A second half penalty from in-form striker Liam Duell gave Banks o’ Dee all three points in a hard-fought encounter at Victoria Park.
Blustery conditions made for a game of few chances, and Duell’s sixth goal in four games was enough to win it for the Aberdeen side.
Dee co-manager Josh Winton was delighted with match winner Duell.
He said: “He’s came in and really hit the ground running, he works his socks off and has a great attitude which is all you can ask for.
“I thought the whole back four were excellent, we knew we’d have to defend well in the second half against the quality of (Andrew) MacAskill’s set pieces, and thankfully we did that.
“Daniel (Hoban) is obviously a big part of that, and he made an excellent save in the second half to keep us in front.
“That’s three clean sheets in a row, we know if we can continue to keep clean sheets then we have the firepower to cause teams problems at the other end.”
Highland League: Key moments and reaction around the grounds
The visitors started on the front foot and Duell got in behind the home defence in the opening minute, but his left foot strike drifted over the angle of post and bar.
Mark Gilmour sent Lachie MacLeod racing clear on 21 minutes and his low ball across goal just evaded the inrushing Duell in the middle.
Former Ross County and Caley Thistle midfielder Iain Vigurs had a curling free kick from 22 yards well saved by Mark Ridgers eight minutes before the break.
Nine minutes into the second half, Lachie MacLeod crossed from the right and as the ball looked to be heading out of play, Ridgers clashed with Duell and referee Harry Bruce pointed to the penalty spot.
Duell dusted himself down and sent the Jags keeper the wrong way to put Dee in front.
In the 63rd minute, Ryan Fyffe returned the ball into the box from a corner, Lyall Keir flicked it on to Marcus Goodall and his low shot was brilliantly pushed round the post by the diving Hoban.
Highland League reaction: Buckie boss says game was tight and tough
Buckie boss Lewis Mackinnon felt there wasn’t much between the sides.
He said: “It was a tight game, the boys put in a good shift after another tough game against Fraserburgh on Wednesday night.
“The goal was disappointing as it comes from our corner. I think it was offside when the pass was played, but it’s all avoidable from there – we should have defended it better on the edge of the box and not got so close to their player for the penalty.”
Brechin City 1-0 Wick Academy
Brechin City remain in pole position at the top of the Highland League table following a narrow but deserved 1-0 victory over Wick Academy at Glebe Park.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of pressure and possession throughout the course of the game, City found it difficult to break down a well organised Wick defence. a
The only goal of the game came after 16 minutes when City skipper Euan Spark pushed forward into the Wick penalty-box and fired in a shot which looked as if it was going into the far corner but young midfielder Scott Logan made sure by blasting the ball into the roof of the net to score his first goal for the club.
City had the chance to double their advantage ten minutes from the interval when Craig Tosh was brought down in the box with Dayle Robertson stepping up to take the penalty but the striker, who has been so deadly with his penalties this season struck his spot-kick against the bar.
Brechin boss Patrick Cregg said: “We created a number of opportunities and the Wick keeper made a couple of good saves.
“We also missed a penalty but could we have been better? Yes, I think we could have been.
“We could have been cleaner and crisper in our play but Wick were very well organised and it was difficult at times to get beyond their back line.
“Because we were only 1-0 up, Wick were always in the game although I didn’t think that they carried a huge threat.
“However, the objective before every game is to come away with three points and we did that.”
Wick Academy boss Gary Manson said: “The game played out more or less exactly how I expected it to.
“We know Brechin have some very good technical players and they’re going to have a lot of the ball and it’s about can we win the ball back quickly and go and hurt them on the counter-attack and create some chances.
“At times we did get through without creating anything really clear-cut in front of goal.
“If we’d managed to score and make it 1-1 it would have been the perfect result but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”
Deveronvale 1-1 Rothes
Deveronvale’s inability to transform the majority of the play into goals saw them drop two home points against Rothes who passed up a big chance in injury time to claim the win.
The Banffers created a number of good goalscoring opportunities and hit the woodwork three times but it was Rothes who opened the scoring on the hour mark through new signing Thomas Brady.
Jack Mitchell had a six yard shot cleared off the line but in the home side’s next attack his close range header saw Vale draw level after 73 minutes.
