Picture special: Moray welfare football league champs Hopeman edge out Lossie Youths to join Buckie United as early pace setters
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MORAY welfare title holders Hopeman made it two wins out of two after a tough battle against newcomers Lossie Youths.
The champions were joined at the top by Buckie United who defeated a FC Fochabers side which had scored 13 goals in their league opener on Friday.
Tuesday night's matches included the first match for Lossiemouth FC's youth development, who have entered a team into the Moray league.
They hosted Hopeman, with neither side able to make a scoring breakthrough in the first half with few clear chances created.
Hopeman began to dominate during a spell midway through the second half and made their pressure count with two goals.
A long ball over the home defence was collected by David McNamara who held off the last defender before rounding keeper Connor Hutton to score.
Then a cross from the right evaded everyone except Hopeman's Ryan Fiske who knocked in his second goal of the season.
Lossie Youth changed formation at this point and introduced player coach Kyle Stewart into the game.
With Hopeman happy to defend their lead, the home side had more of the attacking play and created several opportunities, with Stewart at the heart of them.
Jordan Clarke missed a great opportunity to reduce the deficit when he volleyed over the bar at the back post.
Lossie did get a consolidation when a Stewart cross was glanced into his own net by a visiting defender, under pressure from Lossie's Aidan MacKay.
Buoyed by their 13-0 opening day win over Tomintoul, FC Fochabers made the short trip to Buckie United in search of three more points.
During a closely-fought first half, it was Fochabers who scored first when good work on the right wing by Jordi Mackie saw him cut in to beat two defenders and fire across for Warren Orford to add to his four goals scored in Friday's first match, knocking in the opener.
Around the hour mark, Buckie levelled the scores when good play by Paul Mellon set up Jordan Sutherland to fire into the top corner.
Some good saves by Fochabers keeper Kieran Burchell kept the home side at bay until Keith Clark split the visitors open with a pass to Shaun Findlay, who fired a low drive into the net from 25 yards.
Five minutes from the end, United wrapped up victory through a solo effort by Mellon who beat several men before cracking in his fourth of the season.
Portsoy got off the mark in the night's other match at the expense of league new boys Elgin Golden Oldies.
The coast side were denied an opener when Dylan Dawson broke through but saw his shot brilliantly cleared off the line by Scott Robertson.
But a home opener arrived soon after as Leyton Boyd was fouled in the box for a penalty which Ross Murray converted for the second game running.
The EGOs had a spell of free kicks and corners whioch they couldn't turn into an equalising goal, and soon found themselves under pressure at the other end.
Arhen Duncan sent a lovely through ball for Declan McKay to make it 2-0 with a neat finish.
A third Portsoy goal came when Boyd struck the bar but followed up to net the rebound.
The Elgin veterans were keen to get the game to half time without any further damage inflicted, but conceded a fourth when 'Soy sub Lewis Edward ran through to lob the ball home from 20 yards.
The visitors were brighter after the break with Simon Lobban testing keeper Ferguson and sub Steven Stewart seeing his effort deflected past for a corner.
Stewart was later shown a straight red card for dissent, while a fine cross by EGOs' Steven Ramsay picked out Lobban, who couldn't hit the target.
A fifth Portsoy goal followed as a loose pass back was picked up by Boyd and he rounded the keeper to net his second of the night.
The Elgin visitors did grab a consolation near the end when Darren Stephen converted a penalty following a Ross Murray foul.
