Saturday January 5th
Turriff are hit for six as Scorries start the New Year in style
in 2012, with an emphatic home win. This time Turriff United were on the
receiving end as the Scorries kept up their title challenge with an impressive
6-2 victory in front of a crowd of well over 500 at Harmsworth Park.
Academy went ahead on 16 minutes when Richard Macadie
controlled a long pass wide on the right and his deep cross was met at the far
post by Sam Mackay, whose close-range header gave Turriff keeper Stephen Coutts
no chance.
Two minutes later the Scorries doubled their lead when
Macadie ran on to a through ball from Stevie Cunningham and confidently placed
it low to the keeper's right.
Turriff responded on 21 minutes when Mike McKenzie picked
out Nick Gray on the left side of the Wick box, and his low angled shot found
the opposite corner of the net.
The frantic action continued a minute later as Academy
restored their two-goal cushion, Lukasz Geruzel controlling the ball in front
of goal and powering a low shot to the right of the diving Coutts.
It was 4-1 on the half-hour mark as Cunningham beat the
offside trap and unselfishly laid it on a plate to Geruzel, who had the
simplest of tasks in adding his second of the game.
Academy extended their lead six minutes into the second
half when Mackay beat Coutts with a well-judged lob from the right edge of the
penalty box.
Mackay then gifted Turriff a goal just after the hour
mark. Michael Gray was caught unawares by a long-range passback from the
Academy skipper and the ball crept in at the keeper's left-hand post for a
bizarre o.g.
Academy's new recruit, former Caley Thistle striker
Graham Bayne, had come off the bench with half an hour to go and within six
minutes he was celebrating a debut goal. Coutts did well to keep out Macadie's
shot after a defence-splitting pass from Davie Allan, but Turriff failed to
clear the resultant corner and Bayne was on hand to lash the ball high into the
net from near the penalty spot.
Academy could easily have added further goals, Ross Allan
coming closest with a late effort that clipped the inside of a post. As it is,
they remain second in the table with 12 wins from their opening 16 fixtures and
have taken their goal tally to 54.
Formartine United jumped to third place after a fine 6-1
victory over Huntly at Christie Park.
The visitors were three up inside the opening 12 minutes
through Hamish Munro, Craig McKeown and Daniel Park, with Calum Bagshaw adding
their fourth just before the break. Bagshaw scored again midway through the
second half before Jason Coyle pulled one back with eight minutes to go, but
Formartine had the final say as Kevin Webster got their sixth in the last
minute.
That result allowed Formartine to go above Clachnacuddin,
whose scheduled match at Forres fell victim to a waterlogged pitch.
Cove Rangers remain one point clear at the top after
coming from behind to beat Nairn County 3-1 at Allan Park.
Conor Gethins put Nairn in front after six minutes but
Danny Milne levelled on 36 minutes and he struck again two minutes into the
second period. Martin Johnston made sure of the points with seven minutes
remaining.
Fraserburgh recovered from being a goal down at half-time
to beat Buckie Thistle 3-1 at Victoria Park. The Jags led through Zander
Sutherland's 34th-minute strike but Ryan Christie equalised from the penalty
spot six minutes after the break and the Broch secured all three points with
goals from Willie West and Zak Conway in the closing five minutes.
A late flurry of goals at Harlaw Park saw Inverurie Locos
run out 5-0 winners against Strathspey Thistle.
It took until the 52nd minute for Locos to make the
breakthrough with a Scott Begg strike. Neil Gauld doubled their lead on the
hour mark and the home side added three more in the closing three minutes,
courtesy of Nicky Gordon, Clark Bain and Gauld with his second of the
afternoon.
Deveronvale had to settle for a point from their clash
with Rothes at Mackessack Park. Kris Duncan gave Vale a first-half lead but
Stuart Massie made it 1-1 with just over a quarter of an hour to go, shortly
after Rothes keeper Greg Sim had pulled off a double save from a Scott Fraser
spot-kick.
Michael Dunn of Rothes was red-carded in stoppage time.
Academy's next opponents, Lossiemouth, crashed to a 6-0
defeat at Brora. Steven Mackay scored five, including a penalty, and a further
spot-kick allowed Liam Baxter to add his name to the scoresheet.
Cammy Keith scored twice and Stuart Walker was also on
target as Keith won 3-0 in the early kick-off at Fort William.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, January 12:
Clachnacuddin v Cove Rangers; Deveronvale v Inverurie Locos; Formartine United
v Fort William; Fraserburgh v Brora Rangers; Keith v Forres Mechanics;
Lossiemouth v Wick Academy; Nairn County v Buckie Thistle; Strathspey Thistle v
Huntly; Turriff United v Rothes.
