Forres Mechanics floored a young Turriff United side with a superb controlled display which moved the Can-Cans from 10th to eighth spot in the table.
Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley was pleased by his side’s performance.
He said: “It may not have been a comfortable win but it was a deserved victory.
“We were 3-0 up at half-time and it really should have been a few more but the second half was more even. We regrouped after they got a goal back and we went on to make it 4-1.
“It was a really pleasing away victory over a young Turriff side which has a fair bit of work in front of them, but they were certainly full of running.
“It was equally pleasing to get off the mark with our first away victory in the league this term. We played Alan MacPhee up-top at number nine today given Lee Fraser’s hamstring and the fact that Stuart Soane is only now getting back to fitness.
“Alan scored to take his season’s tally so far to eight goals, he’s a real threat, and arguably he could have scored more.”
Turriff United assistant-manager Graeme Mathieson was far from downhearted, and said: “We have a debut to 17-year-old Murray Esson at full back and he did a great job of keeping one of the best players in the Highland League at the moment, young Andrew MacRae, fairly quiet throughout the 90 minutes.
“I think the scoreline flattered Forres a bit and despite the score I still think we managed to take a lot of positives from the game.”
Skipper Ross MacPherson fired Forres ahead and teenager Declan Hughes, on-loan from Premiership club Ross County, doubled his side’s advantage.
Alan MacPhee made it 3-0 with his eighth goal of the campaign just before the break.
United regrouped at the interval and new signing Matty Macdonald managed to pull a goal back for Turriff.
But Mechanics full back James Ross restored the visitors’ three-goal advantage with a deflected free kick.
