Strathspey Thistle moved off the foot of the Breedon Highland League table with a swashbuckling 6-0 victory against Rothes at Mackessack Park despite finishing with 10 men.
The Jags were 4-0 up by the interval after goals from skipper James McShane, Daniel Whitehorn, Paul Brindle (penalty) and Josh Race. There was no let up after the break and further goals from Brindle and Kieran Chalmers wrapped things up.
Strathspey manager Ryan Esson said: “It’s the best the boys have done since I’ve been in. We had players back and it was a dilemma which team we were going to pick.
“The boys need to understand it is a squad game – they are all going to get opportunities.
“All the boys were brilliant, I couldn’t single anyone out. Things went well for us, things that we’ve not had in previous weeks.
“It’s just a pity we don’t have a game next week (due to the Scottish Cup), but it gives us time to work at things.”
Six of the best for Strathspey
The visitors started strongly and they took the lead in the 10th minute when a perfectly flighted free-kick from Chalmers was swept into the net by McShane.
The Jags doubled their lead in the 21st minute. Good work from Filip Franczak down the left set up trialist Whitehorn at the near post.
It got worse for the Speysiders three minutes later when referee Kevin Murray spotted an infringement and immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
Brindle’s first attempt was saved by Martin MacKinnon, but the Rothes keeper was deemed to have moved off his line and the Jags’ forward made no mistake with the re-take.
Josh Race was the beneficiary of another Franczak assist in the 42nd minute as the Jags added a fourth before the break.
There was no let up for the Rothes defence in the second half despite their opponents going down to 10 men after Race was shown a straight red card after being adjudged to have elbowed Liam McDade.
Either side of the dismissal Brindle added a fifth with a clinical finish after the ball broke to him in the box.
Chalmers then capped a fine display when he completed the scoring after dispatching a cut back from substitute Liam Shewan.
Hunger and desire lacking
Rothes boss Richard Hastings, whose side have replaced Strathspey at the bottom of the division, said: “It was massively disappointing. Strathspey showed more hunger and desire for the game.
“The minimum required was to come strong in that department, regardless of tactics, to have that work ethic – that was the disappointing thing.
“If you don’t match that then what happened can happen. To have any chance in any game, you have to have the hard work.
“You can’t start a game in that manner and expect to get anything out of it.”
Forres Mechanics 3-2 Brechin City
Delighted Forres Mechanics manager Steven MacDonald hailed his players after the Can-Cans brought Highland League leaders Brechin City’s long unbeaten run to an end with a 3-2 victory at Mosset Park.
“I was absolutely delighted for the boys as they put so much into the game,” he said.
“It was a really exciting game and we showed a great reaction after being 1-0 down to get back into the match, as previously maybe the heads would have gone down, but the players were urging everyone on and we got the goal back quickly and that was great to see.
“We then did really well to go 2-1 up – although I was slightly disappointed when Brechin equalised as I felt that we didn’t really pick up as we should have and it was a bit too easy for Brechin to score.
“Brechin were pushing forward in the second-half, although I didn’t think that they created too many clear-cut chances, but we scored a fantastic goal right at the death to win the game and I was so so pleased for the players given the effort they put in.”
City grabbed the advantage in the 20th minute when Fraser Macleod scored from close-range, although Forres keeper Cameron Farquhar should maybe have have done better to stop the goal.
But Brechin’s lead lasted barely five minutes as Calum Frame, in acres of space, blasted a superb left-foot drive past keeper Issac Carmody.
It was 2-1 for the Can-Cans just four minutes later when Jordan Alonge fired home a cracking strike from 15 yards.
However, before the interval, Brechin substitute Dayle Robertson flicked home to level the scores once more.
The game ebbed and flowed after the break, and just as it was looking set to end all-square, Forres substitute Aidan Cruickshank scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time – firing home a tremendous 20-yard drive high into the net to clinch all three points.
Brechin City manager Patrick Cregg said: “I’m obviously extremely, extremely disappointed.
“I thought that we started the game well and probably could have been a couple of goals up before we actually scored.
“But we then found ourselves two goals behind with both goals coming from long balls which shouldn’t really be a threat, and which we should have dealt with much better.
“In the second-half, we lost our discipline and composure and we were playing as if there were two minutes left instead of a whole half.
“We created one or two chances, but we just didn’t do enough.”
Fraserburgh 1 – Inverurie Locos 0
Fraserburgh backed up their midweek victory over Formartine United, with a battling 1-0 win over Inverurie Locos at Bellslea.
In a game of few chances, Paul Young’s counter midway through the first half was enough to see the Buchan side home and up to eighth in the Breedon Highland League standings.
Broch boss Mark Cowie was delighted with how his side managed the game, saying: “We changed things about today and put two up top and I think it worked – first half we were dominant and, if we took a bit more care in front of goal, we should have scored more.
“Our shape also nullified their attacking threat. The defence were immense, but the whole team contained their wing-backs, and to get two clean sheets back to back against Formartine and Locos was really pleasing.
