Fraserburgh leapfrogged Buckie Thistle and Nairn County into seventh place in the Highland table with a 6-0 win over Huntly at Bellslea last night.
The Broch were 4-0 up by the break thanks to a Ryan Cowie double and strikes from Willie West and Graham Johnston. In the second half substitute Courtney Cooper and Johnston again completed the scoring.
Fraserburgh made four changes from the side that won the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup on Saturday, with Stuart Taylor, Marc Lawrence, Steven Davidson and Adam Combe coming into the starting line-up. Huntly were without central defenders Mark Lawson and Michael Clark, right back Neale Allan and midfielder Dean Donaldson.
Fraserburgh took the lead in the fifth minute when Ryan Cowie took a pass from Willie West in his stride and from 25 yards and gave Fraser Hobday in the Huntly goal no chance. The ball came back off the underside of the bar and bounced on the line but referee Tommy Shaw and his standside assistant signalled a goal, much to the annoyance of the Huntly defenders.
It was 2-0 in the 26th minute, West powering home a header from a Graham Johnston corner.
Johnston made it 3-0 in the 36th minute with a cool 15-yard finish off a long punt from goalkeeper Joe Barbour.
Shortly after Huntly manager Gregg Carrol was sent to the stand, apparently for making remarks to the referee assistant.
Six minutes from the break Fraserburgh’s Ryan Cowie added another from an in-swinging free kick.
As the players went off at the interval Huntly goalkeeper Hobday was sent off for throwing his water bottle into the crowd.
Andre Pennycook came off the bench to make his league debut, while James Duguid, who came on 14 minutes into the first half for the injured Ian Cruickshank, was withdrawn.
Huntly had their first shot on target on the hour mark but John Urquhart’s 25-yard free kick was easily gathered.
In the 70th minute Pennycook did well to push away a net-bound Courtney Cooper drive but a minute later he had no chance when Cooper hammered the ball home from four yards. With 14 minutes left Fraserburgh were awarded a penalty when Pennycook flattened Marc Lawrence and Johnston converted the spot kick.