Late goal ends losing streak
Highland League
Brora Rangers 1
Rothes 0
A LATE goal from Alex MacLeod ended a four-match losing run as Brora Rangers took all three points in a close encounter with Rothes at Dudgeon
Park.
There was little in the way of goalmouth incidents in the first half hour of the match but eight minutes from the break, Brora goalkeeper Steve Martin was called into action when he pushed away a goal-bound header from Ashley Grant.
At the other end, Gary Kerr raced through on goal but he hurried his shot and the chance was lost. Things livened up after the break and Kerr forced a fine save from Rothes keeper Ricky Horne. Kerr was in the thick of the action shortly afterwards when he got on the end of a Blair Lawrie corner to head against the post.
Lawrie then let rip with a 30-yard drive which had Horne diving full length to turn the ball behind for a corner.
In a rare attack on the hour mark, Michael McKinnon just failed to connect with a Stuart Massie cross with the goal gaping.
But most of the action was at the other end and Liam Baxter blazed a shot over after being teed up by Lawrie.
The pressure finally paid off in the 78th minute when Kerr got to the bye-line and his ball across the face of goal was lashed into the net by MacLeod.
Martin saved from Mattie Fraser before the end to keep a clean sheet, while the Speysiders’ afternoon got even worse when Michael Dunn was shown a straight red card for a wild tackle on Sean Munro.
Brora Rangers: Martin, Gibb (Munro 83), Golabek, Edwards, MacKay, MacLeod, Lawrie, Ross, Kerr, MacLean, Baxter. Unused subs – Moir, MacKintosh, Finlayson, McCarthy.
TOMORROW (Saturday) Brora make the trip to play Keith at Kynoch Park on league business. The pair are due to meet again at the same venue in the first round of the Highland League Cup.
