Formartine United leapfrogged Brora Rangers into fourth place in the Highland League table with a comprehensive victory against a youthful Lossiemouth outfit at Grant Park on Saturday.
Formartine had the game won by half-time with three goals in a blistering eight-minute spell from Conor Gethins, Archie Macphee and Craig McKeown.
Second-half strikes from Garry Wood, substitute Scott Barbour and midfield playmaker Graham Rodger completed the rout.
Macphee turned in a man-of-the-match performace and was delighted to take his season’s goal tally to 23.
He said: “We knew that it was going to be tough but we showed the right attitude and got the result.
“As for my goal, it was a cross, it hung up in the air and I don’t think it’s one the young Lossie goalkeeper will want to look back on.
“That’s 23 goals and I’m really happy with that.”
Formartine United started strongly and forced three corners in the first five minutes but all they had to show for their early efforts was a Scott Ferries grounder which was easily gathered by Lossie number one Cammy Farquhar.
At the other end a good forward run by Ryan Farquhar ended with the youngster pulling his parting shot well wide of the target.
With Gethins, Wood and Macphee in their starting line-up the Pitmedden side had more than enough firepower but in the early stages Lossie were closing the visitors down swiftly every time they threatened.
In the 22nd minute Formartine took the lead when Wood headed on a Macphee corner and Gethins showed his predatory instinct to head home from six yards at the back post.
Five minutes later United doubled their advantage when Macphee’s speculative 35-yard cross to the back post lopped high over Farquhar, who had advanced off his line and the ball dropped into the net.
On the half-hour mark Formartine were on easy street when the Lossie defence failed to clear another Macphee cross and McKeown was on hand to nod home number three.
Just before the interval Farquhar did well to turn another net-bound Macphee 12-yard angled drive round the post for a fruitless corner kick.
Seven minutes after the restart Wood burst through the middle, sidestepped Farquhar and slid the ball into the unguarded net from 12 yards. Formartine made it 5-0 in the 69th minute, substitute Scott Barbour hammering the ball low past the diving Farquhar from 15 yards and seven minutes from time a close-range finish from midfielder Graeme Rodger made it 6-0 to the visitors.
Disappointed keeper Farquhar said: “The first and third Formartine goals came from corners and we were unable to deal with the ball into the box. I’ll hold my hand up for the second from Archie Macphee, it was a howler from myself. I thought the cross was going to be driven in, the wind took it a bit but I’m not going to make any excuses, it was my mistake and it wasn’t good enough.
“Formartine played some good football and their movement off the ball was spot on. At times we did all right but there was a gulf between the two sides.”