Ruairi Duncan was denied the winner in injury time when Ethan Hopkinson superbly blocked the striker’s net-bound effort.
Rothes manager Richard Hastings said “I don’t think we did enough on the day to win but a draw stops the rot from the run we have been on.
“There was a fight and a real dig to not only stay in the game after we lost the equaliser but we also showed an effort to win the game when Deveronvale put us under pressure so we have to be happy with the point.”
Vale player-manager Garry Wood’s appearance from the bench after Rothes had gone ahead saw his team apply more pressure on the visitors but at the end he felt it was two points dropped.
He said: “The amount of chances we created was enough to win a couple of games but sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.
“You have to put the ball in the net which we did after getting a good response to going behind but we should not have been coming from behind. To only have one point from it is disappointing.”
Formartine United 1-1 Inverurie Locos
Inverurie Locos were unable to find a winner against a Formartine United who played most of the second half with ten men.
After a first half devoid of much excitement, the second half came alight when Inverurie’s Cole Anderson went down in the box.
No penalty was given by referee Owen Lawrence and in the aftermath Anderson appeared to be booked for simulation while Formartine centre-half Matthew McLean was sent off.
Locos went ahead in 78 minutes with a perfect diagonal cross from Calum Dingwall gleefully tapped home by Anderson.
The equaliser came six minutes later. Locos goalkeeper Zack Ellis was closed down by Julian Wade, the ball falling into the path of substitute Paul Campbell who hammered home.
Formartine boss Stuart Anderson said: “It was a very even game.
“We had a couple of really good chances in the second half but the sending off frustrated us, and it would have been easy to crumble.
“We’re delighted to come back and get a good point. It was good work from Julian Wade and it’s pleasing for Paul Campbell to score as he’s been playing well without getting the rewards.”
Locos boss Dean Donaldson said: “It was a poor game we cancelled each other out but I was quite frustrated with some of our players, they performed well within themselves.
“We should have seen the game out at one up but have to accept we will occasionally lose goals in the manner we did.
“The referee said our first claim for a penalty was a dive but we had a later claim as well and the reactions from players tell a lot. I don’t think we got much help from officials.”
Forres 2-2 Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh battled back from a two-goal half time deficit to secure a more than deserved point at a windswept Mosset Park.
New signing Jordan Alonge and a strike from Kyle MacLeod had the Can Cans in control at half time, but headed goals from Kieran Simpson and Scott Barbour after the break squared the match for the visitors.
Broch assistant manager James Duthie said: “In the second half we were immense, to have nine first team boys missing and be two goals down, the young lads stepped up and were outstanding.
“If it wasn’t for some poor finishing and an excellent performance by their keeper, it could have been any score by the end.
“We don’t seem to get a break in front of goal, and we’re being punished for every mistake at the back, but you get spells in football like that.
“We want to be winning now, but we do have an eye on the future, these young lads have done so well and it’s a credit to them and their youth coaches who have prepared them for first team football. They’re not letting us down.”
Stuart Laird had an early chance for the Buchan side but shot straight at the keeper.
Forres took the lead on 14 minutes when debut man Alonge skipped past two Fraserburgh defenders before firing home from 16 yards.
The home side doubled their lead three minutes later when Matt Jamieson created space on the left and clipped the ball into Kyle MacLeod who controlled it before beating Joe Barbour with a close-range shot.
The Broch came out firing after the break. Kieran Simpson tried to catch out Logan Ross straight from the kick off, but the Forres keeper kept out the defender’s wind assisted effort. He could do nothing about the next Fraserburgh attacked though. Scott Barbour’s corner from the left was powered home by the towering Simpson at the far post.
Barbour forced a save from Ross and Josh Bolton had a long-range effort which dipped just over.
The Buchan men levelled on 71 minutes when second half substitute Aidan Sopel picked out Barbour with a cross and the Broch’s leading scorer nodded home.
Forres manager Steven MacDonald said: “We were ruthless in front of goal in the first half and that put us in a great position.
“We had the worst possible start to the second period, a free header at the back post, then they have dominated us for the next 20 minutes and were superb.
“We struggled to get on the ball, and I wanted to make the changes before they equalised. The fresh legs did gives us some impetus and got us back into the game in the latter stages.
