With a replay looming a last-gasp own-goal from former Aberdeen forward Darren Mackie settled a thrilling Scottish Cup tie and booked Fraserburgh’s trip to last season’s beaten finalists Falkirk in the third round.
The Broch twice had to claw their way back from a goal down and showed an admirable determination this was going to be their day to secure their trip to the Championship side.
Man of the match, Fraserburgh forward Graham Johnston, who scored a wonderful goal to bring the Broch back into the game at 1-1, said: “No question, that is the best goal I’ve ever scored – even better than one I scored against Montrose in the Scottish Cup a couple of years ago and I was delighted to see it go in.”
Turriff brought in defender Robbie Allan, centre forward Nick Gray and midfielder Andy MacAskill after Wednesday night’s 3-1 Shield defeat against Inverurie, while Allan MacKenzie and Leszek Nowosielski dropped to the bench.
The game burst into life when Turriff opened the scoring with their first shot on target, Gary McGowan’s well-placed low effort finding its way into the corner of the net from 10 yards.
In the 11th minute the Broch almost levelled but Willie West’s downward header from a curling Johnston free kick was smothered on the line by United goalkeeper Kevin Main.
Fraserburgh would not be denied, however, and five minutes later equalised with a stunning goal from Johnston who volleyed in from just inside the box high past Main and into the roof of the net.
Just after the half-hour mark it took an important touch from Turriff central defender Artjoms Kuznecovs to take the ball away from Johnston just as he was about to shoot, but just three minutes after the restart Turriff regained the lead.
Substitute MacKenzie, who came on for the injured Aaron McKenna a minute before the break, cut in from the right and drilled a superb 15-yarder low past Paul Leask in the Fraserburgh goal for an impressive and deserved equaliser for the home side.
In the 63rd minute Broch substitute, Marc Lawrence, who, like MacKenzie, had only been on the pitch for four minutes, equalised with a blistering 18-yard volley which flew low past the diving Main into the corner.
Game on, but in the 89th minute Fraserburgh snatched a dramatic winner when Ryan Cowie’s in-swinging corner was headed over his own line by unfortunate United substitute Mackie.
Cowie was booked for rushing into the crowd in celebration but it was a small price to pay as his set-piece delivery effectively set up the Broch’s third round trip to last season’s beaten Scottish Cup finalists, Falkirk.
United midfielder MacAskill, was bitterly disappointed and said: “The game was heading for a replay at Bellslea, but we have only got ourselves to blame. We went 2-1 up but we defended so deeply, we seem to sit back hoping that would be enough but then they got the equaliser.
“A replay might have been fair, but I can’t take anything away from Fraserburgh, they kept going right to the end.”