Turriff can’t handle hat-trickster Handling
BRECHIN 5 TURRIFF 1
A Danny Handling hat-trick was the highlight of Brechin City’s 5-1 thrashing of Turriff United at Glebe Park.
City grabbed the lead after 15 minutes when Grady Mcgrath lashed home a right-foot drive after a Ewan Loudon shot had been parried into his path by visitors keeper David Day.
A close-range finish from Handling six minutes later made it 2-0, with a superb Dylan Stuart volley reducing the deficit on 29 minutes.
City were in total control after the break and Handling extended City’s lead two minutes in when he poked the ball home following a goalmouth scramble.
The midfielder completed his hat-trick from a penalty in the 69th minute after Jamie Richardson had been brought down in the box.
Skipper Euan Spark headed home goal No. 5 with 11 minutes remaining to put the gloss on a fine home performance.
WICK AC 3 BUCKIE TH 1
Wick Academy may have dealt a fatal blow to Buckie Thistle’s title hopes with this impressive win at Harmsworth Park.
It was the Scorries who harnessed the windy conditions and were one up thanks to Marc Macgregor with a quarter-of-hour gone. When Kyle Henderson beat Tom Ritchie for a second time, just 10 minutes later, it gave Wick the platform to play patiently after the break.
They did that expertly, with Macgregor scoring his second six minutes from time to seal the win, leaving Jack Murray’s quick counter to be merely a consolation.
FORMARTINE UNITED 1 BANKS O’ DEE 4
Banks O’ Dee gave themselves a great chance of finishing in the top four with a thumping 4-1 win over a Formartine team that seem to have lost their consistency over the past month.
Mark Gilmour put the Dee in front in the 20th minute and Garry Wood doubled their advantage with a goal at his former stomping ground on 39 minutes.
Hamish Macleod provided a three-goal cushion early in the second half, which allowed them to stay calm despite Julian Wade pulling one back halfway through the second period.
Ethan Cairns came off the bench to add a fourth.
FORRES MECH 0 NAIRN 0
Nairn were first to threaten with an Ali Gillies free-kick being headed over by Fraser Dingwall.
At the other end, Forres passed up a one-on-one against Nairn keeper Dylan Maclean, the keeper turning Shaun Morrison’s low shot around the post for a corner.
Chances became an increasing rarity, and Nairn went closest to winning it in the second half when Steve Mackay’s header was booted off the line.
FRASERBURGH 5 ROTHES 0
Logan Watt picked out the top corner to put Fraserburgh in front after 20 minutes and Scott
Barbour clinically added a second from Watt’s through-ball to make it 2-0 at the break.
Watt added his second with another inch-perfect strike past the helpless Sean Mccarthy 20 minutes into the second period.
Ryan Sargent slid home
No. 4 from close range, then sub Callum Kelly added his name to the Fraserburgh scoresheet with a calm finish five minutes from time, rounding off a men-againstboys performance.
LOSSIEMOUTH 3 DEVERONVALE 3
This one turned out to be the game of the day.
Grant Noble was in charge of managerless Deveronvale and they went one up in the 15th minute through Jack Mitchell and, despite Brandon Hutcheson levelling, it was Vale who went in ahead at the break, former Lossie defender Harry Noble netting in familiar surroundings.
Max Stewart seemed to have sealed the win for the Banffers, but Dean Stewart pulled one back two minutes from time.
Supersub Connor Macaulay sealed a point for Lossie in the final minute to the delight of those home fans who stayed to the end.
STRATHSPEY THISTLE 2 CLACHNACUDDIN 1
Strathspey Thistle got the only goal of the half, Iain Ross placing the ball past Michael Miele.
The Lilywhites levelled from a penalty with 20 minutes remaining, Connor Bunce coolly slotting home, but they were undone late on as Daniel Whitehorn sent the Strathy fans home happy with a winner in what was cheekily dubbed the “Loch Ness” derby after recent merger talks.
HUNTLY 1 BRORA 0
Michael Clark cleared a Martin Maclean effort off the line in the third minute, while, at the other end, Logan Ross did well to deny Robbie Foster after he was played in on goal.
The Black and Golds broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Callum Murray played the ball along the six-yard line for Foster to run in and slot into the corner.
There was a moment of controversy when referee Filippo Mazzoni deemed a looping clearance to be a pass-back when Fraser Hobday handled 10 yards from goal. The resulting spot-kick from Jordan Macrae was blocked as Huntly held on.
INVERURIE 1 KEITH 2
Keith took the lead in only two minutes. A corner from the right was met by the head of Gavin Elphinstone, with the ball trickling in through the fingers of Zack Ellis.
A second goal came on the breakaway for the Maroons in 26 minutes, with Elphinstone firing low past Ellis.
Two minutes into the second half, Craig Reid, the goalscoring keeper in midweek, saved a penalty from Paul Coutts. Locos reduced the leeway on the hour as Myles Gaffney blasted home on the rebound after Lloyd Robertson had his shot saved.
Four minutes from time, Thomas Reid of Locos saw red.