Cove Rangers took a huge step towards winning the Highland League title thanks to Daryl Nicol’s 48th minute strike, the prolific forward’s 42nd goal of the season.
If Cove take four points from their final three games over the next 10 days against Fort William, Clachnacuddin and Turriff United, they will be crowned champions.
Cove Rangers were at full strength with former Aberdeen and Dundee United midfielder Stuart Duff replacing youngster Harry Mlne in the middle of the park while ex Celtic, Motherwell and Ross County midfield man Paul Lawson had recovered from injury and came into the side for the suspended Garry Wood, and goalkeeper Andy Reid passed a fitness test on his injured rib.
Harlaw Park hosted its biggest crowd of the season and even at kick-off supporters were still streaming into the ground.
United goalkeeper Andy Reid was called into action in the second minute when he dived to smother a 20-yard Grant Campbell effort .
Formartine were adopting a shoot of sight policy and Neil Gauld and Calum Bagshaw both saw efforts go wide of the target in the first quarter of an hour
At the other end North football’s top scorer, Daryl Nicol, who has already found the back of the net 41 times this season, shot wildly over from the edge of the box.
It was a game Formartine really needed to win but they were struggling to create anything up-front with Neil Gauld and Scott Barbour offering very little against the well-organised physically strong Cove Rangers defence.
Just before the break former Huntly and Wick Academy midfielder Grant Campbell again tried his luck from distance but this time his 25-yarder flew wide of the target.
half-time 0-0.
Three minutes after the break Cove broke the deadlock when Stuart Walker threaded the ball through and Daryl Nicol notched his 42nd goal by slipping the ball under the advancing Andy Reid from 12-yards.
Two minutes later Cove’s Jonny Smith just failed to connect with a Blair Yuie cross when he slid full length at the back post.
Graeme Rodger came close to grabbing the equaliser in the 69th minute but Cove goalkeeper Stuart McKenzie was in exactly the right place to hold the former Deveronvale midfielder’s close-range header.
Shortly after Hamish Munro fired 30-yard free-kick just over the top just before Formartine manager Kris Hunter threw caution to the wind by withdrawing centre half Johnny Crawford and bringing on former Highland League player of the year, prolific goal-scorer, Cammy Keith.
In the 77th minute Nicol passed up a gilt-edged chance to wrap it up when he was unable to put his foot through the ball and United goalkeeper Andy Reid dived to gather his poor 12-yard effort.