The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Lawson’s words of comfort for young keeper
FORTWILLIAM FORMARTINEUTD 0 6
Formartine swept an understrength Fort aside with forward Scott Barbour notching a hat-trick in the 6-0 win.
United player-manager Paul Lawson said: “Fort William made it difficult for us on a small pitch which made for a competitive game. They held out for long periods during the game but once we got the first goal I felt comfortable.
“I want to give special mention to their young goalkeeper Martin MacKinnon.
“I thought he was outstanding and if it hadn’t been for him it could easily have been eight or nine. He made some terrific saves, two in particular to deny Graeme Rodger, and he definitely kept the score down.”
Fort William co-manager Ali Smith said: “Unfortunately we had nine
“If it hadn’t been for him it could easily have been eight or nine”
regulars out so we had to draft in quite a few of the youngsters.
“The gulf between the two sides was there for all to see. We contained them for half an hour but then Formartine overran us.
“They are a very good side with lots of quality players, they don’t make any mistakes.
“They do a very professional job and I’m sure if Cove Rangers get promoted they’ll be looking to win the league next season.”
United opened the scoring in the 24th minute with Barbour rifling home his side’s 100th league goal of the season, and four minutes later the same player made it 2-0.
Within 60 seconds Graeme Rodger added another to make to 3-0 at the break. Barbour completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, Conor Gethins netted from the spot four minutes later and winger Andy Greig completed the scoring in the 70th minute.
TURRIFF UNITED FORRESMECH
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orres Mechanics’ dream of a top-four Highland League finish and a place in next season’s IRN-BRU Cup is still alive after a hard-fought win against Turriff United at the Haughs.
Forres’ day got even better when word filtered through that two fellow top-four contenders lost with Fraserburgh going down 3-1 Nairn County and champions Cove maintaining their unbeaten league record with a 1-0 victory at Brora.
Goals from Andrew MacRae and Stuart Soane, either side of a David Ross strike for United, clinched the points for the Mosset Park men.
Can-Cans’ Graham Fraser and his fellow defenders had to be at their best to stave off the Turriff threat.
Fraser said: “That was a tough game for us. The first half was probably the worst we’ve performed for a long time and we had to dig deep to keep Turriff out near the end.
“They put us under a at lot of pressure in both halves. Jamie Fraser, our trialist goalkeeper made a couple of great saves in the first half, and near the end they pushed three up front with four or five backing them up but we held out.”
Turriff were at full strength, with teenager Angus Grant, a hat-trick hero in last Wednesday’s 5-2 win at Rothes, partnering David Ross up front.
With regular goalkeeper Stuart Knight unavailable and his deputy Euan Storrier
“We had to dig deep to keep Turriff out near the end. They put us under pressure”
sidelined with a broken wrist, the Can-Cans fielded former Clach keeper Fraser as a trialist between the sticks.
The opener came in the fourth minute for the visitors.
The ball broke to MacRae and the on-loan Caley Thistle youngster smashed it past the helpless Greg Sim from 12 yards.
It took a brilliant diving save by Fraser in the Forres goal after 15 minutes to touch a net-bound 10-yard effort by hot-shot Grant round the post for a fruitless corner kick.
In the 32nd minute United passed up a glorious chance to equalise when Grant played in Ross but, with only keeper Fraser to beat, the striker ballooned high over the crossbar from 10 yards.
However, two minutes later Ross levelled the score when he broke free on the left and beat Fraser with a low 15-yard shot as the goalkeeper advanced to narrow the angle.
Only a timely last-ditch tackle by man-of-the-match Graham Fraser on Ross, just as the striker was about to pull the trigger, denied United what looked like a certain goal.
Shortly after a superb thrusting run by Owen Cairns was thwarted by another timely intervention by centre-half Fraser.
Forres goalkeeper Fraser again came to his side’s rescue when he raced out to block a chip from the onrushing Grant with his chest.
In the 68th minute the Can-Cans reclaimed the lead when Soane rose above everyone to