Late drama at Hopeman, seven different Portsoy goalscorers and Thunderton hat-trick hero is on losing team - the latest from Moray welfare football’s league
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Hopeman staged an amazing comeback from two goals down in stoppage time to rescue a Moray welfare league point on Tuesday.
Visitors Cullen looked poise to end their hosts’ unbeaten start to the campaign when they went 3-1 ahead in the 89th minute.
Hopeman fought to the very end and scored twice to stay undefeated.
Cullen made a strong start to the contest and scored first on eight minutes through a superb 25-yard strike by Robbie Bruce curled into the top corner.
Midway through the first half it was 2-0 when Calum Macleod netted a half volley from the edge of the box.
Both sides had chances before the break but went in at half time with the visitors still two goals ahead.
Subs Gary Burr and Iain Lunan added to Hopeman’s firepower but Cullen keeper Craig Bain looked determined to keep them at bay.
Greg Hay miscued a chance to make it 3-0, while at the other end Ryan Fiske’s corner rebounded off the post as Hopeman pushed for a goal.
Fiske and Liam Petrie fired just wide, and when the game entered the last five minutes it looked bleak for the home team.
Their pressure paid off on 86 minutes when Scott Harrison slipped the ball through for Fiske to pull one back.
Just as Hopeman looked to be back in it, Cullen restored the two-goal gap with a minute to go, seemingly clinching victory. Calum Risk broke to the left of the box and his strike was parried by keeper Lee Spencer but Taylor Smith was on hand to bundle over the line.
The homesters still refused to give in but when James Macpherson’s header crashed off the bar, it looked like their luck was out. However Cullen only managed to clear as far as Petrie and he cracked the ball home from the edge of the area to throw Hopeman a lifeline.
As the home team pushed for an equaliser, Cullen’s defensive efforts almost produced a fourth goal when Bruce tried a shot from deep inside his own half and watched the ball come back off the Hopeman bar.
In the fifth minute of time added on, a last opportunity fell the way of the home team when they were awarded a free kick 22 yards out on the left side of the box.
Stewart McLaren stepped up to swerve an effort over the wall and just inside the near post to net a dramatic leveller.
With leaders FC Fochabers not playing, Aberlour Villa moved into top spot in a high-scoring Speyside derby at Rothes A.
Four goals by Gary Morrison helped Villa to an 8-3 victory, with Craig Watt, Reece Cooper, Marc Winchester and Struan Kelly also on target.
Kayden Davies, Matthew McConachie and Adam Irvine scored for the home side.
Goals were also in plentiful supply at Thornhill, where bottom side Seaforth managed three but were outgunned by seven from a visiting Portsoy team.
Ashley Tew, Mikey Paterson and Harly Logan were on the mark for the Elgin hosts while seven different players were on the ‘Soy scoresheet. Logan Noble, Aidan O’Neill, Leo Davidson, Taylor Barron, Leyton Boyd, Grant Taylor and Clarke Thompson got the away goals.
Not far behind on the entertainment front, Craigellachie and Thunderton shared nine goals with Warren Orford scoring a hat-trick for the Elgin visitors but finishing on the losing team.
This match almost didn’t get started, as the referee turned up without his whistle or yellow card and was grateful for a nearby match in Rothes allowing him to borrow spare items from a fellow whistler.
Craigellachie struck first on six minutes when a defensive error presented Brad Mills with a tap-in.
Another error forced by Aaron O’Hara allowed Jack McConnachie to score a home second and it was 3-0 on 14 minutes when O’Hara added to his two assists with a goal from a corner.
Thunderton recovered from their poor start when Orford netted a penalty, then finished well for his second when Craiellachie failed to clear a corner.
The visitors missed a great chance to level before half time, then found themselves further behind in the second half when Jordan Gray set up Kyle Coutts to score.
Gray then set up O’Hara for his second of the night and the contest was all over on 83 minutes as McConachie rocketed home his own second. Orford scored a penalty consolation for his treble.
RAF Lossiemouth struck three first half goals to end Lhanbryde United’s unbeaten start.
Top scorer John Harrold hit the post for United but at the other end, a penalty and two quickfire goals put the airmen in command with Ryan Woods, Ben Carby and Joe Nesbit all scoring.
Lhanbryde were much better after the break but the closest they came to a goal came when Stephen Dey capitalised on a short passback but was closed down by the Lossie keeper as he got his parting shot away and it was saved.
