Brechin City left it late to secure a 1-0 win over Huntly at Christie Park.
Manager Andy Kirk was delighted to see his side bounce back from a midweek defeat to Formartine.
He said: “I’m delighted to come away with the win, I thought we thoroughly deserved the result and another day we could’ve had another couple of goals.
“I was pleased with the performance levels and we played some good football but it’s always nervy when you haven’t scored especially when you’re going into the last 10 minutes.”
Kirk’s tactical changes paid off for City with substitutes Jordan Northcott and Anthony McDonald linking up to produce the winner.
He added: “The subs we have could all argue they deserve a start in the team and it’s about them coming on and having the right attitude.
“Jordan had a hand in setting up the goal and Antony finished it while Euan Loudon was also unlucky with a header late on.”
Last minute winners…this is what it means! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BFkkwT2LY1
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) February 25, 2023
City went close after eight minutes as wing-back Jamie Bain saw a shot cleared off the line by Kyle Dalling.
The woodwork denied the visitors in 16 minutes when a Grady McGrath shot came off the post before Fraser Hobday turned away a Botti Biabi rebound.
The best chance of the half for Huntly saw Cameron Blacklock pick out Brodie Allen but the forward was denied a goal when Lenny Wilson kept out his shot with his legs.
Hobday denied Brechin sub Ewan Loudon in the 86th minute as he produced an acrobatic save to turn away a goal-bound header.
Brechin clinched the win with two minutes to go. Northcott broke down the left wing and when his delivery was not dealt with it fell to McDonald to fire home his sixth of the season.
Despite the defeat, Huntly manager Allan Hale was impressed with the showing from his side.
He said: “I think with the exception of Fraserburgh, every time we’ve played one of the top teams this season we’ve competed with them.
“We were excellent defensively and Fraser Hobday is there to do the job he does pulling off some excellent saves.
“They’ve not carved us open too much during the game and it was just a lapse of concentration which sees us lose the goal late on.”
Buckie Thistle 5-0 Clach
Two goals in the opening five minutes inspired Buckie Thistle to a comfortable win over Clach at Victoria Park, maintaining their two-point lead at the top of the table.
Joe McCabe and Marcus Goodall struck early on to put the Jags in control, before another goal from full-back McCabe and further strikes from Josh Peters and Kyle Macleod completed the rout.
Jags manager Graeme Stewart was frustrated his team didn’t build on their blistering start to the match.
He said: “I think we can play better. We had a good first 15 or 20 minutes, but then we dropped off for some reason.
“I wasn’t happy with our defensive shape and we let them play through us too easily.
“Second half was better, our shape was better and when you get that right you’re not going to concede a goal.
“Our full backs were our two best players, Joe (McCabe) with his two goals and I thought Cohen Ramsey was outstanding.”
The home side got off to a great start when Ramsey got down the left flank and his low cross evaded everyone in the middle before being slammed home at the back post by McCabe.
Two minutes later the ball broke kindly in the penalty area for Goodall and he slotted low beyond Martin Mackinnon from eight yards to make it two.
Clach responded well and Connor Bunce brought the ball down smartly before crashing an 18-yard shot against the far post with Balint Demus beaten.
Early in the second half, Ramsey fed Max Barry and his cross was only half cleared to McCabe, who slammed home his second and Buckie’s third of the afternoon.
Number four came on 57 minutes, Peters latching onto a great pass from Andrew MacAskill to slot the ball beyond the onrushing Mackinnon and into the empty net from the right of the penalty area.
Substitute Kyle Macleod made it five with ten minutes to go, planting a superb header back across Mackinnon into the far corner from eight yards.
Clach manager Jordan Macdonald was frustrated with the goals his side conceded.
He said: “You cannot lose goals like that against Buckie, they are relentless. It was criminal from us.
“I thought Buckie played some excellent football. They’re top of the league and they go after you. That’s what they did today.
“No excuses, but we’ve had three games in a week and we tried to freshen up by making some changes.
“We just have to accept it and move on.”
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