Clachnacuddin youngsters come out on top to win Inverness derby
Clachnacuddin’s under-18s took the bragging rights after an inter-city meeting with fellow Highland League North contenders Inverness Athletic on Sunday with a 3-1 win.
The young Lilywhites found themselves a goal down after 15 minutes when Athletic’s Oscar Beattie opened the scoring, but it was all square seven minutes before the break when Stewart Grant found the net.
The turnaround was completed three minutes after the restart when Alfie Forsyth put Clachnacuddin ahead, and it was left to Callum Donaldson to wrap things up, scoring his side’s third with 70 minutes gone.
At Mersons Park in Buckie, the score was unlucky for some, but not for Balloan who ran out 13-2 winners.
It was goals galore as Bodhan Campbell added five to his season’s tally with the prolific Lewis Gibson in close quarters netting four.
Braces for Frazer Barnie and Leo Lomba rounded off the scoring for the Inverness-based visitors.
League leaders Wick Academy had to stave off a second half square at Nairn to win 7-5.
The Scorries raced into a six-goal lead in the first period with doubles from Owen Bain and John Hooker and goals from Joshua Hughes and George Ewing.
But Nairn County fought back, and netted four times in the second half - Kyle Anderson and Gordon Archer netting either side of a James Lawrie brace.
A Kyran Alexander own goal worsened Academy’s case, but Hooker completed his hat-trick to reduce County hopes of a comeback on 72 minutes.
A ten-goal thriller went the way of the home side at Mosset Park as Forres Mechanics overcame Alness United.
Quick exchange in the opening 20 minutes saw the game locked at 2-2.
A two goal lead for Forres after just five minutes with goals from Ben Ross and Kieran Hayller was cancelled out by Deacon Walker and Jamie Macleod.
The teams were eventually split by a goal on the stroke of half-time from United’s Osama Yousuf
The second half belonged to Mechanics though, as Ross and Hayller both notched early in the period, before Charlie Watson and Oden Fraser fired them into a 6-3 lead.
A Corey Kelly goal for Alness late in the game reduced the scoreline.
In other game of the day, Lossiemouth produced the goods to beat Rothes 5-0 at MacKessack Park.