The race for the Highland League title is between champions Brora, Cove and Formartine and the Pitmedden side showed they are determined to be in the mix with a ruthless display.
This game was all but over at the interval after a Scott Barbour brace and a Cammy Keith goal and a further Keith goal seven minutes after the break only emphasised the home side’s superiority.
Barbour was more than happy with his afternoon’s work, when he said: “I am chuffed to bits to take my tally for the season to 11 goals.
“They beat us in the second game of the season at their place so it was good to avenge that defeat. We scored early on when Graeme Rodger set me up and then we scored two goals in as many minutes, the first one a good finish from Cammy Keith, and then I grabbed another, again from a Graeme Rodger pass.
“Although Cove are setting the pace at the top of the table the league is far from over. They dropped two points against the Broch on Wednesday night and I can’t see why other teams can’t take points off them as well.”
United started with Keith and former Locos favourite Neil Gauld up-front. Paul Lawson recovered from his recent groin injury to take his place in midfield but Stuart Anderson, who had also been carrying a groin strain, was only able to take a place on the bench.
Locos had young Joe McCabe partnering veteran Martin Bavidge in attack while former Formartine defender Stephen Jeffrey took his place at full back for the visitors.
It took United just six minutes to take the lead when Rodger’s perfect pass picked out Barbour and the former Fraserburgh forward tucked the ball behind Scott Mathieson with ease from six yards.
Three minutes later Locos were dealt a major blow when Bavidge went down with a pulled hamstring and was immediately replaced by Greg Mitchell.
In the 21st minute Garry Wood set Gauld free on the right, the forward cut in and shot goalwards, but Mathieson dived to save comfortably, just two minutes later the visiting goalkeeper was in the right place to hold a Barbour effort.
Locos were determined to get something from the game and Formartine goalkeeper Andy Reid parried a stinging Mark Souter 15-yarder, but in the 24th minute United doubled their advantage when Keith ran on to a long through ball and drove the ball past Mathieson.
It was 3-0 two minutes later, another Rodger pass played in Barbour and he finished with style from 12 yards as Mathieson came out to narrow the angle.
The chances were flowing at both ends and six minutes from the break Locos almost clawed one back but substitute Greg Mitchell’s 25-yard drive flew inches wide of the target.
Just before the break Gauld could have made it 4-0 but he shot wide of the target on the angle 12 yards out.
A minute into the second period Gauld shot into the side-netting as the home side continued to display their attacking prowess and in the 52nd minute Formartine increased their lead when Lawson again passed through the middle of the Locos defence and Keith showed great composure to draw Mathieson and slot the ball home from 10 yards for his second goal of the afternoon. A disappointed Inverurie captain Neil McLean said: “It certainly wasn’t the result we were looking for today.
“This is always a tough place to come to but we just didn’t perform throughout the game and should have no complaints. We expected them to come out of the blocks quickly, they are a good side with good players who can hurt any team.
“The three chances we gave them in the first half were all taken and it was hugely frustrating for all of us.”