Buckie stay top despite late setback
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TWO dropped points failed to prevent Highland League champions Buckie Thistle from clinging on to top spot.
Jags were held to a 2-2 draw by fellow title chasers Nairn County on Saturday, with County twice coming from behind at Victoria Park to grab a share of the spoils.
Shock result of the day came in Aberdeen, where Lossiemouth stunned their hosts Cove Rangers by recording a 3-1 victory.
And making it three Moray teams in the top four were Forres Mechanics after they saw off Rothes 3-0 at Mosset Park.
But it is Buckie who are still top of the pile in their quest for a third straight title.
Top scorer Zander Sutherland put them in front against Nairn with his ninth goal of the season. Conor Gethins levelled just after the hour, only for Graeme Stewart to restore Jags' advantage on 68 minutes.
Gethins struck once more for County ten minutes from the end and the contest finished all square.
Schoolteacher Kyle Scott was top of the class for Forres with a brace of goals to help his team earn three points in the Moray derby against Rothes.
Scott started and ended the scoring at Mosset Park, while teenager Lee Fraser chipped in with another to make it nine for the season and push Mechanics into second place.
Lossiemouth took a fourth minute lead at Cove through Nikki Smith's penalty, and when skipper Martin McMullan added a second on 20 minutes it was looking good for Charlie Charlesworth's men.
Cove then had Eric Watson sent off, and although they ralled with a Jordan Leyden goal before the break, Lossie added a third through Ricky Wardrop.
The Aberdonians finished the game with eight men after seeing two more players red carded, and Lossie cruised to victory in the end.
Keith's hopes of closing the gap on the leaders were wrecked by former player Barry Somers, who now plies his trade with Huntly.
The Maroons got off to a flying start with Andy MacAskill's goal in two minutes but it was the only bright moment in a miserable afternoon for Darren Still's team.
Recent Huntly signing Somers, who was part of Keith's last title-winning team in 2006-07, netted twice in two minutes to put Huntly in front before going on to complete a first half hat-trick.
Somers then grabbed his fourth to complete the scoring, while Keith had Jamie Lennox sent off in the later stages of the contest.
Elsewhere, Deveronvale went third with a 2-0 success over Fraserburgh, Inverurie won 3-2 at Clach and Wick were the highest scorers of the day with an 8-1 drubbing of lowly Fort William.
