Melvich record first win in three years thanks to late penalty award
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
There was cause for jubilation in Melvich on Saturday, as the North West Sutherland amateur league contenders recorded their first "on the field" victory since 2019.
The village side's only 'win' in 2022 came via forfeit after their opponents failed to raise a team.
But on Saturday, a late penalty award made sure of three points and a win over League 2 rivals, Tain Thistle.
The visitors took the lead on 10 minutes with a goal from Andrew Macleod. Melvich were not to be undone though, and four minutes later they levelled the scores through Kian Mackay.
The teams were locked at 1–1 until the 62nd minute when Bailey Morrison fired past Owen Galbraith to make it 2–1 to the home side.
Undeterred, Tain restored parity seven minutes later with a goal from Liam Smith, setting the game up for a dramatic finish.
The game was settled on 75 minutes when referee Bob Gunn pointed to the spot, reacting to a foul on Morrison inside the box.
From the resultant award, Michael Smith fired Melvich into the lead with the goal that would secure the victory.
In the other League 2 match of the afternoon, Brora Wanderers were on the receiving end of a 9-3 defeat away to Invergordon Social Club.
Brora had no answer to a Bruce Urquhart inspired goal rout from the Easter Ross side, who had raced into a 5-0 lead by the half-time break.
Wanderers hit three goals in the second half through Scott Miller, Mike Maclean and Lewis McKechnie to peg the home side back to 7-3, but two late goals for Social Club saw them finish up with a six goal advantage to take all three points.
In League 1, Golspie Stafford put another three points on the board with a 3–0 win away to Lochbroom.
Stafford started the better of the two sides and took a 2-0 lead in at the interval, thanks to a Darren Pullen Brace.
Any hopes of a comeback for the home side were dashed when Lochbroom midfielder Louis Sears steered the ball past his own goalkeeper after a corner was sent into the box by Fergus Adams.
At Ferrycroft Park, a late goal from Billy Cairns saved a point for champions Helmsdale United away to Lairg Rovers.
It was Lairg who broke the deadlock during the first half when a James Ross free kick on the edge of the eighteen yard box found the net.
Helmsdale looked to bounce back in the second period, and were unlucky not to be level after a looping Billy Cairns shot hit the crossbar.
Cairns was not to be denied though, and in the 90th minute he levelled the scores, firing home after an earlier shot had been tipped onto the crossbar by Ryan Renwick.
