Formartine United consolidated sixth place with a hard-earned win over a well-organised Clachnacuddin outfit at chilly Grant Street Park last night.
Conor Gethins’s brilliant headed goal seven minutes from the break set the Pitmedden men on the path to victory and substitute Garry Wood’s late double cemented the win.
Clach defensive midfielder John Macaskill was making his final appearance for the Merkinch club after being promoted to head ghillie on the River Conon, ending his 13-year Lilywhites career as captain for the night.
Formartine were unchanged for the fourth game in a row.
Last night’s game was Clach’s first back at their Grant Street home since fire devastated the home dressing room on Christmas Eve.
The visitors were quickly out of the blocks with back-to-back Highland League player of the year Gethins and former Strathspey and Brora youngster Scott Lisle up top in an effort to stretch the Clach defence.
A promising Formartine move came to an abrupt end when Daniel Park was adjudged to have shoved Ryan Mackintosh in the build-up.
Gethins almost broke the deadlock in the 27th minute but his superb diving header from an Aaron Norris cross flew a foot wide of the target.
Ten minutes from the break Clach keeper Dougie MacLennan did well to dive and push away a crisp Lisle 12 yard drive.
In the 38th minute Formartine took the lead when another Gethins header, this time from a Park cross, flew into the net off the underside of the crossbar
Five minutes after the restart it took an instinctive point-blank save from Kevin Main in the Formartine goal to deny Blair Lawrie the equaliser with a clever flick.
Clach were now enjoying their best spell in the game but Andrew Greig almost doubled United’s advantage but his ferocious 25-yard drive whizzed just over.
It took a fabulous flying fingertip save by MacLennan to touch a thunderous 18-yarder by Craig McKeown from doubling the visitors’ lead.
The Clach keeper again saved his side by diving to gather a Jonny Crawford downward header at the second attempt.
United made it 2-0 in the 74th minute when Garry Wood turned on a sixpence and fired the ball back across MacLennan from eight yards.
Eight minutes later Wood emphasised United’s superiority with a brilliantly taken solo effort.
