Hopeman goal machine James McLaren's hat-trick fires down Cullen and brings up 20-goal tally for the season - in just ten games
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James McLaren's welfare league goal adventure continued with a fourth treble of the season to keep Hopeman in title contention.
The former Highland League hitman scored three times in Hopeman's 6-1 win over Cullen on Tuesday, taking his personal tally for the season to 20 goals, in his tenth match for the club.
The coast side remain eight points behind leaders RAF Lossiemouth with a game in hand following the service side's 6-2 success over Craigellachie.
Read more: Round-up of the rest of Tuesday's games.
Cullen came out of the traps straight away and from the kick-off Tommie Marandola found himself through on the Hopeman goal, but he fired wide from 22 yards with barely 30 seconds on the clock.
McLaren showed his danger with a shot just past on nine minutes, but within two minutes he had given Hopeman the lead.
Jamie Lees' pass put him edge of the 18-yard box and he turned from his left foot onto his right, beat a defender and composed himself and drilled low into the net from 14 yards out.
At the other end, home keeper Jamie Brown scrambled away Keith Cruickshank's bouncing long range free kick.
Hopeman's Connor McArthur saw an effort from distance bounce off the outside of a post, and McLaren's 35-yard lob wasn't far off the mark.
A crazy goal doubled the Hopeman lead on 27 minutes.
Cullen defender Kris Murray’s back-pass from 30 yards out was misjudged by keeper Cameron Bruce, who attempted to kick clear but the ball took a wicked bounce and went over him and ran into the net.
Lees headed the next home chance just wide and Gary Burr volleyed an effort off the bar as Cullen tried to survive further damage.
Stewart McLaren fizzed a fine effort inches past from brother James' clever switch. The siblings combined again for S McLaren to crash a shot off the bar, and the same player forced a good Bruce save but James Turnbull was in hand to score from the rebound on 41 minutes.
Just after half time, the McLaren brothers were involved in a move which led to Lees heading home his 11th strike of the season to make it 4-0.
James McLaren then forced Bruce to turn a long-range blast on to the bar, while Cullen were denied an opener as Kris Murray's header was cleared off the line by Mark Wood.
Iain Mair then forced a good Brown save with Cullen threatening more, and the Hopeman keeper pulled off a fantastic one-handed save from Kieran Ferguson's 25-yarder.
Midway through the half, J McLaren again struck the woodwork, firing off the inside of the post. But a minute later he added his second goal of the game from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box.
Burr became the next Hopeman player to crack the paintwork of the Cullen goal from close range.
But on 79 minutes, arguably the best move of the match saw James Macpherson play a great reverse pass through to Stewart McLaren who crossed for brother James to smash home goal number 20 of the season and make it 6-0.
Lees missed a chance to make it seven, and Cullen at least managed a consolation from a free kick inside the Hopeman box given for Brown handling a passback, and fired home by Ferguson.
