Strikes from Stuart Kettlewell and Paul Brindle, and a late Mark Hector own goal, gave Brora the three Highland League points against Lossiemouth at Grant Park.
The Coasters had eight players out, including new goalkeeper Darren McConnachie and experienced forward Shaw Scott, while Brora left reigning Highland League player-of-the-year Andrew Greig on the bench along with his new player-manager Richard Brittain.
The game started at a furious pace with Lossie more than matching the champions.
But in the seventh minute Brora opened the scoring, Jordan Main tried to bring the ball down but it spun off his boot straight to former Ross County midfielder Kettlewell six yards out and he tucked the ball behind the helpless Connor Hall.
The champions made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute with a simple but well-worked goal, Scott Graham’s low ball into the box picked out Brindle unmarked and he clipped the ball past the diving Hall from eight yards.
Mid-way through the second half Zander Sutherland tried his luck from distance but this time Hall was in the right place to palm the ball down and grab it at the second attempt.
At the other end Scott Millar had a half chance but his diving header flew over the top of the crossbar without troubling Joe Malin.
That was Millar’s last taste of the action as in the 73rd minute he received a straight red-card for an off the ball incident with Sutherland, who was shown a yellow for his part in the tussle.
Ten minutes from time a 25-yard curling Sutherland drive smashed back of the cross-bar but with six minutes remaining Brora did grab a third goal, the unfortunate Hector turning a driven cross past his own goalkeeper.