HIGHLAND LEAGUE
League leaders and reigning champions BRECHIN CITY kept their title ambitions on track after thrashing FORRES 6-1 at Glebe Park.
The visitors shocked their hosts after just nine minutes when Sam Gordon outpaced the home defence to fire home the opening goal, but City levelled through Grady Mcgrath, with a 20-yard Seth Patrick drive giving them a 2-1 half-time lead. After the break, Matthew Wright and Fraser Macleod took the home tally to four, with Sam Nixon (og) and Ewan Spark making up the half-dozen.
A late flurry of goals kept BUCKIE THISTLE three points and nine goals behind Brechin with a game in hand ahead of tomorrow’s match against Strathspey. An upset looked a possibility when DEVERONVALE took an early lead through
Cameron Angus. Lyall Keir levelled on 20 minutes and, in first-half stoppage-time, Jack Murray calmly sent Sean Mcintosh the wrong way from a penalty. Keir, Jack Mciver (2) and Max Barry completed the scoring in the 6-1 win.
FRASERBURGH collected three points and a plus-four goal difference to remain in position for any slip up elsewhere in the title race after winning 5-1 at STRATHSPEY. Barbour and Sopel had them 2-0 up at the break and, in the second half, Watt, Simpson (pen) and Barbour made up the nap hand before Jack Davison scored a consolation.
FORMARTINE also scored six, with luckless ROTHES on the receiving end. A first-half hattrick from Aaron Reid laid the foundation for the North Lodgers securing a top-five finish. Scott
Lisle grabbed a second-half brace, sandwiching Graeme Rodger’s 63rd-minute goal, with Bruce Milne scoring for Rothes.
BRORA lost 2-1 at home to BANKS O’ DEE despite taking the lead in the 17th minute through Tony Dingwall. The visitors had the wind at their backs in the second half and levelled from a penalty 15 minutes from time, Garry Wood netting. Brora allowed experienced trio Dale Gillespie, Joe Malin and Ally Macdonald to take a bow with a trio of subs before Ethan Cairns grabbed a stoppage-time winner.
After the first 45 minutes finished goalless, WICK ACADEMY scored twice after the interval to beat visiting KEITH 2-0. The first goal arrived in the 74th minute, Gordon Mcnab netting. The
Scorries sealed the point in the 90th minute with Marc Macgregor netting with his last touch before being replaced by Richard Macadie.
Jay Halliday headed home the only goal of the game on 34 minutes as INVERURIE LOCOS beat visitors CLACHNACUDDIN 1-0
Hosts HUNTLY and NAIRN finsihed goalless as the match brought down the curtain on the season for both sides, as well as Steve Mackay and Ross Tokely’s time with Nairn. Nairn’s Fraser Dingwall was sent off in time-added after receiving a second yellow, re-entering the field of play without permission.
LOSSIEMOUTH and TURRIFF UNITED also finished 0-0, the point ensuring that Turriff could yet climb up to seventh by winning their last two matches of the season.