Highland League round-up
Saturday January 7th
Vale finding form ahead of Academy clash
Deveronvale continued their march up the Highland League
table with a 6-3 away triumph over Brora Rangers on Saturday.
The Banff side's improved fortunes – first the New Year
derby win against Buckie Thistle and now this convincing victory at Dudgeon
Park – will have been duly noted by Wick Academy ahead of this weekend's
meeting of the two sides at Princess Royal Park.
It started well enough for Brora when Liam Baxter gave
them a fourth-minute lead. The visitors got themselves level 10 minutes later
with a headed goal from Leigh Henderson, and Grant Noble made it 2-1 to Vale
six minutes from the break.
They extended their lead through Graeme Watt a minute
into the second half, and Mike McKenzie – making his 300th appearance for the
club – put the outcome beyond any real doubt after 54 minutes with a stunning
30-yard effort.
Steven Ross pulled one back in the 66th minute but Vale
struck again through Chris Blackhall on 70 minutes, and Craig Cowie got their
sixth with nine minutes remaining. Danny Mackay reduced the deficit with
Brora's third in the 88th minute.
Home wins for the top two mean Forres Mechanics maintain
their two-point lead over Cove Rangers.
The Can-Cans continue to look infallible at Mosset Park,
with Saturday's 2-0 victory over Inverurie Locos taking their tally to 10 wins
and one draw from 11 home fixtures. Kyle Scott got the opener with a looping
header on 39 minutes and Kevin Duguid made the points safe with four minutes to
go.
Turriff United had a first half to forget on their visit
to Allan Park to take on Cove Rangers.
The home side were leading through Martin Johnston's
12th-minute header when Turriff were awarded a penalty, only for Jerry
O'Driscoll to have his effort from 12 yards saved by Stuart MacKenzie.
It got worse for Turriff when Chris Herd was adjudged to
have committed a last-man foul and was given his marching orders.
The 10 men coped well until Jordan Leyden doubled Cove's
lead in the 84th minute. The league's top scorer, Danny Milne, then got in on
the act in stoppage time to make the final score 3-0.
Nairn County's title challenge suffered a setback as they
were held to a 1-1 draw by Formartine United at North Lodge Park. Conor Gethins
put County ahead after 18 minutes but Kyle MacAulay struck with 12 minutes left
to earn a point for the home team.
Buckie moved up to fourth following a no-nonsense 4-0 win
against Fort William at Victoria Park.
Goals from Shawn Scott, Mark Chisholm and Davie MacRae –
the latter directly from a wind-assisted corner – gave the Jags a three-goal
advantage at the interval. Both sides hit the woodwork before substitute Lewis
Mackinnon rounded off the scoring with an injury-time header.
Scott Matheson's 73rd-minute penalty was enough to give
Lossiemouth a 1-0 win against Huntly at Christie Park.
Keith eased to a 6-0 home victory over Strathspey Thistle
with goals from Andy McAskill, Stuart Walker, Cammy Keith (2), Jamie Lennox and
Kris Niddrie. Strathspey's Terry Swinton was sent off in the closing stages.
Academy's match against Rothes was called off as
Harmsworth Park was waterlogged, just as it had been for the scheduled visit of
Brora eight days earlier. The Clach v Fraserburgh match also fell victim to the
weather.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, January 14:
Deveronvale v Wick Academy; Fort William v Brora Rangers; Fraserburgh v Buckie
Thistle; Inverurie Locos v Formartine United; Lossiemouth v Forres Mechanics;
Nairn County v Cove Rangers; Rothes v Keith; Strathspey Thistle v Huntly;
Turriff United v Clachnacuddin.
Academy followers watching Arbroath's Scottish Cup tie
against Rangers on Sky TV on Sunday could have been forgiven for reflecting on
what might have been.
The second division promotion-chasers earned the
lucrative home clash with the SPL champions after edging a 1-0 win against
Keith in round three, courtesy of a last-gasp penalty from Paul Sheerin.
Keith had progressed to that stage after Cammy Keith's
spot-kick was enough to give them a 1-0 victory over Academy at Harmsworth Park
on a day when a howling wind made it virtually impossible for the Scorries to
play their normal passing game.
Two closely contested ties, each decided by a solitary
penalty… with the ultimate prize of a home game against one half of the Old
Firm. Such are the fine margins between progression and elimination in cup
football.
But Academy's time will come – maybe next season!
