Aberlour Villa continue superb Moray welfare football season by scoring double figures against Craigellachie including third hat-trick in a row for star striker
A ten-goal haul including a third consecutive hat-trick from Moray welfare football’s top marksman.
Aberlour Villa made it 16 wins and one draw in 17 matches in a ruthless season by thumping neighbours Craigellachie 10-1 on Tuesday night.
The victory saw Villa join Cullen in the semi-finals of the Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy.
Former Highland League striker Kris Duncan made it three hat-tricks in three games and 20 goals in 11 outings for the Villa Park team with a well-taken treble.
Logan Grant looped home an early Villa opener and Korey Pring made it 2-0 after a Duncan effort was saved.
Tom Henderson got Craigellachie on the scoresheet from the edge of the box but any hopes of a comeback were quickly demolished.
Duncan headed home his first and a second half avalanche of goals saw the striker go on to net two more, with team-mate Barry Grant also grabbing three, the pair sharing five goals in a 12-minute blitz.
Sub Ross Low and Gary Morrison completed the rout.
The final three league fixtures before the split saw champs Buckie Rovers keep their slim title hopes alive, with the other two matches finishing all square.
Rovers proved too strong for hosts Portsoy in a coast derby.
The visitors were on the front foot from the word go and won a corner early on which Russell McLaughlin delivered expertly onto skipper Declan Clark's head which he glanced a header into the bottom corner leaving the keeper no chance.
A minute later more pressure was applied and another corner was won. This time McLaughlin’s delivery landed on the head of Portsoy's Clarke Thomson who headed past his own keeper to make it 2-0 after just three minutes.
It was 3-0 after six minutes, Jordi Mackie’s corner from the opposite side picking out Clark for his second goal.
The scoring dried up for the remainder of the first half but Buckie got a fourth on 49 minutes when provider McLaughlin turned scorer with his first of the season.
Another setpiece delivery by Mackie paved the way for Aaron O’Hara to make it 5-0 and Evan Smith burst through to complete the scoring with ten minutes to go.
Cullen stretched their unbeaten run to 11 games but had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hopeman, only the second time in their great run that the Banffshire side failed to win.
The Hopeman keeper saved a firm Lewis Murray strike from the edge of the box before Cullen took the lead after 15 minutes.
Connor McArthur’s foul on the edge of the box for a free kick which fell to top scorer Logan Macaulay Mill and he beat his marker before curling into the top corner.
Cullen keeper Charlie McKay did well to save Gary Burr’s deflected effort and Mill shot past, before setting up Grant Bryceland for a sweet volley which was brilliantly saved by the home goalie.
Spurred on by a rollicking from manager Chris Cooper, Hopeman were a greater force in the second half and levelled when Ryan Fiske lobbed home from McArthur’s through ball.
Fiske and Scott McIntyre came close for the home team as they chased a winner and new signing Kyle Coutts was inches away from a debut goal with a lob.
McKay saved brilliantly from Iain Lunan with Cullen working hard to avoid defeat, and Lunan shot just wide in the dying moments as it finished all square.
Lossie United Amateurs and Lhanbryde fought out a 3-3 draw. Kyle Hay, Liam Petrie and Ross Mitchell netted for the Lossie youngsters with Ashley Lake, Nicky Davidson and Keiran Ingram replying for Lhanbryde.