“I’m delighted to have picked up seven points over the last three games.
“We now look forward to the Scottish Cup. It is a competition we love and it should be a cracking game against Turriff who will also see it as a chance to progress to the next round.”
Logan Watt had an early chance for the hosts, but fired straight at Zack Ellis in the Locos goal.
At the other end, Aidan Wilson should have done better when presented with a chance inside the Fraserburgh penalty area.
The goal when it arrived was a cracker – Young picked up a clearance from a Scott Barbour corner and fizzed a 30-yard drive low past Ellis into the bottom right hand corner.
The Broch threatened a second goal either side of the break. Jamie Beagrie headed just over from Ross Aitken’s cross on 43 minutes, and Josh Bolton curled an effort over the bar four minutes into the second half.
Locos’ best chance came on 53 minutes when a long diagonal ball from Calum Dingwall caught out the home defence, and Daniel Agnew lifted the ball over Joe Barbour… but also over the crossbar.
Locos manager Dean Donaldson said: “They were better than us in the first half shooting down the hill, got their goal – which we should have done better with – and, second half, we huffed and puffed without creating much.”
“We never got anywhere near the standard we expect and have shown earlier in the season.
“Over the last three weeks we seem to be lacking something, and if we play like we did today against Dundee North End next week, we’ll not get anything from the tie.”
Formartine United 1-0 Buckie Thistle
A strike from Paul Campbell three minutes into the second half was enough to give Formartine United victory against Buckie Thistle at North Lodge Park.
Formartine boss Stuart Anderson said: “It’s a good win and we’re on a really good run despite a bump in the road in midweek (2-0 loss to Fraserburgh).
“We must keep striving to get better. Like every Saturday, you have to put the hard work in.
“I thought Buckie shaded it in the first half in terms of territory without creating too much. They had us playing in our half, but we were still a threat.
“In the second half, only one team was going to win it – but we couldn’t put it to bed.
“They maybe weren’t clear cut opportunities, but on a couple of occasions we broke and should’ve scored a couple more.
“After that you are backs to the wall as they threw bodies forward. We defended brilliantly and I can’t remember Ewen Macdonald having a save to make.
“It was a real good game for neutrals to watch I guess, but I’m just delighted with our players.”
Woodwork denied the visitors
The Jags lost captain Sam Pugh to injury early in the first half and the closest they came was late on when substitute Fraser Robertson saw his effort come off the inside of the post, roll along the line and stay out.
Buckie boss Lewis MacKinnon said: “It was a reasonably tight game, but we switched off just after half time, and didn’t defend the second phase of the set-play which they scored from.
“The final pass for us was not quite there and we went a bit gung ho at the end.
“The way things are going at the moment, we’re not getting the rub of the green – emphasised by the shot against the post.
“It was two teams vying for top six and we lost by a fine margin.”
Turriff United 0-3 Banks o’ Dee
Banks o’ Dee co-manager Paul Lawson hailed the “outstanding” Michael Philipson after they moved up to second in the Breedon Highland League.
The Aberdeen side defeated Turriff United 3-0 at the Haughs to move above Brora Rangers, who were in North of Scotland Cup action.
With Brechin City losing, Dee also reduced their lead at the top to six points.
Midfielder Philipson got the first two goals against Turra to take his tally for the season to nine.
Lawson said: “Michael has been outstanding – it’s not just on the ball, his work-rate off the ball is brilliant. He presses well and wins the ball back high up the park a lot for us.
“Then when he’s on the ball his quality is clear. He’s had a lot of goal contributions this season and he’s a big player for us.
“We were solid, we didn’t give much away and our goalkeeper Kyle Irvine didn’t have much to do so that’s a good sign.
“Overall, scoring three good goals, looking solid defensively and getting three points was very good.”
Philipson opened the scoring in the 34th minute when he tapped home a Mark Gilmour cross from the right.
Seven minutes later, Philipson struck again after Andy Hunter had done the set up work on the left flank.
A minute before half-time, Jevan Anderson, Gilmour and Philipson combined to put Kane Winton through on goal and the captain made it 3-0.
Turriff boss Warren Cummings – overseeing a sixth successive loss – again had a depleted squad to choose, and said: “For 35 minutes, I thought it was a bit of a nothing game. Then, within 10 minutes, the game effectively over.
“Banks o’ Dee showed quality, so credit to them. But we struggled defensively in that spell and it gave us too much to do in the second half in terms of chasing the game.
“I can’t make excuses for who we don’t have available.
“In any league, you don’t get anything for free and we’re finding things tough at the moment.”
Deveronvale 4 – Lossiemouth 0
Deveronvale hit four goals without reply against 10-man Lossiemouth to get back to winning ways – but were grateful to goalkeeper Ethan Hopkinson for making four superb stops at vital moments.
Vale went ahead after 34 minutes through Adam Reid’s clinical eight-yard finish, and the striker netted his second goal of the game six minutes later, scoring from the spot after Lossie goalkeeper Stuart Knight earned a booking for conceding the penalty.
