Highland League Cup round-up
Saturday March 17th
Academy edged out in nine-goal thriller
Academy suffered an agonising exit from the Breedon
Aggregates Highland League Cup as Deveronvale recovered from a two-goal deficit
to squeeze through 5-4 in extra time.
The match got off to an amazing start, with the teams
sharing four goals and Vale having their keeper sent off – all inside the
opening 15 minutes.
The Scorries looked to have settled the tie as they led 4-2
midway through the second half, but the Banff
side rallied to clinch a dramatic victory after Ross Allan's dismissal meant both
teams were down to 10 men.
Following the 5-0 hammering at Nairn
the previous week, Academy had been aiming to keep things tighter at the back
at Princess Royal Park – but it was not to be.
It's the first time the Scorries have conceded five or more
goals in consecutive games since December 2007, when a 5-0 defeat at Keith was
followed by a 6-3 loss at home to Forres.
Mike McKenzie put Vale ahead in the fourth minute when he
sent a curling shot past Michael Gray. Davie Allan equalised in the sixth
minute after being set up by Gary Weir.
The Banff
outside regained the lead in the 11th minute when a corner was cleared only as
far as Graeme Rodger, who dispatched a volley into the net.
Vale's young keeper Blair Tait got his marching orders after
13 minutes when he was adjudged to have brought down Ross Allan in the box. Sam
Mackay scored from the spot to level it up at 2-2.
Academy got themselves in front on the hour mark when Mackay
found Weir, who powered the ball past stand-in keeper Kyle Rae.
Two minutes later the Scorries looked to have taken a big
step towards the quarter-finals when Weir set up Davie Allan and the striker
picked his spot for his 19th goal of the season.
Back came Vale, through, with Chris Blackhall reducing the
deficit on 69 minutes. After Ross Allan had been sent off for a second bookable
offence, Blackhall added his second in the 86th minute to make it four each.
The tie seemed to be heading for penalties, but Graeme Watt
had other ideas and he hit the winner six minutes from the end of the
extra-time period.
Vale's reward is a quarter-final derby away to Buckie
Thistle.
The Jags booked their place in the last eight when Hamish
Munro's stoppage-time goal sealed a 2-1 victory over the holders, Nairn
County, at Victoria Park. Wayne
MacKintosh put County in front on 41 minutes but Donnie Munro fired in the
equaliser a minute later.
Nairn keeper Callum Donaldson saved a Lewis MacKinnon
penalty before the visitors were reduced to 10 men when MacKintosh was shown
the red card. With extra time looming, Munro popped up to grab the winner.
Fort William
looked to be on course for the quarter-finals until Stuart Soane hit a late
double to earn Formartine United a 4-3 victory at Claggan
Park.
Andy Bagshaw's opener for Formartine was cancelled out by
Chris Macleod before Iain Maclellan put the Lochaber men in front before the
break.
Daniel Park made it 2-2 but Logan Barker restored Fort's
lead with just over 10 minutes to go. Formartine's Neil McVitie was red-carded
before Soane got the visitors back on level terms two minutes from the end of
the regulation 90.
Fort's Farquhar Macrae then got his marching orders before
Soane settled the tie in stoppage time.
Cove Rangers were 4-2 winners over Clachnacuddin at Allan
Park. Connor Scully, Jordan
Leyden, Martin Johnston and Jamie Beagrie were
on target for Cove, with Sam Urquhart and Alan Pollock replying for the
Lilywhites.
Keith came from behind to beat Brora 2-1 at Kynoch
Park. The Cattachs led
through Liam Baxter but Andy MacAskill restored parity and Andy Anderson
grabbed the winner after Brora's Gary Kerr had been sent off.
Lossiemouth beat Inverurie Locos 3-2 in a bad-tempered
encounter at Grant Park.
Martin McMullan's opener for Lossie
was cancelled out by John Maitland before half-time. Nikki Smith restored the
Coasters' advantage with a spot-kick after an incident that resulted in
Inverurie keeper Daniel Bell being sent off.
Lossie extended their lead through
Stephen Bruce before Locos' Neil Gauld reduced the deficit.
Turriff United progressed after a 3-1 win at Huntly. Gary Harris, Ross Anderson and Paul Young scored for Turriff,
with Russell Guild pulling one back for the home side.
Willie Barron struck twice as Forres Mechanics eased to a
4-0 win at Rothes. The others came from Matty Davidson
and an Iain Macrae own goal.
Revised second-round draw for the
Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup (ties to be played on Saturday, April
7): Forres Mechanics v Keith; Cove Rangers v Lossiemouth; Turriff United v
Formartine United; Buckie Thistle v Deveronvale.
