win.
“Garry Wood showed he’s a good experienced striker and that’s what we brought him into the club for.
“He’s done well to hold the first goal in and continued his run to get on the end of a cross.”
In the opening half-hour, Dee keeper Hoban made stops from Ryan Sewell, Angus Grant and Sewell again as Huntly pushed for the lead.
The woodwork then denied Banks o’ Dee in the 32nd minute, with a long-range Hamish MacLeod strike coming off the post.
The hosts would score a minute later, though, when Chris Antoniazzi played a ball in from the left for Wood to turn home.
Huntly levelled things up four minutes into stoppage time when Hunter fired in his 24th of the season from 12 yards after Finlay Allen had been fouled in the box.
Seven minutes into the second half, Dee would find themselves awarded a penalty for a foul on Hamish MacLeod, and Wood sent the keeper the wrong way for his 11th of the season.
The game’s big flashpoint came in stoppage time when Still arrived late to challenge Dee keeper Hoban after he had collected the ball.
Following the foul, Dee defender Stark grabbed Still by the throat, pushing him into the back of the net. A melee ensued with Still, Stark and Hoban all receiving red cards from referee Kevin Murray. It is understood Still has been hit with a second charge of violent conduct in the wake of the incident.
With all substitution windows used by Dee, and their goalie dismissed, substitute Max Alexander donned the gloves, but Huntly were unable to find a late equaliser.
Huntly have not won away in their last five matches, with manager Colin Charlesworth feeling they should have taken their chances in the first half.
He said: “Their keeper made two or three really good saves in the first half, but ultimately when you’re on top like that, you can’t lose a goal.
“We reacted well after conceding and got a penalty, and – as a minimum – deserved to be level at half-time.
“We looked dangerous in the second half, and Banks o’ Dee tried to take the sting out of the game, giving away fouls to slow us down. But the damage was done by a poor penalty for us to lose.”
Grant Noble: Win over Inverurie Locos was deserved for weeks of Deveronvale effort
Interim Deveronvale manager Grant Noble hailed his team for their energy after Ryan Park’s late winner to beat Inverurie Locos 2-1 gave him his first win since taking the reins at Princess Royal Park.
On a day when the strong wind badly interfered with both sides attempts to play football, Locos went ahead after just six minutes when Aidan Wilson fired low beyond Sean McIntosh from 25 yards.
The Vale custodian then made two brilliant close-range reflex stops from Lloyd Robertson to ensure the visitors only had a one-goal advantage at half-time, and the home side levelled within two minutes of the restart when Cameron Angus pounced to score for the third time in two games.
Just as it looked as though there would be no further scoring, with four minutes left, a scramble saw the ball break to Park just inside the Locos box and his deflected cross-goal strike found the net.
Noble thought his players were rewarded after giving their all for the cause.
He said: “I said to the boys after the game they deserved to get the win with their willingness to work for each other and also their spirit, so yes that was reward for the last few weeks’ performances.
“It has been tough to take losing late goals, so to get one in our advantage to get the win was deserved.
“Also a big thanks to Deveronside for allowing us to have Kean Mathieson – and he didn’t look out of place as he competed and worked hard throughout the 90 minutes.”
Locos manager Dean Donaldson felt they were poor in possession, but should have been further ahead at the break, saying: “Although the wind ruined the game, especially in the second half as the wind got stronger, it would probably have been fair to be three goals ahead at half-time.
“Their keeper had some great saves, but it is the old adage that if you don’t take your chances, you don’t win games. That is how it turned out.
“I have no issues with the boys as you could have had the best team out there and even they would struggle with the wind, so my only complaint was we didn’t take our first half chances.”
Julian Wade brace for Formartine United at Nairn County
A first half double from Julian Wade was enough to secure the points for Formartine United in a 2-0 victory against Nairn County at a blustery Station Park.
The Dominica international was the stand-out performer for United, who remain fifth in the table.
Formartine manager Stuart Anderson said: “It was a real battle. The first half performance was excellent.
“The wind changed a wee bit in the second half, so they had (the advantage of) the wind in both halves.
“But I’m delighted it’s another clean sheet.
“We could maybe have been out of sight in the first half.