Knight then collected a second yellow card for kicking the ball away straight after the penalty to leave Lossiemouth with a mountain to climb.
Hopkinson brilliantly denied the visitors’ Fraser Forbes and Connor MacAuley either side of the break, before Reid hit the post with another Vale penalty after 54 minutes, following a harsh handball call against Ross Paterson.
Ben Hermiston then made sure of the points for the home side when he rifled home from inside the box after 64 minutes, with Hopkinson again producing heroics to deny Ross Morrison and Ross Paterson a Lossie consolation
Having earlier hit the crossbar, Jack Mitchell netted a superb fourth for Vale 10 minutes from time – curling a 22-yard shot high beyond Arran Anderson.
Deveronale boss Garry Wood felt he couldn’t have asked for much more from his players than scoring four goals -which he felt could have been more – and claiming a clean sheet.
He said “We did miss chances, but I am delighted on the whole with our display.
We also spoke in the dressing room about giving Lossiemouth chances, but Ethan (Hopkinson) was brilliant again to keep the clean sheet as we got a bit sloppy after our second goal.”
Lossie interim manager Gavin Price felt the main difference between the teams was Deveronvale’s ability to take their chances, while his side failed to take their opportunities.
He said “There wasn’t much between the teams, but we had two great opportunities to score before half-time, while we had another three before Vale scored their third goal – but we failed to take any of them.
“Even when we went down to 10 men we had a go which I felt we had to, and had we scored at least one of our chances then things could have been different, but scoring goals has been our problem this season.”
Huntly 2 – Nairn County 1
Huntly came from behind for the third successive game with a 2-1 home win over Nairn County.
It is now five games unbeaten for the Black and Golds, with manager Colin Charlesworth praising the character shown by his side.
He said: “It shows the spirit in the team. I put a lot of praise on the players for getting to the Aberdeenshire Cup final and it’s kept that feelgood factor going.
“It was a sluggish start and Nairn started better than us, but we came good with a never-say-die attitude in that dressing room. It was a brilliant comeback and I’m delighted for the lads.”
Charlesworth praised winger Callum Murray, who netted the equaliser.
He added: “He was a real thorn in Nairn’s side. Even when we weren’t at it in the first half, he was always a threat with his runs and drive.”
The woodwork denied visitors Nairn after four minutes. Andrew Greig crossed into the head of Gary Kerr, but his effort came off the post before James Connelly cleared the danger on the goal-line.
The Wee County broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval, though, with Kerr heading in his second of the campaign from a Greig cross.
But two goals in a four-minute spell saw Huntly turn the game around.
They drew level in the 78th minute when a Nairn defensive clearance went as far as Callum Murray, who arrowed the ball top corner for his second of the season.
A long ball upfield from Huntly’s Calum Brodie then saw Calum Maclean try to head clear for Nairn, but Angus Grant regained possession and cut inside before firing in from a tight angle to score in his seventh successive game at Christie Park
It is now three games without a win for Nairn, and manager Ross Tokely was disappointed to see his lose two goals late on.
He said: “We did well for the first 70-or-so minutes then let them have a chance for the first goal, and the defending for the second… I don’t really have any words to describe it, it was that bad!
“I’m happy with the performance, but it’s a game we should’ve seen out at 1-0.
“Gary Kerr scored a good header. I thought his one in the first half was going in off the post, too. He played well and was excellent with hold-up play, allowing us to play some nice stuff.”
Wick Academy 0 – Keith 1
Brody Alberts’ late header earned Keith their first win on the long journey to Wick Academy’s Harmsworth Park for more than 13 years.
It was 18-year-old Alberts’ first goal for the Maroons since joining on loan from Formartine United, and more importantly, it ended his side’s run of five successive league defeats.
Keith manager Craig Ewen said: “We’re obviously delighted to win the game and get the three points. It was a great clean sheet for the lads as well, as we’ve been on a bad league run.
“Defensively for long spells, we were quite good, and although they threw men forward, I felt we wouldn’t concede.
“There was really nothing in it, and maybe a wee bit of fortune. We got a cross into the box and fair play to young Brody on loan, getting into a good position to score his first goal for us.
“It’s probably the best time to score, late on – especially a winning goal.
“We’ve been coming here for a few years now and not won, so hey, we’re delighted!”
Neither side looked like making the breakthrough in the first half.
In the 59th minute, a Joey Wilson free-kick for Keith cracked back off the top of the Wick crossbar.
A minute later, at the other end, Craig Reid pulled off a fine save to deny the home team.
It looked more and more like the game would end in a goalless stalemate, but, three minutes from time, Keith captain James Brownie whipped in a cross from the left wing and Alberts was perfectly placed to stretch and head home the winner.
Disappointed Wick manager Gary Manson said: “I just thought it was a terrible game of football. Not one that’ll live long in the memory.
“Both sides struggled to keep the ball for a long period of time, and you never know with us – we’re not very good at keeping clean sheets.
“We put fresh legs on late on to try and get extra impetus, but we could be still be playing yet and not have scored.”
Conversation