Brora Rangers tightened their grip at the top of the table by blowing Locos away with a thoroughly professional and clinical performance.
Jordan MacRae notched a double after Greg Morrison broke the deadlock in the third minute and Andrew Macrae completed the scoring with a superb second half strike.
Had it not been for the brilliance of Andy Reid in the visitors’ goal, Locos could have suffered an even heavier defeat.
Man of the match Morrison said: “Inverurie are up there alongside us challenging for the league so we knew what we had to do as a team and from the start we put in 100%.
“We caught them out with the early goal and after that we kept up the pressure and went in 3-0 ahead at the interval.
“I think that shows the intensity we went out with.
“It is an impressive score-line against a side like Locos but if it wasn’t for their brilliant keeper it could easily have been seven or eight.”
Brora fielded their strongest starting line-up, although neither club were able to field a full substitutes’ bench. One glaring omission from the Locos line-up was forward Neil Gauld who is injured, while Calum Dingwall is working in Canada until June.
The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Janette Carrison who had been heavily involved with running the Brora Rangers’ social club for many years.
Locos felt they should have been awarded an early penalty when Brora defender Colin Williamson appeared to handle the ball inside the area within the first 30 seconds.
Brora opened the scoring in the third minute when Paul Brindle’s pass to Morrison was finished in style by the former Ross County striker.
On the quarter hour mark, Brora passed up a gilt-edged chance to double their advantage when Jordan MacRae found himself all on his own with only Reid to beat but he shot straight at the diving keeper.
It took a brilliant tip over by Reid to deny Williamson in the 24th minute but from the resultant corner the home side doubled their advantage when MacRae headed home unchallenged from six yards.
Just after the half hour, Locos striker Andy Hunter went down in the Brora box but referee Darren Munro waved play on.
Brora made it 3-0 in the 34th minute when MacRae grabbed his second of the afternoon by hammering home a Morrison cross from eight yards.
It took another fine stop by Reid to keep out a net-bound Andrew MacRae drive as Brora threatened to run riot but the striker was not to be denied and in the 54th minute he steered a 15-yard drive beyond the diving Reid’s reach to make it 4-0.
In the final minute MacRae was denied a hat-trick with a point-blank header as Reid made another fabulous save.
Locos striker Chris Angus said: “Andy Reid made some great saves for us.
“The early goal helped them but prior to that early we were denied a penalty for a blatant handball just a few seconds into the game.
“After they scored they kind of slaughtered us so it certainly wasn’t a good day at the office for ourselves.”
