Buckie Thistle recorded their second 4-0 victory over Turriff United in three weeks to progress to the quarter-finals of the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup.
The Jags will face Keith at Kynoch Park in the last-eight after goals from Darryl McHardy and Marcus Goodall put them in control at Victoria Park, before Jack Murray and substitute Josh Peters completed the scoring.
Buckie boss Graeme Stewart was delighted with the performance, saying: “I thought we played very well and controlled the game. I don’t think we had a chance against us the whole game, and it’s good to get a clean sheet.
“We won’t get carried away. If we want to challenge for titles and trophies then these are games we should be winning. No disrespect to Turriff.
“Nobody was below par, they were all at least a seven or eight (out of ten). Their work-rate and fitness was great.”
Hailing the versatility of his midfielders and forwards, and his defenders for getting on target, Stewart added: “The front four or five players are interchangeable. They can all play in midfield or up front and have real quality.
“We need the whole team to chip in with goals, and the likes of Darryl McHardy and Jack Murray should be aiming for 10 to 15 a season.”
The opening 30 minutes was evenly matched, before Buckie took the lead on the half-hour mark. Dale Wood played the ball into the penalty area, where Sam Pugh laid off a superb first time pass to McHardy, who slammed it high past Turra keeper David Dey at his near post.
Jack MacIver then brought a fine save from Dey with a stinging drive from the edge of the box, before, on 37 minutes, McHardy’s clever knock-down was fired home by Goodall from close range for number two.
Dey made excellent saves from Scott Adams and Max Barry early in the second period as Jags looked for a third goal.
It finally arrived 19 minutes from time – a great ball in from Andrew MacAskill glanced home via Dey by the inrushing Murray.
Substitute Lyall Keir then set up fellow sub Peters with a superb through-ball, and he went round Dey and completed the scoring in injury time.
Turriff boss Dean Donaldson felt his players are not at the opposition’s level yet, saying: “We started really well and were in it for the first 25 minutes, but personally I think some of our players need to be fitter – we didn’t match runners and they know who they are.
“Take nothing away from Buckie, though, they are a top side.
“We’re probably not going to come up against better opposition and the boys need to remember that. We’re not at the level to compete with that standard of team yet.”
Barbour scores 300th Highland League-level goal as Broch thump Vale
Fraserburgh will travel to face Strathspey Thistle in the quarter-finals of this season’s Highland League Cup after hitting Deveronvale for nine without reply at Princess Royal Park in a dominant performance from start to finish.
Scott Barbour helped himself to the match-ball with a hat-trick – which included his 300th goal at Highland League level, with the other counters coming from Sean Butcher (two), Zane Laird, Bryan Hay, Josh Bolton and Ryan Sargent.
With a left footed shot from 20 yards into the bottom left corner of the net after Ryan Sargent’s left footed pass to him to complete his hat trick and make it 0-8 Broch (85) #theBroch @leagueHighland pic.twitter.com/jJrU0SfiGx
— Fraserburgh FC (@FraserburghFC) August 26, 2023
Broch manager Mark Cowie was delighted with what he labelled their best display of the season so far.
He said: “We moved the ball quickly to exploit gaps in the Vale defence and in between the lines and caused problems all game long.
“I said to the players at half time that I wasn’t bothered what the scoreline was, but that I wanted a clean sheet as we have conceded a few goals at home being sloppy.
“But our back four were immense giving Vale no room to create anything, with Paul Young being untouchable on the day after what has been a slow start to the season for him.
“Scott Barbour has had a lean spell, but he scored three and set up a few so I am over the moon with what the team gave today.”
The visitors were ahead after just two minutes through Laird’s fine finish with Barbour’s corner met by the head of Butcher eighth minutes later for number two.
Hay then sent a 10-yard volley beyond Sean McIntosh to make it three midway through the half with Barbour increasing the advantage to four with a fine 25-yard drive on the half-hour mark.
Barbour grabbed number five within 50 seconds of the restart, while Butcher made it six with another header from a Willie West cross five minutes into the second period.
Substitute Josh Bolton turned home number seven after 69 minutes with Vale then reduced to 10 men when Jaydan Bradford saw red for a last man challenge on Barbour with13 minutes remaining.
The prolific Barbour grabbed his milestone goal to claim a hat-trick with eight minutes remaining, before Sargent completed the scoring in the final minute by heading home from Ryan Cowie’s left wing cross.
Vale manager Craig Stewart thought it was a very bad day at the office for his side and was especially disappointed with their level of performance.
He said: “We never got going from start to finish, but as the management team we will hold our hands up with the formation we started with.
“But I wouldn’t say that was responsible for any of the goals we lost to be honest as during the game we failed to string two passes together, didn’t stop crosses coming into the box and failed to mark their players in our box, while not creating any decent chances of our own.
“This group of players knew that there was the possibility of a bad performance in them, but that was worse than bad – and that is taking nothing away from Fraserburgh as they were very good.”
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