“Fraserburgh were still dangerous with the wind so I was happy to take a point in the end.”
Brora Rangers 2-1 Turriff United
Brora Rangers boss Steven Mackay praised his side for finding a way past Turriff United despite not being at their best.
The Cattachs beat Turriff United 2-1 at Dudgeon Park in the preliminary round of the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup.
Brora, who are the cup holders, started in the ascendancy and Max Ewan gave them an early lead, finishing from George Robesten’s left-wing cross.
In the 12th minute Ewan was pulled down by goalkeeper Lee Herbert inside the box, but Herbert redeemed himself by saving Tony Dingwall’s spot-kick down to his right.
After riding out the initial storm the visitors grew into the game and equalised shortly after the hour mark.
Referee Darren Munro dismissed Brora appeals that Colin Williamson’s heels had been clipped which allowed John Allan to break through and score.
Five minutes from time the Cattachs won it with Robesten’s strike deflected beyond Herbert, with United appealing for offside in the build up.
Brora will travel to Keith in round one on November 9 and Mackay said: “Up until the penalty we were flying, but missing the penalty gave them a lift. From our point of view it was frustrating because the momentum of the game completely changed.
“There was a foul on Colin in the build-up to Turriff’s goal, he got back in and had his heels clipped, there was no reason for him to go down.
“I actually spoke to John Allan after the game. He thought it was foul and had given up on it, but the referee said play on and it was 1-1.
“Over the balance of play we deserved to win it. The first 20 minutes we were excellent, after that it was quite workmanlike, but we got the job done.
“It could have been more straightforward if we’d taken the chances created early on.”
Turriff manager Warren Cummings said: “We started very slowly, we conceded one goal and looked fragile for the first 15 or 20 minutes.
“Lee saved the penalty and it coincided with us coming more into the game.
“For the winning goal our players are adamant it was offside, but I haven’t seen it back so I don’t know if it was.
“But we should have dealt with it and not conceded a goal, regardless of whether it was a wrong decision we’ve got to play with the whistle.
“In my opinion you don’t get a better chance than we got to beat Brora and we let it pass.
“Although there were good things within the performance, at the very least in my opinion we should have taken it to penalties so I’m hugely disappointed.”
Strathspey Thistle 0-3 Clachnacuddin
Clachnacuddin boss Conor Gethins revealed he’s challenged Connor Bunce to bag 20 goals this season after his double against Strathspey Thistle in the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup.
The Lilywhites won 3-0 against the Grantown Jags – who fielded two new signings – at Seafield Park in the preliminary round of the competition.
Bunce’s brace takes him to seven goals for the season and Gethins said: “We were reasonably comfortable, Joe Malin didn’t really have a save to make.
“The defenders defended well, the midfielders broke things up and the forward players posed a threat.
“Connor’s in good form, last year he only got 10 goals and half of them were penalties.
“He’s well on the way towards the goal target I’ve challenged him to reach. For me he has to be scoring 20 goals or more, for the quality Connor he has he should be looking to do that.”
Jack Davison raced through on goal and finished to give Clach an early lead before Kieran Duffty inswinging free-kick hit a post for the hosts.
But Bunce bagged the visitors’ second before half-time and added to the tally after the break with a fine strike from 25 yards having weaved in from the left flank.
The Lilywhites travel to Buckie in the first round in November.
Strathspey boss Ryan Esson has signed former Clach, Brora Rangers and Forres Mechanics attacker Paul Brindle until the end of the season.
Forfar full-back Filip Franczak, 18, joins on loan until January while Aaron Nicolson has returned to parent club Linlithgow Rose.
Esson added: “The goals we give away are too soft defensively and they’re preventable.
“We need to rectify it. I don’t want to criticise the boys because they’re really trying, but we have to have a bit of football nous to know the positions you need to be in to make things easier.
“It’s a learning curve, but we need to learn, we can’t accept the ball going into our net and that’s the tough bit.
“Filip came on in the second half and did really well so I think he’ll be a good addition for us.
“Filip is someone I saw when he was at St Johnstone when we played against them with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, he’s a really good player.
“Paul’s a really good experienced striker at this level so hopefully he can help us.”
- Meanwhile, Keith have placed forward Michael Taylor on the transfer list.
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