Last-gasp Iain Lunan strike takes Hopeman closer to Moray welfare football title as fellow challengers Aberlour Villa and FC Fochabers slip up
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Hopeman took a big step towards the Moray welfare league title after a stoppage time winner against Cullen last night while their rivals all slipped up.
Iain Lunan's late, late strike earned the coast side a vital victory over Cullen on the same night that Aberlour Villa lost and FC Fochabers drew with bottom side Craigellachie.
Those reults brought Hopeman back to the top of the table and they have games in hands over the teams around them.
Cullen certainly made Hopeman work for the full points on a warm but windy night at Cameron Park.
Logan Mill struck a Hopeman post early on, while Cullen keeper Cameron Bruce saved well from Ryan Fiske at the other end.
Veteran Gary Burr twice failed to make a clean connection with Hopeman chances in pursuit of his first goal of the season.
Hopeman had the vastly experienced Tony Ross mopping things up at the back but just when the first half appeared to be finishing without a goal, Cullen broke the deadlock.
Mill was first to react when a clearance by Aaron Main came off team-mate Burr and fell into his path, with the youngster advancing to sweep the ball home.
The home side had it all to do in the second half to revitalise their league aspirations, and Chris Cooper was denied by a fine Bruce save from his free kick.
Finally Hopeman drew level and it was third time lucky for Burr who took a Main pass and spun to fire the ball past Bruce.
Cooper and Chris Greene came close to edging Hopeman in front, while as time ran out Cullen broke away and Jae Marandola fired just past from the edge of the box.
A Marandola cross skimmed off the top of the bar on 87 minutes and Mill blasted over as the visitors chased a winner.
Instead, the deciding goal went the way of the home team in time added on as Lunan, who was pushed forward from defence into attack, shot home on the tuirn following good work by Burr and Jonny Roe.
Cullen's misery was complete when Elliott Findlay was shown a red card just after being substituted.
Previous leaders Aberlour Villa crashed to their second straight home defeat with RAF Lossiemouth inflicting the damage this time.
In a horror start for Villa, keeper Paul Robertson blasted a clearance off airman Callum Devine and the ball ended up in the net.
Worse followed when home defender Gary Ewen tried to prevent his team conceding a corner but in the process saw the ball rebound off keeper Robertson, strike the post and go in.
Aberlour needed a response quickly and when Reece Cooper smashed in a superb free kick into the top corner they were back in the game.
However, Harry Williams volleyed Lossie into a 3-1 lead and Robertson was caught out by a quickly-taken Henry Jordan free kick from 40 yards out and it sailed in to make it 4-1 to the visitors at the break.
Into the second half, Villa were determined not to give up the ghost and when Darren Mitchell and Shaun Robertson scored in quick succession, the match was back in the balance.
However a red card shown to Aberlour's Luke Gordon for a second caution for dissent was a blow to the home hopes.
Undeterred, Villa pushed on and were unlucky not to level when they rattled the Lossie woodwork on three occasions.
A flurry of yellow cards followed and Aberlour kept chasing the game but were caught on the break near the end, Danny Finlay scoring to seal the RAF side's victory.
Nine games unbeaten and firmly back in the title chase, Fochabers were expected to take care of bottom side Craigellachie who have just one league win to their name in their debut season.
Instead, the basement boys gave as good as they got and after an even first 25 minutes they took the lead when Dale McTavish spotted the keeper off his line and found the net with a 25-yard lob.
Right on half time Fochabers came so close to levelling when Sean Petrie fired past the home keeper but Craig defender Ali Nicol flew at the ball with a diving header and cleared it off the line in heroic fashion.
Petrie clipped the bar in the second half and was denied by a good Ryan Dyer save, before Fochabers drew level when Dyer pulled off another save but Gary Burchell netted the rebound.
In the final 20 minutes there were few chances although Bradley mills fired inches past for Craigellachie on 87 minutes.
Fochabers badly needed the win and almost came up with a goal at the death when Petrie's strike beat the keeper but hit the inside of the post and the danger was cleared.
