Highland League round-up – Saturday October 8th
The Scorries slipped to 15th in the Highland League as
Fraserburgh came from behind to win 3-1 on a wet and windy afternoon at Harmsworth
Park.
Academy could have no complaints about the outcome as the
pacy, attack-minded visitors consolidated their place in the top half of the
table with Willie West netting a double.
Academy opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour when
Stevie Cunningham netted from the penalty spot after a trip on Davie Allan.
The Broch got themselves level four minutes later when West
rose to meet a corner from the left and headed it powerfully past Alan Bokas.
Fraserburgh forged in front in the 28th minute when Michael
Steven's headed clearance fell short and Allan Hale took full advantage,
lashing the ball in at Bokas's right post.
Kris Hunter's side gave themselves a two-goal cushion in the
48th minute when a cross from wide on the left evaded everyone until West
arrived to knock it in at the far post.
Academy, with Craig Shearer missing through suspension,
never really got going – although there was the welcome sight of Sam Mackay
coming off the bench following his recent injury lay-off. Mackay's introduction
brought some more urgency, and the Scorries came close to reducing the deficit
when Allan side-footed narrowly wide after linking up with Richard Macadie, but
in the end it was a deserved victory for Fraserburgh.
Clach moved above Academy with an easy 5-0 home win against
a Strathspey Thistle side who ended up with just eight men on the park.
Sam Urquhart struck twice for the Lilywhites, the second
coming from the penalty spot after an incident that saw Strathspey keeper
Willie Ridgers being sent off. Fraser Tulloch and Joe Hardie also got their
marching orders as the Grantown Jags lost their discipline and Clach made the
most of their numerical advantage by adding further goals through Chris Ross,
Gordon Morrison and Scott Chisholm.
Nairn
County held on to top spot
with an impressive 4-2 win against Deveronvale at Princess Royal Park.
Grant Noble put Vale ahead in the fourth minute, but Nairn
were level six minutes later through Conor Gethins and Robbie Duncanson put
them ahead just before the break. Chris Blackhall's header made it 2-2 early in
the second half, only for Steven Mackay to put the visitors in front again on
the hour mark
Mackay wrapped up the points with a penalty in stoppage time
after Vale's Scott Henry had been red-carded.
There was a hat-trick for Michael McGinlay in Formartine
United's 4-2 win against Keith at North
Lodge Park.
Cammy Keith put the Maroons in front but Formartine levelled
through a Gary McNamee own goal before McGinlay got his first from the penalty
spot on the stroke of half-time. The former Huntly striker added two more in
the second half before McNamee helped to make amends by getting Keith's second
goal.
Keith's Stuart Walker was sent off in the closing stages.
Neil McLean hit a first-half double as Inverurie Locos eased
to a 4-0 victory over Brora Rangers at Dudgeon
Park. Brora's Danny Mackay
was dismissed early in the second half, and Locos underlined their superiority
with further goals from Craig Ross and Nicky Gordon.
Buckie Thistle suffered a surprise home 2-1 defeat to
Lossiemouth, with all the goals coming inside the first half-hour. Martin
McMullan's opener for the Coasters was cancelled out by Zander Sutherland but
Nikki Smith's well-judged lob proved to be the winner.
Martin Johnston hit a hat-trick in Cove Rangers' 4-0 victory
over nine-man Rothes at Allan Park, with Daniel Park adding a penalty. Darren
Wood and Iain MacRae were the Rothes duo who saw red.
A double by Lee Fraser gave Forres Mechanics a 2-0 victory
over Huntly at Mosset Park,
while a second-half header from Turriff United's Dave McKenzie was enough to
secure a 1-0 win at Fort
William. Fort's Graham
Bamber was sent off in this one.