“In the second half, we stuck to our task. I don’t think we gave them a chance.
“Julian and Aaron (Reid) were a great partnership.
“Aaron plays the ball in for the first one – it’s a great team goal – and Marc Lawrence has had two excellent passes leading up to the goals.”
Quick one-two from Wade
Nairn started the match brightly, but it was the visitors who went in front in the 15th minute following a fast-flowing move.
Lawrence spread the ball out to Reid, whose ball into the box was swept home by Wade.
At the other end, a minute later, Aaron Nicolson forced a finger-tip save on to the bar from United’s teenage keeper Cameron Middleton.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Wade raced on to a Lawrence through-ball before shrugging off his marker to net.
Nairn coped with the conditions better in the second period, but they failed to make the breakthrough against a resolute United defence.
Wee County skipper Fraser Dingwall and Harry Hennem forced saves from Middleton, and Jamie Carnihan was not far away with a snap-shot, but there was no more scoring.
Nairn manager Steven Mackay said: “I thought we started the game really well – for the first 10 minutes, I was really happy.
“We didn’t create loads of chances and they didn’t have any. Then we have one sloppy touch in the middle of the park and, before you know it, we are 1-0 down.
“It probably sums up our season a bit – not being clinical enough in the final third.
“In the second half we changed the shape and created a few half chances, but we never really looked like we were going to get that goal.”
Ewan Clark hat-trick in Turriff United’s 7-1 win over Strathspey – but keeper David Dey to retire
Turriff United mastered difficult, blustery conditions to beat the Highland League bottom side Strathspey Thistle 7-1 after the Haughs passed a morning pitch inspection.
Ewan Clark converted from close range on nine minutes after Ethan Rae had saved a left-foot shot from Reece McKeown, before John Allan’s double, either side of a McKeown free-kick, made it 4-0 at the break.
Ewan Neil’s header reduced the leeway early in the second half.
However, a header from Clark, Jack McKenzie curler and hat-trick-securing penalty from Clark – named Turra’s players’ player of the year on Saturday night – added gloss to the scoreline.
Their assistant manager Graeme Taylor said: “We’re delighted to have got the job done against a struggling team.
“Their goalkeeper has by all accounts been doing well, but it was a tough afternoon for him and he looked nervy. Our strikers Ewan Clark and John Allan were deadly. Our other front player Reece McKeown also scored.
“It looks a bit of a rout on paper – but it wasn’t. Strathspey did well, considering they only had 13 players.”
Turriff gave some of their younger players a chance off the bench in the game, with Taylor praising their impact.
Though he revealed Warren Cummings’ side will look to add a couple of “seasoned players” to help their young side “get stronger next season”, Taylor says Turriff will be “disappointed” if their steady improvement is not rewarded with a seventh or eighth place finish this term.
One hole which will have to be filled is between the posts, with Turra revealing goalkeeper David Dey – their committee player of the year – will retire at the end of the season, despite only being 26, for health reasons.
Our number 1 Davie Dey is unfortunately having to retire from football at the end of the season at the age of 26.
Davie came in as one of the first signings of a new era at Turriff United…mid to post Covid Davie signed on from fellow Highland League side Keith and once we got pic.twitter.com/bKP1YMDnnO
— Turriff United Football Club (@TurriffUnitedFC) April 7, 2024
Interim Strathspey Thistle manager Michael Rae said: “I try not to blame individuals and individual mistakes – we win as a team, (and) lose as a team. But when you make mistakes it makes it all the harder to come back.
“Turriff are a decent team, although one of their goals (John Allan’s first) may have been offside – their bench even seemed to agree.
“We lack players with good Highland League experience. Experienced players can make good decisions with game management.
“We have a lot of players with energy and commitment. They put themselves about effort wise, but lack experience.”
Calls-offs
Elsewhere, Brora Rangers v Wick Academy at Dudgeon Park, Clachnacuddin v Lossiemouth at Grant Street Park, Keith v Buckie Thistle at Kynoch Park and Rothes v Forres Mechanics at Mackessack Park were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
Keith v Buckie and Rothes v Forres have been rearranged for Monday night, Clach v Lossie has been pencilled in for April 20 and Brora v Wick will be played on April 24.
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