Saturday October 13th
Macadie winner sends Scorries up to second
Academy moved up to second place in the Highland League
after a late strike by Richard Macadie sealed a superb 3-2 away victory over a
strong Huntly side.
It was the Scorries' sixth win in eight league matches
this season and provided an ideal boost ahead of this weekend's North of
Scotland Cup showdown with Nairn County.
Academy raced into the lead at Christie Park with only 40
seconds on the clock. A long ball by Grant Steven was flicked on by Weir to
Macadie. The midfielder drove forward before sliding it back to Weir, who took
a touch and drove it low past Neil Hastie from a tight angle.
The home side levelled on 40 minutes when Sam McKenzie
headed home after Academy failed to clear a corner. But three minutes later the
Scorries restored their advantage, Davie Allan running through and delivering a
perfect pass to Sam Mackay whose shot went in off a post.
Huntly's second equaliser stemmed from another corner,
this time Neale Davidson heading in at the front post on 64 minutes.
The winner came six minutes from the end when Mackay got
on the end of a clearance from substitute Bryan McKiddie and crossed into the
box where Macadie was on hand to sweep
the ball past Hastie.
The result leaves the Scorries just a point adrift of
leaders Cove Rangers with two games in hand.
As well as being the league's highest scorers, Academy
have the best ratio of wins per games (75 per cent). On the downside, their
goals-against tally is the highest of all clubs in the top half of the table
and, indeed, four teams in the bottom half have a better defensive record than
the Scorries.
Cove missed the chance to go four points clear when they
surrendered a half-time lead in going down 2-1 at Turriff.
Alan Redford put Cove in front after 24 minutes with a
spectacular long-range effort, but they were reduced to 10 men soon after the
break when Paul Emslie was sent packing for a second bookable offence.
Turriff substitutes Nick Gray and Paul Campbell proceeded
to turn the game around, with Gray forcing the ball home from close range on 80
minutes and Campbell grabbing the winner three minutes later.
A late goal by Chris Blackhall gave Deveronvale a 2-1 win
against Buckie Thistle at Princess Royal Park, a result that lifted the Banff
outfit to third in the table.
Kris Duncan gave Vale a fifth-minute lead and Buckie's
hopes suffered another blow with 20 minutes gone when Zander Sutherland was
red-carded.
The Jags drew level through Donnie Munro just before the
hour mark, but Vale secured all three points with Blackhall's 89th-minute
strike.
Forres Mechanics had a comfortable 3-0 victory over
10-man Rothes at Mackessack Park.
Kevin Duguid gave the Can-Cans an early lead and they
finished the first half with a numerical advantage too after Scott Robison
picked up a second yellow card.
Duguid got his second of the afternoon on the hour mark
and Nathan Sharp rounded off the scoring in the closing stages.
Fort William put up a decent fight before succumbing to a
3-1 defeat to Inverurie Locos at Harlaw Park.
First-half goals by Kieran Adams and Neil Gauld put Locos
in charge before Darren Quigg reduced the deficit from the penalty spot early
in the second period. Nicky Gordon headed home Locos' third with 20 minutes
remaining to complete the scoring.
Brora Rangers recovered from the loss of a first-minute
goal to beat Strathspey Thistle 5-1 at Seafield Park. Alan Mackenzie gave the
Grantown Jags a dream start but Brora hit back with goals from Ross Grant,
Stuart Golabek, David Hind, Steven Mackay and Andrew Greig.
Strathspey's Craig Rothney was sent off right at the end.
Three other fixtures were postponed because of
waterlogged pitches.
