Brechin City maintained their challenge at the top of the Highland League table with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Clachnacuddin at Glebe Park.
It was another impressive performance from City with a Grady McGrath hat-trick the highlight.
City grabbed the lead after just three minutes when Anthony McDonald collected a 25 yard pass from Kevin McHattie before slotting the ball past visitors keeper Martin Mackinnon.
It should have been 2-0 just a couple of minutes later when the hosts were awarded a penalty after Michael Cruickshank had been brought down in the box by Donald Morrison.
The award was hotly contested by the Clach bench but Mackinnon dived to his left to save Kieran Inglis’ spot-kick.
City kept pushing forward and they notched their second goal in the 33rd minute when McGrath was on the spot to head home a Marc Scott cross.
🍾 Despite an excellent team performance in which every player excelled – it still came as little surprise that @mcgrath_grady, who netted a perfect hat-trick, was selected as the sponsors man of the match by David Holland & Guests yesterday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/041jISeabR
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) November 6, 2022
City kept up the momentum after the break with a glorious 30-yard drive from McHattie in the 67th minute making it 3-0.
McGrath chased a long ball from defence before firing home from close-range to make it 4-0 in the 67th minute and completed his hat-trick four minutes from time when he blasted the ball past Mackinnon from 10 yards.
City boss Andy Kirk said: “I thought that we controlled the match from start to finish.
“I thought that the boys were great with some of the passages of plays and their ideas and also their speed and energy was fantastic.
“The goals we scored were from the top drawer.
“Although we scored five goals we were still managing to create opportunities which was very pleasing.
“We’re making improvements both individually and collectively every week and that’s solely down to the players attitude and commitment.
“They came off the pitch today dripping with sweat and that’s just typifies the attitude we have here which makes my job easier.”
Clach boss Jordan Macdonald said: “The best team won but from our point of view we showed more fight, more heart and more desire than we did on Wednesday night when we were defeated by Strathspey.
“It is always going to be difficult to come here and Brechin have improved immeasurably from last season but I thought that some of the decisions were frankly shocking although there’s no doubt that Brechin deserved to win.”
Huntly 1-3 Brora Rangers
Brora Rangers kept up the pressure on Buckie Thistle and Brechin City and at the top of the league after they netted twice late on to secure a 3-1 win at Huntly.
It was a fourth consecutive win for Brora although manager Craig Campbell admitted they had to fight for the three points.
He said: “Credit to Huntly, Allan Hale has them set up well and difficult to break down.
“They’ve made us work exceptionally hard for the three points and we stood up to the task.
“I have to give credit to my own players as they kept trying to play.
“The Huntly keeper made two or three unbelievable saves and you think it was maybe not our day but with the quality of players in our squad we created enough chances.”
Campbell was pleased to see his side bounce back after an early penalty miss.
Brora had a chance to take the lead after 18 minutes when Adam Morris was adjudged by referee Scott Donohoe to have handled inside the Huntly box.
Dale Gillespie stepped up from the spot only for Fraser Hobday to guess right and dive low to save the kick.
The visitors took the lead in the 33rd minute. Dale Gillespie’s corner was sent into the Huntly goalmouth and Andrew Macrae took his tally for the season to 20 goals with a close range finish.
Huntly levelled four minutes from the break when a Lyall Booth corner was met by the head of Michael Clark as the Black and Golds captain netted his first of the season.
The Cattachs regained the lead with ten minutes left. Max Ewan created an opening on the left and played a low cross into the for Ali Sutherland to drill home.
Huntly came close to levelling three minutes later when Angus Grant ran onto a Cameron Blacklock pass but he was kept out by a last-ditch save from keeper Ruardhri Nicol.
Brora wrapped up the win four minutes remaining with substitute Gregor Macdonald finishing from a Sutherland cross.
Huntly manager Allan Hale said: “To a man it was an outstanding performance. They executed the game plan almost to perfection.
“Brora have so much quality and we knew that before the game and set the team up a certain way to counteract that and cause them problems.
“They went 2-1 ahead late in the game and Angus Grant did everything right with the opportunity late on and you have to applaud their keeper in that situation.”
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