Lossiemouth United strengthen North Region Junior Championship leadership with success over Forres Thistle while late Owen Christie hat-trick turns two-goal deficit around for Deveronside
Lossiemouth United are closing on on promotion to north junior football’s Premier Division.
The Championship leaders moved 11 points clear at the top after a 4-1 derby success over Forres Thistle on Saturday.
Even with their rivals having games in hand, the top two go up this season and United are in a great position to go one better than last term when they missed out in the play-offs.
They recovered from an early shock as Thistle took the lead on four minutes, Toby Clark controlling Connor Aubrey’s long throw and firing home.
The Forres lead lasted just a minute as Robert Scott went clean through to level.
Then an ex-Forres Thistle player scored against his old team, as Matty Fraser ignored pleas for offside to net from a cross into the six yard box on 14 minutes.
Scott was then denied by a good save while James Johnston struck a post and Jack Macarthur fired narrowly past with Lossie chasing a third goal before the break.
Forres thought they had equalised two minutes after the break but Clark’s goal was disallowed for a handball decision.
Visiting keeper Adam Crichton kept his team in it with two saves from Johnston, before Scott nodded in his second of the game to make it 3-1 on 66 minutes.
The cherry on the icing for Lossie was provided by Alex Matczak, who made it 4-1 on 88 minutes although the home side did finish with ten men when Ryan Higgins was sent off for dissent.
In the premier Division, Islavale took a bruising 8-0 defeat from champions Culter.
Deveronside produced a brilliant comeback from 2-0 down to Nairn Ninian as Owen Christie’s hat-trick in the final 20 minutes won the day.
Christie struck on 70, 75 and 87 minutes to earn ‘Side a Championship victory after Nairn led by two at the break.
Burghead Thistle made it back-to-back wins with a 5-0 success at bottom side Cruden Bay.
Jamie Davidson and Ben Abrahams scored two apiece and John Ross grabbed the other goal.
Improving Dufftown were unable to do Lossie a favour by toppling title chasers Hall Russell United at Westburn Park.
The Aberdeen side won 3-1 with player coach Kris Duncan heading home Dufftown’s goal.
Whitehills also matched one of the promotion contenders but were edged out 2-0 at home to Longside.
