Buckie unable to come back from hosts’ opening assault

Huntly scored four times in the opening 17 minutes as they stunned Highland League leaders Buckie Thistle.

The Black and Golds started the day 13 places below the early pacesetters but Huntly manager Martin Skinner felt his side were worthy winners.

He said: “I thought we deserved the win.

“I don’t think I’ve seen us start a game as well as we did.

“We were deservedly 4-0 up then obviously the nerves kicked in when Buckie started to come back into the game.

“I thought Kai Ross, against his former team, tormented them.

“He scored one and set up another but to a man I couldn’t fault the players for their performance.”

Kai Ross powered in a free kick after four minutes from 25 yards out to open the scoring.

Four minutes later, a Ross corner was laid off by Ashley Ballam to Ross Still who fired a right-footed effort on the turn into the near post.

In the 13th minute, Craig Cowie was penalised for a foul on Nathan Meres and, from the resultant free kick, Ross delivered into the box for Ballam to head home.

Huntly added a fourth when Reece McKeown burst down the right wing and crossed for Huntly captain Still to prod home from close range.

Buckie pulled one back when Andrew MacAskill turned in from close range after the home defence failed to clear.

Sam Robertson was withdrawn for Sam Urquhart at the interval and it took Urquhart only eight minutes to make an impact, stabbing home from a Shaun Carrol free kick.

Scott Adams ensured a nervy finish at Christie Park by firing in after making a run into the box four minutes into stoppage time but the hosts held on for all three points.

With Buckie manager Graeme Stewart on holiday, assistant manager Lewis MacKinnon was in the dugout.

He said: “I’m gobsmacked by the first 17 minutes. We were awful and it was a disgrace the way we started. Huntly are a danger at set pieces and we stressed how important it was not to give any away. On a positive not we were able to regroup playing well for 70 minutes but unfortunately we only managed to score three.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen us start a game as well as we did”