Buckie Thistle’s perfect start to the Highland League season came to an abrupt end at Rothes.
The Speysiders eased their way to their first home victory against the Jags at Mackessack Park since 1986.
A Greg Morrison header and an Alan Pollock penalty kick earned the home side a deserved victory.
Rothes manager Ross Jack said: “It was a comfortable performance and had it not been for the brilliance of Kevin Main in the Buckie goal the margin of victory would have been a lot more. We hit both the bar and the post.
“I don’t think Buckie troubled us too much.
“They resorted to long diagonal ball trying to get on top of us, but we were two goals ahead early-on and I thought we looked pretty comfortable.
“I said to the boys that keeping clean sheets starts from the front, and the work that Greg Morrison is putting in, as well as the lads behind him, is phenomenal. Greg’s working that front line unbelievably well.”
Rothes took the lead when Morrison headed home after skipper Bruce Milne had forced visiting keeper Main into making a superb save at the expense of a corner-kick.
The home side doubled their advantage when Ross Gunn was fouled in the box by Main and Pollock sent the experienced keeper the wrong way from the resultant spot-kick.
Buckie were reduced to 10 men when Jack Murray was ordered off after picking up a second yellow card.
Rothes 2-0 Buckie
First half goals from Morrison and a Pollock penalty secure us the 3 points 🍊🟠⚫️ #MonTheSpeysiders pic.twitter.com/CjTTlARMhM— Rothes FC (@RothesFC) August 21, 2021
Buckie boss Graeme Stewart said; “We didn’t play very well and gave away two sloppy goals then missed four or five chances of our own.
“Rothes played to their strengths, they’re hard working decent team, they went direct and played off second balls and that was effective.
“At the first goal we gave Greg Morrison a free header in the box so that was sloppy from our point of view.
“Their second one came from a penalty kick brought about by another mistake by ourselves.
“On a different day we may have won that game and we need a reaction before facing Fraserburgh on Wednesday night then Formartine United on Saturday.”
