Buckie Thistle accomplished their part of the task, however their 3-1 win against Clachnacuddin was not enough to secure the Highland League title.
Graeme Stewart’s men secured an ultimately comfortable triumph, however they were made to work for it by a battling Clach side who kept them out in the first half.
The Jags racked up the goals in the second half, with a Scott Adams goal and an Andy MacAskill double rounding off their campaign in winning style.
Robbie Thompson pulled a late goal back for Clach, however their defeat means they missed out on a first top-half finish since 2013.
There was to be no title celebration for Thistle though, with Fraserburgh’s victory over Forres Mechanics ensuring the party happened at the Bellsea.
Buckie needed the Broch to lose against the Can-Cans, with three points having separated the sides before kick-off.
The Jags had teed up the final-day drama by coming from behind to net a late equaliser through Jack Murray against Wick Academy in midweek, when a defeat would have handed the title to Fraserburgh.
Buckie immediately went on the front foot, with Sam Urquhart first to threaten with a strike from the edge of the box which drifted wide in the opening minutes.
A dangerous Kevin Fraser cutback was cleared by the Clach defence, while Max Barry was first to test Martin MacKinnon with an angled low effort which was well tipped wide on 17 minutes.
Clach succeeded in frustrating the visitors, with the bulk of Buckie’s threat coming from long-range. Andy MacAskill was in the thick of the action, shooting straight at MacKinnon firstly with a free-kick on 19 minutes, and again with a strike from distance nine minutes later.
A glorious chance fell to the home side on 40 minutes however, with Lewis Mackenzie slipping Connor Bunce through on goal, but he screwed his effort over the bar.
Buckie’s closest effort of the first half arrived a minute before the break, with a lovely move seeing Fraser played in along the byline, with his cross forced goalwards by Scott Adams but denied by a superb fingertip save by MacKinnon.
The Jags started the second half brightly, with MacAskill sending a low drive wide on 49 minutes.
Clach had a fine chance three minutes later when Mackenzie got the break of the ball off goalkeeper Kevin Main, but he could only find the side netting from a tight angle.
Buckie made the breakthrough on 54 minutes however. A neat move down the left saw the ball fall to Adams inside the box, and he showed fine composure to drill a low finish past MacKinnon from 10 yards.
The Jags strengthened their lead on the hour mark, with the lively MacAskill in the right place to tap home on the rebound, after MacKinnon had parried a Fraser effort.
Buckie put the game beyond doubt six minutes later, when MacAskill sent MacKinnon the wrong way from the penalty spot, after Ben Cormack had felled substitute Kyle MacLeod.
Thistle pushed for further goals, with Barry denied by the crossbar with a looping effort, while Mark McLauchlan saw an effort blocked by the legs of MacKinnon in the dying stages.
Veteran Buckie goalkeeper Main was denied a clean sheet on his final outing before retiring, with Thompson weaving his way into the box before sending an angled drive past him two minutes from time.
CLACHNACUDDIN (4-2-3-1) – Mackinnon 7; MacKintosh 6, Cormack 6, Nicolson 6, Black 6; Sutherland 6, Gillies 6; L Mackenzie 7 (Kerr 71), Bunce 5 (Chalmers 61), Thompson 6; Anderson 6 (Callum 84). Subs not used – Rae, Taylor, R Mackenzie, Calder.
BUCKIE THISTLE (4-1-3-2) – Main 6; Wood 6, Pugh 6, J Murray 6, McLauchlan 6; Barry 7; MacAskill 8, Fraser 7 (Milne 86), Goodall6; Adams (Cowie 77), Urquhart (MacLeod 61). Subs not used – Herbert, C Murray.
Referee – Kevin Buchanan 6
Man of the match: Andy MacAskill
