Forres Thistle come from behind to edge out New Elgin in North Junior Region Division 2 clash at Logie Park

FORRES Thistle found things tough on Saturday against a New Elgin side they had thumped 5-1 earlier in the season.

Bottom of Division 2, New Elgin made the short trip to Logie Park, determined to upset the odds.

Jags started well and Charlie Beck blazed over Neil Moir's cutback on two minutes.

Mattie Davidson and Brandon Hutcheson both should have scored as Forres kept on the early pressure, both running through one on one but the strikers both fired wide.

Moir was the fourth player in the first 15 minutes that should have opened the scoring but was denied by a save and he couldn't stab the rebound home.

New Elgin seemed to lose discipline as Thistle dominated receiving a couple of early bookings as Ross Paterson danced his way through the Elgin midfield and was scythed down.

Forres were on the constant attack and went close again on 30 minutes as a goal line stramash ensued with Moir, Davidson and Beck all unable to prod the ball home as it bounced around the six-yard box.

A goal did arrive soon after, but to everyone's surprise it came for underdogs New Elgin as a cross from deep on the left was palmed out as far as a visiting striker who slotted home to give New Elgin the half time lead.

The second half was exactly the same as the first with constant pressure from the home team just lacking the clinical quality up front to find the equaliser.

Craig Robertson made it into the book for a petulant foul as the home side now became frustrated with the lack of cutting edge in attack as Davidson and Hutcheson couldn't find the goals.

After an hour mark Jags finally managed to get level. Charlie Beck from the left touchline fired the ball goalwards, surely looking for someone to get on the end of it but such was the quality of the ball in it made a beeline to the top corner in what was either a fortunate cross-cum-shot or a moment of brilliance.

Whatever it was, it was exactly what Thistle needed and it was well deserved.

Forres found the rhythm and it was wave after wave of attack but again the quality just seemed to be missing.

Young midfielder Neil Owen came on for Danny Black in an attacking move and he was involved from the off, trying to be the link between the midfield and attack.

Owen popped the ball wide to Moir who cut it back to Beck for a strike which bounced back offg the post and was cleared.

With 10 minutes to go Forres finally found the winning goal. Hutcheson didn't let his missed opportunities go to his head and he found himself receiving the ball with plenty of space and finished well from 12 yards out.

It proved to be the decisive goal as Forres saw out the rest of the game to earn three hard-earned points.

McBookie.com Second Division table.

Forres Thistle team:

Daniel Mcleod

Alex Innes

Matthew Milne

Scott Campbell

Craig Robertson

Neil Moir

Ross Paterson

Danny Black (Neil Owen 65)

Charlie Beck

Mattie Davidson

Brandon Hutcheson