Derby serves up festive cracker

A DIFFICULT 2012 for Forres Thistle finished on a high with a last-minute winner from Andrew Stables clinching an incredible 5-4 victory over Burghead Thistle in a game that saw Forres go 4-0 up – only to be pegged back to 4-4 – before a towering header from Stables started the festive celebrations in style.

It took just a few minutes for the game to warm up, and Forres looked certain to go ahead early on when Scott Roy’s pass for Craig Daley left him with a simple finish, but he miss-kicked and failed to find the target. It was probably his only error of the day as the youngster produced a fine display.

Undeterred, the home team went ahead soon after when a ball in from the right wing was headed on by John Ross to Phil Robinson. He lifted the ball over the diving keeper to open the scoring.

There was a good chance at the other end for M. Fraser, but stand-in goalkeeper Andy "Spanish" McIvor did well and the opening came to nothing.

Full-back Alasdair Mackintosh then got caught up in battle with his opponent. He was booked in the 15th minute before being replaced by Gordon Masson halfway through the first half.

Former Lossiemouth player, Kyle Stewart, then passed up a glorious chance to make it 1-1 when he shot over the bar. He was duly punished as two goals in the space of three minutes gave the Forres Jags a three-goal lead at the break.

In the 42nd minute a cross in from Craig Daley had to be dealt with by Ross Duncan, but the former Logie Park winger clearly remains more used to attacking than defending as be placed the ball past S. Todd to the delight of the home support.

Goalscorer Phil Robinson took a knock and he had to be replaced with Andrew Stables coming on.

It was to prove to be a straight swap – goal hero for goal hero. There was another goal to follow, with Daley once again providing the assist with a ball that S. Todd could only parry into the path of Roy who rammed it home from close range.

Five minutes into the second half the game looked done and dusted when yet another Daley cross led to a goal, this time John Ross heading the ball into the top corner to put Forres 4-0 up.

However, the game turned on a substitution with Joe McLaren coming on for Burghead. He was soon to gain a gift-wrapped hat-trick. All three of them came in a very similar fashion with McLaren racing onto throughballs before placing the ball past the helpless goalkeeper.

It seemed that the defence had switched off as the score went from 4-0 to 4-1, then 4-2, and when Patullo sent through McLaren to make it 4-3, suddenly the festive feeling was disappearing.

Burghead had their tails up and they proceeded to level with a fantastic goal from I. Lunan who cracked an angled shot in off the inside of the post.

Fortunately the match levelled out again at this point as the visitors had reached the target of levelling and seemed to lose some impetus.

Roy was denied twice by S. Todd before Ross shot just past the post. There was then a penalty claim at either end of the park, and although both were waved away, there was a case for awarding both of them.

As the clock ticked into the final minute it seemed a draw was on the cards, and it was one that would have been seen as a victory for the Burghead Jags.

However, there was still time for one final act of redemption.

Roy delivered the cross from the left and there was Andrew Stables to bullet a header into the top corner of the net sparking wild celebrations amongst all those connected to the Logie Park side.

The three points lifts Forres up to 11th in the table and sets them up for a home match against 12th-placed Buchanhaven Hearts on Saturday, January 5, 2013.

‘Gazette’ Gold Star: On a day that saw top-notch performances from the likes of Scott Roy and Charlie Beck, and a decent display from stand-in keeper "Spanish" who could do little about the goals conceded, it was Craig Daley who proved to be the pick of the bunch with four assists, despite that early miss.