Breedon Highland League leaders Fraserburgh did their goal difference a power of good by demolishing Fort William 12-0 with a scintillating display of attacking football.
The Lochaber side, who were put to the sword by some clinical finishing, paid a heavy price for having only one substitute on the bench as they finished the game with only nine players on the pitch due to injuries.
Had it not been for the brilliance of overworked goalkeeper Mateusz Kulbacki in the first half the visitors’ defeat would have been much heavier, as he repeatedly came to his side’s rescue with a series of tremendous saves.
Broch boss Mark Cowie said: “I’m a big believer in momentum. We have a few games coming up and if the guys set the standards that leads into the next game and the one after that.
“At times we were unplayable. In the second half we were relentless and every time we went forward we looked like scoring.
“Fort picked up a couple of injuries which wasn’t great for them – we had a job to do and we did it convincingly.”
Fraserburgh, who had new signing from Deveronvale, Ross Aitken, on the bench, opened the scoring in the 10th minute when referee Joel Kennedy adjudged that Darren Brew tripped Sean Butcher just inside the penalty area and Paul Campbell fired home the spot-kick.
Six minutes later Fraserburgh made it 2-0 when Sean Butcher pounced to stab the ball over the line from a couple of yards,
Two minutes later the visitors’ goalkeeper brilliantly turned a ferocious 20-yard strike from Lewis Duncan over the crossbar.
Kulbacki then dived to tip away a stinging 15-yard Barbour drive and three minutes later the Fort keeper stuck out a leg to stop a close-range effort from danger-man Barbour.
But Barbour was not to be denied and in the 34th minute his effort crept in at the back post.
Five minutes later the Fort keeper pulled off an excellent save to hold in to a point-blank Barbour header.
Fort were undone again in the 53rd minute when Duncan curled the ball past Kulbacki from 12 yards.
Four minutes later substitute Ryan Sargent was on hand to tap the ball over the line and Sargent struck again on the hour mark with a fierce 18-yard drive.
Paul Young got in on the act with a strike from the edge of the penalty area before Barbour made it 8-0 from close-range.
In the 74th minute it was 9-0 when Kieran Simpson clipped it home before Duncan made it double figures from 15 yards.
Four minutes from time Barbour added another with a close-range header and there was still time for Duncan to complete the scoring from the penalty spot.
Disappointed Fort caretaker-manager Tommylee Taylor said: “We were well-organised in the first half and we didn’t give them much time and space in the key areas but they upped it a notch or two and piled on the pressure.
“Matty Kulbacki has been brilliant in every game for us and I honestly don’t know how he manages to pull of some of the saves he makes for us.”
