Saturday May 11th
Third place still up for grabs as Academy maintain 100% home record
Academy are 90 minutes away from completing the entire
Highland League season with a 100 per cent home record after easing to a 4-0
victory over Strathspey Thistle.
And, with third place still up for grabs, there will be plenty
at stake this Saturday when the Scorries round off their 2012/13 campaign by
playing host to Deveronvale.
Sam Mackay hit a double as Academy brushed aside an
under-strength Thistle outfit who kept the scoreline within the bounds of
respectability with a committed, backs-to-the-wall display.
Academy were hot favourites to extend their winning run
at Harmsworth Park and the outcome was never in doubt after they scored twice
in the space of a minute just after the midway point in the first half.
With 25 minutes gone, Mackay beat the offside trap as he
latched on to a pass over the top from Stevie Cunningham. Mackay took the ball
round keeper Willie Ridgers, steadied himself and slotted it into the net
before any of the backtracking defenders could get in the way.
A minute later, Davie Allan went storming up the left
wing and his low cross was met by Strathspey defender Mark Mackernie, who slid
it past Ridgers for an own goal.
The third came two minutes before half-time when Mackay
delivered an inch-perfect pass to Richard Macadie in the inside-right channel.
Ridgers got a touch to Macadie's initial effort but the midfielder scored at
the second attempt.
The best goal of the match arrived in the 69th
minute as Mackay advanced down the right and, from around 35 yards, blasted an
unstoppable shot past the diving Ridgers and into the far corner.
Manager Barry Wilson made a few attack-minded
substitutions and Academy could have brought their tally of league goals closer
to the 100 mark as they continued to push forward. However, with Strathspey
defending in depth, and with a couple of efforts being ruled out for offside,
the Scorries had to settle for four.
Formartine United and Cove Rangers are set for a title
showdown after Steve Paterson's side missed the chance to secure the
championship with a game to spare.
Formartine slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to Nairn County
on Saturday while Cove were winning 2-0 at Rothes.
Those results mean Cove can snatch the championship by
taking all three points in the clash of the top two at North Lodge Park this
weekend. A home win or a draw will be enough to hand Formartine their
first-ever HFL crown.
Nairn, looking to bounce back from their defeat at Wick
in midweek, opened the scoring through a Martin Macdonald header with a quarter
of an hour gone. Craig McKeown equalised with a free kick five minutes before
half-time, but Conor Gethins restored the Wee County's advantage early in the
second period and the Irish hitman wrapped up the points with a stunning lob
just before the hour mark.
Nairn's victory means they are still in with a chance of
pipping Academy for third spot.
Cove, meanwhile, kept their title hopes very much alive
with goals from Jamie Lennox and Martin Johnston inside a five-minute spell at
the start of the second half at Mackessack Park.
Clachnacuddin made sure of a fifth-placed finish with a
2-1 away victory over Turriff United.
Turriff's Paul Campbell had a penalty saved by his
namesake John in the Clach goal before Neil MacDonald put the Lilywhites in
front 10 minutes from half-time.
Donald Fraser levelled early in the second period but
Clach's Blair Lawrie sealed the points with a free kick midway through the
half.
Goals from Lee Fraser, Ross Archibald and Kevin Duguid
gave Forres Mechanics a comfortable 3-0 win at Buckie.
Keith lifted the Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup
after coming from behind to beat Inverurie Locos at Princess Royal Park, Banff.
Locos led at the break through Scott Begg's 17th-minute
strike, but Andy MacAskill levelled just before the hour and Cammy Keith netted
from the spot with 20 minutes to go.
The Maroons were awarded a second penalty in the dying
stages after Inverurie's Steven Park had been red-carded. This time Cammy Keith's
attempt was saved by Andy Reid, but Darren Still's men held on.
