Josh Winton was delighted Banks o’ Dee’s game against Inverurie Locos went ahead as they moved to within a point of the Breedon Highland League summit.
The Spain Park encounter, which the home side won 3-0, was the only Highland League fixture to beat the snow.
Banks o’ Dee sports club and the football club cleared the artificial pitch on Saturday morning to ensure the match could be played.
Winton, who is co-manager alongside Paul Lawson, said: “The sports club deserve great credit. They were here at 8am brushing and sweeping to get the pitch cleared.
“They salted the pitch on Friday as well so it’s a credit to them for getting the game on.
“The guys did a power of work and we were delighted to get the game on.”
Winton added: “We’re pleased with the result, in terms of the performance I’ve seen us play better.
“We were lacking a bit of composure in our play which I’d probably put down to us not being able to train during the week.
“The table isn’t a true reflection of what’s going on with all the games in hand.
“But you want to be up there and winning games, the guys are doing that so we’re pleased.”
Fast start
After a bright start from Inverurie, Banks o’ Dee took the lead in the seventh minute.
Garry Wood used to his aerial prowess to release Lachie MacLeod at the edge of the box. With the Railwaymen caught short he hooked the ball to the left of the area for his brother Hamish to control and finish.
Just after the quarter hour mark a last-ditch challenge by Liam Morrison prevented Hamish MacLeod from netting his second.
As the first half wore on Inverurie’s Myles Gaffney did well to find some space inside the home box, but goalkeeper Daniel Hoban saved the shot from 15 yards.
On 40 minutes Locos custodian Blessing Oluyemi flew to his left to turn away Michael Philipson’s free-kick from 25 yards.
Seconds later Lachie MacLeod raced through on goal, but his shot was tame and blocked by Oluyemi.
Visitors try to respond
Early in the second period Hoban repelled Gaffney’s low drive. At the other end Dee sub Chris Antoniazzi whistled a shot from the edge of the area narrowly off target.
Back came Inverurie, in the 58th minute the dangerous Nathan Meres embarked on a 50-yard burst forward before stinging Hoban’s palms with an angled strike.
Four minutes later Gaffney showed his strength to set up Meres only for Dee defender Ramsay Davidson to get back and block the net-bound shot.
On 64 minutes home captain Kane Winton had a looping header held by Oluyemi as Dee looked for a second goal.
Meres continued to threaten with a shot that was deflected wide before Hoban blocked another attempt at close quarters.
Banks o’ Dee sealed their victory in the 84th minute when sub Max Alexander dispossessed goalkeeper Oluyemi and rolled the ball into the empty net.
After that Meres and Callum Duncan went close, but Dee added their third in the fifth minute of injury time.
Inverurie were caught trying to play out from the back and Mark Gilmour found Antionazzi inside the box and he picked out the bottom left corner.
Clinical edge lacking
Locos boss Dean Donaldson said: “It’s frustrating with the lack of chances we took.
“I thought we created a few chances, if we get one in the net I think it would have been a completely different game.
“The scoreline flatters Banks o’ Dee, I think. They’re a good side, but overall I felt we kept the ball and created chances, but didn’t take them.
“At the other end they created five and took three. The second one was us overplaying and Blessing got caught.
“It’s risk and reward, that’s how we want to play. I’m not going to blame the boys at all because it’s how we want to play and we’re still at the start of our process.
“There was some really good stuff from us.”
