Cove win sees eight-point gap emerge
HIGHLAND league
CLACHNACUDDIN 2 Cove 4
Cove took full advantage of Fraserburgh and Brora’s involvement in the Scottish Cup to open up an eight-point gap at the top of the league.
They were given a fright by Clach, who took an early lead. A swift counterattack saw a one-two create space for Scott Dunn to fire a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Cove responded in typical fashion and had turned the game on its head before the break. Ryan Ferguson and Mitch Megginson worked space for the latter to find the corner of the net from 12 yards, then, 10 minutes before half time, the same combination culminated in Megginson blasting another past Steve Martin.
Clach restored parity early in the second half with a wellworked free-kick. Michael Finnis timed his run perfectly to head home after the initial delivery was nodded across the face of the goal.
A low Daniel Park free kick from out wide for Cove somehow found its way into the far corner, evading both strikers and defenders alike before nestling in the net.
Cove rounded things off with the goal of the game. Alan Redford and Jamie Masson worked their way down the pitch, interchanging passes before Masson struck an angled drive into the goal from 15 yards.
Forres MECH 2 KEITH 1
After a goalless first half, the breakthrough for Forres arrived in the 50th minute. Liam Taylor was beaten to the ball by Keith keeper Greg Simpson, but he fluffed his clearance and Andrew Macrae took a touch before curling home from 35 yards.
The home side’s second was more conventional. Aidan Wilson provided the delivery from the left and Macrae slotted home from six yards out.
Keith’s consolation goal arrived deep into injury time when a classic stramash ended with Scott Ross tapping the ball into the net from barely a yard.
Fort william 0 rothes 5
A depleted Fort William team went into the game with just two subs and veteran goalkeeper John Campbell listed as a trialist.
The Claggan Park side battled their way through the first quarter of the game, but were eventually undone by the guile of Kris Duncan, who tapped the ball over the line from Steven Anderson’s ball across goal.
Gary Kerr doubled the lead and, just before the conclusion of the half, Jaime Wilson nabbed a third.
With the influence of both Campbell and David Mcgurk at the back, there was a greater resilience in the Fort side and there was no second-half collapse.
Jack Maley scored the fourth goal from the penalty spot, before Bruce Milne completed the scoring, the defender coming forward to thunder home a header from a well-flighted corner.
lossiemouth 2 Deveronvale 4
Lossiemouth got off to a flying start, with former Dufftown forward Moray Taylor drilling the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box with just six minutes gone. Deveronvale, on a high from their League Cup win over Fraserburgh last weekend, ensured they went in at the break level thanks to Leszek Nowosielski thumping Robert Scott’s cross into the top corner.
Scott was the Vale hero last week and was to prove to be so once again, netting a second-half hat-trick to claim the points. He put the Banffers 2-1 up two minutes into the second half with a close-range finish, then went on to double that lead with a 12-yard effort.
Brodie Allen gave the home fans hope with a rasping 25-yarder past Grant Pennet midway through the second half, but, five minutes from time, Scott sealed the win with a volley.
strathspey th 4 WICK 2
The Grantown Jags went ahead halfway through the first half when a free-kick was deflected off an Academy leg, with Stephen Rennie happy to claim the goal.
It was 2-0 shortly after the hour mark when James Mcshane netted the first of two penalties, but a fine header from Marc Macgregor pulled Wick back into the game in the 65th minute.
James Fraser restored the home team’s two-goal lead with a wellstruck shot from just inside the penalty area.
Strathspey were playing well and grabbed their fourth through another James Mcshane penalty just two minutes after Fraser’s strike.
That ensured that a wonderful Craig Gunn free-kick in injurytime was little more than a consolation.
turriff united 0 Huntly 3
Two minutes from the break, former Turriff player Nicholas Gray was bundled over by goalkeeper Fraser Hobday in the home goalmouth – and it was another former Haughs favourite, Gary Mcgowan, who stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
In the 58th minute, David Booth turned to lay the ball off to Gary Mcgowan, who struck low into the bottom corner from 20 yards for his 16th of the season. Mcgowan would turn provider in 72 minutes. When a corner wasn’t cleared, the winger delivered into the box for Michael Clark to head home his fourth goal of the season.
Inverurie lw 0 BUCKIE 0
Locos went into this game without eight players due to a combination of injuries, illness and suspension.
Andy Macaskill went close with a flashing left-footer going narrowly over, while, at the other end, former Jag Chris Angus flicked on to strike partner Neil Gauld, but his 14-yarder crashed against the top of the crossbar. The Green and Whites finished the half well, Steven Ross fluffing a shot in front of goal and Macaskill testing Andy Reid with a low shot.
In the second half, Gauld was prevented by a defensive header, and Lee Herbert made a superb save from Angus.
Right at the end, Locos almost snatched the victory with a Gauld header landing on the roof of the net.