Not even a broken down bus could stop Turriff United motoring to their 10th Breedon Highland League win of the season.
Turra thumped Clachnacuddin 5-1 at Grant Street Park to move on to 30 points – just six shy of their tally for last term – and into eighth spot in the table.
But boss Warren Cummings was pleased the delay didn’t impact on his side’s display.
He said: “Normally the Aberdeen boys meet the team bus and the Turriff boys in Keith.
“Unfortunately the bus broke down just outside Turriff so the boys ended up jumping in taxis to get up to the game.
“It wasn’t ideal, but we said before the game we’d all arrived in plenty of time and it wasn’t going to be an excuse for us whatever happened.
“We were in communication with Clach early on and they were really good in terms of pushing the game back half an hour so we thank them for that.”
Turriff trailed 1-0 at half-time, but an impressive second half showing earned them victory.
Cummings added: “I felt we played well for 80 minutes. We struggled to get to grips with it and pick up second balls in the first 10 minutes.
“I’m disappointed to concede a goal like we did, Clach had the advantage. For the final 35 minutes of first half we lacked a wee bit in the final third despite getting into some really good areas.
“We spoke about it at half-time, fortunately we got a break with the penalty, but over the piece with what we did in the second half I felt we thoroughly deserved it.”
Hosts strike first
Clach took the lead in the 10th minute when Lewis Mackenzie’s cross from the right fell for Troy Cooper to calmly control and finish into the bottom right corner.
Lilywhites goalkeeper Danny Gillan – who signed on loan from Brora Rangers on Friday – did well to tip away Callan Gray’s net-bound strike from 20 yards in the 24th minute. Soon after Gillan also blocked to thwart Ewan Clark.
Just after the half hour mark Clach could have increased their lead when Cooper released Mackenzie through on goal, but he couldn’t the target.
Then home midfielder Fergus Adams fired into the side-netting from a corner.
Four minutes into the second half Turriff restored parity from the penalty spot.
Clach’s Alisdair Riddle appeared to play the ball in a sliding challenge with Owen Kinsella, however, the United wing-back was sent tumbling.
After referee Billy Baxter awarded the penalty Clark converted, blasting down the middle.
The decision frustrated Clach player-manager Conor Gethins, who said: “It was never a penalty, Aly Riddle slid in and clearly got a touch on the ball.
“The ball moved towards the linesman, but he said he came through the back of the player.
“I just give up with them, I don’t understand some of the decisions. We also had a linesman giving offside without even flagging, just speaking through his microphone, that’s unacceptable and quite amateurish.”
Giving his assessment, Cummings added: “If it was against us I’d have been disappointed. The referee and the linesman said he clipped Owen’s ankle first, but from the angle I had I wasn’t sure.”
United kick on
On 54 minutes the home side could have retaken the lead, but goalkeeper David Dey blocked with his legs to deny Mackenzie.
Five minutes later Turra hit the front with Gray’s cutback from the right fired into the left corner from 12 yards by Reece McKeown.
Kinsella had a low drive touched behind by Gillan and Jack McKenzie’s thunderbolt from 20 yards clipped the top of the crossbar as United looked for a third.
It arrived in the 70th minute when Murray Cormack blasted a shot into the net after outmuscling Connor Bunce at the back post to collect Gray’s corner.
Cormack was narrowly off target with another attempt and McKeown had an angled effort flicked off the line by Keith Mason before Turriff bagged their fourth on 84 minutes.
McKeown crossed from the right and Gray volleyed home from close range. Sub John Allan completed the scoring four minutes later with a dinked finish after beating the offside trap to latch onto McKeown’s through ball.
Gethins may make changes
After an 8-0 victory against Wick Academy a week earlier the result was a major disappointment for Clach boss Gethins.
He added: “We capitulated and I thought we were past that stage, but clearly we aren’t.
“That’s something we’ll work on again and try to help them with, but we can only do so much, once they’re on the pitch it’s up to them.
“That’s not happening under my watch again, there’s going to be players coming in now.
“There’s no sentimental thoughts towards anyone, we’re here to do a job and push this club on.
“If people aren’t mentally strong enough to do that then we’ll move on as a team and try to bring bodies in.”
- Elsewhere Buckie Thistle v Formartine United, Brora Rangers v Lossiemouth and Keith v Forres Mechanics were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
