Forres Mechanics edge out Rothes in Highland League derby while Keith stun Brechin City and Brora Rangers extend lead thanks to Shane Sutherland hat-trick
A dream debut goal helped Forres Mechanics climb into the Highland League’s top ten with a derby success at Rothes.
The Cans avenged their opening day defeat to the Speysiders at Mosset Park by winning 3-2 at MacKessack Park on Wednesday night.
Captain Mark McLauchlan struck on 16 minutes before setting up striker Calum Frame for his 13th goal of the season to make it 2-0 to Mechanics at half time.
Attacker Lewis MacKenzie, making his Forres debut on loan from Clach, got off to the perfect start by adding the visitors’ third just after the break.
Struggling Rothes made a game of it after that, with Robbie Urquhart’s first goal for the club pulling one back on the hour and Scott Mutch making Forres sweat with a 90th minute header.
Keith caused the upset of the night by putting a dent in Brechin City’s title bid in a 1-1 draw at Glebe Park.
Brechin led at the break through Ewan Loudon’s 29th minute blast from 20 yards.
But the Maroons battled back to level with Formartine teenager Brody Alberts scoring the fifth goal of his loan spell on 72 minutes.
They held on to record their first draw of the season and end a run of five straight defeats in all competitions.
Brora Rangers took full advantage of the slip-up to extend their lead at the top to four points at the expense of lowly Strathspey Thistle.
The entire length of the table separated the sides at Dudgeon Park at kick off and Brora emphasised the gulf in class with a 7-0 romp.
Former Caley Thistle and Elgin City striker Shane Sutherland scored a hat-trick, two coming in the first half along with midfielder Craig MacKenzie’s brace to make it 4-0.
Max Ewan added number five within a minute of the restart and Connor Bunce’s 21st strike of the season - 13 in Clach colours - was quickly followed by Sutherland’s third.
Fraserburgh moved up to seventh as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Deveronvale.
Jack Mitchell’s 12th goal of the season had Vale in front after 11 minutes and they held their advantage until the break.
But a freak own goal by Vale keeper Ethan Hopkinson, punching a Scott Barbour corner into his own net, triggered a Broch comeback.
Within four minutes Fraserburgh edged in front through Logan Watt’s eighth goal of the season and Fraser Mackie made it 3-1 midway through the second half.
Two Troy Cooper goals inside the opening 17 minutes had Clach 2-0 up at Wick Academy in their first game in 18 days, and although Kyle Henderson got one back for the Scorries it was deep into time added on and too late to stop the Inverness men from winning.
Banks o’ Dee edged out Formartine United at Spain Park thanks to Jevan Anderson’s seventh minute goal.
