Forres Thistle and Rothie Rovers make winning start to North Region junior league season while Lossiemouth earn point at Deveronside in first match back
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The North Region Junior FA league season kicked off on Saturday with a new two-tier structure.
Fourteen clubs will contest the Premier League with the eventual winners having a possible play-off chance to reach the Highland League.
Sixteen clubs including five from Moray contest the Championship lower tier, including Lossiemouth United who return to the league after six-and-a-half years in abeyance.
Lossie made the trip to Banff to take on Deveronside in their opening game and dug in well to secure a point in a goalless draw at Canal Park.
Dufftown were handed a late promotion to the top league when Hall Russell United took a year out, and it was a tough baptism of fire for the Toonsers.
They make the journey to Aberdeen to take on one of the top sides, Hermes, and crashed to a 7-0 defeat.
Improving New Elgin gave Forres Thistle a tough test in their Championship opener at Logie Park.
Forres won a cup clash between the sides 3-1 a week earlier and got off to a winning league start with a 3-2 success on Saturday.
Jags were flying when an early Cammy Grant free kick put them in front and when Neil Moir netted at the second attempt on ten minutes it looked like it could be a comfortable afternoon for the home side.
But Kieran Johnson pulled one back from the penalty spot to make it 2-1 at the interval.
Forres scored a third just after the hour when Matty Fraser rounded the keeper to score, but Jags were then reduced to ten men when Alex Innes' challenge was punished with a red card.
New Elgin took on sub Liam McAuslan, who came off the bench to net twice in a stunning comeback victory over Nairn St Ninian last midweek.
McAuslan narrowly passed up a couple of opportunities, before scoring with a late tap-in to give New Elgin some hope, but time ran out for the visitors.
Burghead Thistle made a strong start at Longside , scoring after a couple of minutes when Finlay Nicol burst through to find the net.
Longside struck the woodwork twice and forced some good saves out of Thistle keeper Aidan MacDonald as the away side held on to their lead until half time.
Eventually the pressure told as the home side levelled midway through the second half.
Back came Burghead with a second goal, Caoil Provan nodding home from Marc Connolly's corner.
It looked like the Moray side would hold on for victory until Longside pressure forced a second equaliser in stoppage time as it finished 2-2.
Islavale, now bossed by former Rothes and Buckie Thistle Highland League defender Iain Macrae, travelled to face last season's Division 2 champions Rothie Rovers in a tough opener.
The Keith side have made a number of summer signings and fought out a very close contest but it was their Rothienorman hosts who won all three points thanks to Kenny Mair's 13th minute strike.
Results
McBookie.com Premier League
Banchory St Ternan 4 Nairn St Ninian 3
Bridge of Don Thistle 2 Stonehaven 3
Colony Park 0 Ellon United 0
Culter 4 Montrose Roselea 0
Dyce 2 Stoneywood-Parkvale 0
Hermes 7 Dufftown 0
Maud 0 Aberdeen East End 2
Championship
Aberdeen University 4 Cruden Bay 1
Deveronside 0 Lossiemouth United 0
Forres Thistle 3 New Elgin 2
Fraserburgh United 2 Glentanar 1
Islavale 0 Rothie Rovers 1
Longside 2 Burghead Thistle 2
Newmachar United 1 Buchanhaven Hearts 2
Sunnybank 3 Banks O' Dee 0
