Barbour haunts former team Formartine
HIGHLAND league
Fraserburgh 2 Formartine united 1
Formartine United headed north sitting just two points behind Fraserburgh with three games in hand, but their hopes of leaping into second place were shorn by Scott Barbour. They gifted The Broch an opening goal. Craig Mckeown’s passback was underhit and Scott Barbour nipped in before being fouled by Kevin Main as he looked to go round the keeper. Main was booked before Paul Campbell struck a right-footed spot-kick into the bottom right corner.
Archie Macphee levelled within two minutes when he rose to head Andrew Greig’s delivery down into the corner of the goal. Former Formartine man Barbour was determined to get one over his former club and he restored the home team’s lead 10 minutes after the turnaround, curling a perfect shot around Main from the edge of the box.
Brora 5 strathspey 1
With Cove Rangers inactive, Brora knew a victory by more than one goal would lift them to the top of the table on goal difference. This clearly had an inspirational effect as they ran away to a 5-0 lead at half time.
Recent signing from Rothes, Scott Davidson, was added to the starting line-up, but it was Neil Macdonald who opened the scoring just before the half-hour, breaking down a stubborn resistance from the Jags back-line.
This opened the first-half floodgates. Centre-back Mark Nicholson showed once again the danger that he carries at setpieces, turning home the second before Davidson scored his first. Zander Sutherland neatly made it 4-0, before Davidson completed a first-half brace.
Strathspey have improved significantly this term and they demonstrated a pride in their work by “winning the second half”.
Scott Lisle marked his return to Dudgeon Park with a fantastic strike that left keeper Joe Malin helpless.
BUCKIE thistle 4 Forres 1
Although just one place separated these teams in the table, Forres Mechanics started the match 11 points ahead of Buckie.
Sam Robertson put the Jags ahead early on after a ball forward held up in the wind, foxing Forres keeper Stuart Knight. Andy Macaskill nipped in to set up a simple finish.
Stuart Soane is so often the catalyst for the Mechanics and, when Buckie didn’t clear their lines,he smashed the ball home to make it all-square at half-time. The game turned Buckie’s way when local youngster Callum Murray went on a jinking run and executed an intelligent finish.
Craig Cowie provided a twogoal cushion in the 76th minute, slotting calmly past Knight. Hamish Munro started his Highland League career at Forres, but has been a big player for Buckie over the past decade. He marked his return from a longterm injury by slotting home a fourth after a burst into the box. A bad day for the Mechanics was rounded off when sub Allan Macphee’s comments were not welcomed by referee Fillipo Mazzoni, who sent him off. lossiemouth 5 Fort william 0
Lossiemouth opened up a 14-point gap at the bottom of the table with a comfortable victory over Fort William, who look destined to finish the season with a negative points tally.
It took just 15 minutes for the Coasters to get their noses in front, albeit with a hint of luck. When an initial free-kick was turned goalwards, the attempted goalline clearance bounced back off Brodie Allen and into the goal.
The visitors dug in and kept the deficit to one until halfway through the second period when Ryan Stuart cut in from the left and lifted the ball over Mateusz Kulbacki to break the Fort’s resistance.
Ross Archibald netted his first goal of the season five minutes later when he fired Fraser Forbes’ cutback into the top corner from eight yards.
The goals began to flow. Dean Mccall headed home the fourth from a Ryan Stuart corner, before Connor Macauley drilled in No. 5 from 12 yards.
Lossie could have added to their tally as they rattled the woodwork a handful of times late on.
NAIRN 0, Inverurie 3
The home side made a bright start forcing three corners in as many minutes. Another corner in 11 minutes from Tom Maclennan almost caught Andy Reid out as the ball was carried on the wind.
The visitors came more into the game and it took a fine save from Dylan Maclean to deny Neil Gauld. Gauld then had a free header, but failed to hit the target from 10 yards.
The visitors broke the deadlock five minutes after the break. Jamie Miche’s long ball found Chris Angus. The striker showed quick feet to control the ball before blasting past Maclean.
A penalty in 68 minutes saw Locos double their lead. A long ball had the home defence on the back foot and, after Fraser Dingwall charged into Angus, Gauld stepped up to blast the penalty low beyond Maclean. Gauld would have been celebrating a second but for a terrific diving save from Maclean to keep his 22-yard free-kick out.
The visitors capped their win with a third in added time when Andy Hunter played the ball into the feet of substitute Kyle Gordon, who lashed home from 12 yards.