Croll's double stuns Jags

Forres Thistle 0 Stonehaven 3

Forres Thistle were left to rue a number of missed chances as they failed to do the double over Stonehaven with the side from the Aberdeenshire coast with Sean Croll’s goals either side of the break doing the damage.

The Jags started the game positively and it took a decisive intervention by defender Philip Low to clear a Davie McIvor delivery away for a corner and then just moments later a free kick from the same player was only just missed by Lee Davidson as Forres threatened.

Chris Steel had the ball in the net for the visitors but he was ruled offside and they were soon having to defend once more as a header by Lee Davidson had to be cleared off the line by Steven Reid.

There was a blow for Forres midway through the first half when Chris Ross was forced off with another knee injury and his presence was, once again, missed as the game developed.

Still it was the Jags who were on the front foot. John Ross saw his effort cleared off the line then a good run by Jon Fraser lead to a melee. The teenager took it past the keeper but his shot was initially blocked by Kane Winton. It fell back to John Ross who also saw his effort charged down before the Hive got it clear.

It was to prove a key moment in the game as within 40 seconds the visitors were ahead. They broke upfield winning a corner and from that set piece Sean Croll rose to head past Simon Bremner.

The striker struck an effort off the bar just before the break as the half ended with Stonehaven on the attack. Forres responded well after the break and could have levelled when Jon Fraser sent Rees Gerard clear but the Forres Academy forward’s attempt at lobbing the goalkeeper ended with the ball landing wide of the goal.

Two goals in five minutes, just after the hour mark, were to provide Stonehaven with an insurmountable cushion. The first saw Sean b take a Keith Horne pass in his stride before firing home and then with 68 minutes gone Horne netted from a Phil McCall assist.

There was to be no way back for Thistle but they continued to carry a threat creating three further chances. Jon Fraser’s effort from ten yards rattled the crossbar then sub Bob Mackinnon went past two players before firing over the bar from 20 yards. Charlie Sopp rounded things off with a similar effort that flew over Michael Smith’s goal.

Results elsewhere saw Forres slip back to 13th a point behind Maud and Hall Russell United, who both have games in hand, and three behind Lewis United who they face at the end of the month.

The Jags will host Longside this weekend (2pm kick off at Logie Park) before heading to Sunnybank on April 14th, two games that are sure to go a long way towards deciding whether or not the Jags can hold on to Super League status.

Forres Thistle: S Bremner, A Maclellan, M Milne, L Davidson, C Ross (C Sopp), D McIvor, J Ross, C Beck, A Angus, R Gerard (R Mackinnon), J Fraser Subs: C Snape, C Allardyce, J Allan

Stonehaven: M Smith, P Low, P McCall, S Pyper, S Reid, K Winton, K Horne, M Alexander, C Steel, S Croll, D Glass Subs: P Duncan, I Cruickshank, C Murray, S Macgregor, I Sinclair, D Baxter