Forres Mechanics 2 Buckie Thistle 3: Jags take a step closer to Highland League title with victory at battling Cans
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BUCKIE Thistle are three victories from securing the Highland League title after a 3-2 success over a battling Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park.
Goals from Josh Peters and Kyle MacLeod had the Jags 2-0 up early on, before Shaun Morrison pulled a goal back before half-time.
Max Barry put the league leaders 3-1 up in the second half, before Forres halved the deficit again through Ben Barron to set up an exciting end.
Despite picking up all three points, Jags manager Graeme Stewart insisted his side's performance levels will have to improve.
"I'm raging at the goals we gave away," he said. "Some of our attacking play was outstanding and we should probably score four or five but we have to defend better.
"Forres were good first half, second half we were better, but I'm quite annoyed with them because it's the kind of game we could have slipped up.
"Some of them are saying it's all about three points but I think it's about performance as well. It's three massive games we have left and we need to lift it.
"There are positives to take but if we play like that we aren't going to win three games – so we need to play better."
Josh Peters gave the Jags the lead on the 10-minute mark when he took Kyle MacLeod's neat pass in his stride and stroked home from eight yards.
It was 2-0 within 17 minutes when provider turned scorer, with MacLeod powering home Cohen Ramsay's cross at the back post.
Many would have expected Buckie to cruise through from there – but a defensive mix-up allowed Forres back into the game on 23 minutes when Shaun Morrison poked past Balint Demus.
Kyle MacLeod saw a back post header saved by Forres' Burghead Thistle trialist goalkeeper Aiden MacDonald before the half hour, with Connall Ewan's header cleared by Buckie minutes later.
The pace of Forres' young attack was causing Buckie some problems – with Ryan MacLeman sprinting away from Joe McCabe down the left only to see his deflected cross just evade Ethan Cairns at the back stick.
Buckie started the second period in commanding style and went close within five minutes when MacDonald's headed clearance was picked up by Max Barry whose lobbed effort from 25 yards landed a yard wide of the post.
Andy MacAskill had a free-kick punched away by MacDonald on 52 minutes, before Buckie went 3-1 ahead when Max Barry turned in via the left-hand post from eight yards.
MacAskill had a chance to kill the game on the hour mark when good interplay allowed him to cut in on his right and fire a shot from inside the box - but MacDonald foiled him again.
Substitute Ben Barron had Forres' first chance of the second half when he created space well, turned and fired from 20 yards but Demus gathered at the second attempt.
Barron did get the hosts back in the game on 76 minutes when Dale Wood's cross was scuffed by Lee Fraser and he was on hand to turn in at the second try.
Buckie took control of the final 10 minutes, with an outstanding double save from MacDonald to deny Jack Murray keeping the hosts in the contest.
A poor MacDonald clearance, though, allowed Marcus Goodall a chance on goal – but he made amends with a smart save.
Max Barry prodded wide with five minutes to play after being set up by Peters, and that was the final chance of the match.
Forres manager Steven MacDonald added: "First 10 minutes I was thinking there was nothing between the teams and then we concede a soft goal.
"We were outmuscled for the second and we are thinking we are up against it, but in fairness to the boys we dug in and we were good for the rest of the half.
"But I was angry at half-time because we let ourselves down a bit. The pressure was on Buckie and we didn't make it hard enough for them."
