Moray welfare round-up: Holders FC Fochabers knocked out of Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy by Buckie Rovers and RAF Lossiemouth, Hopeman and Aberlour Villa progress
Last season’s treble winners FC Fochabers have now lost their grip on two of their trophies from last season.
The holders were dumped out of the Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy on Tuesday night, comprehensively beaten by a visiting Buckie Rovers side.
Fochabers are still firmly in contention for the league title, their only silverware chance left this year.
Owen Morrison curled in Buckie’s opener off the post on the half hour mark.
It was 2-0 shortly after when Fochabers couldn’t clear their lines and Ross Fiske bundled home.
Victory was sealed in the second half by a Matthew Henderson strike, while Fochabers finished with ten men as Evan Smith was sent off.
Rovers earned a semi-final visit to RAF Lossiemouth on July 23. The airmen progressed after a 4-2 success at Craigellachie.
An early penalty converted by Reece Pinchbeck put Lossie ahead on six minutes, Craigellachie has a spot kick appeal of their own rejected, but levelled through Jordan Gray’s 12th goal of the season from a pinpoint through pass by Brad Mills.
RAF Lossie were back in front when the home defence gave Joe Nesbit a free header at a corner, and Pinchbeck netted his second with a shot which went through the home keeper to make it 3-1.
A 25-yard Colin Coutts free kick just before half time gave Craigellachie hope going into the second half.
They pushed hard for an equaliser, but the airmen held their lead and extended it on 75 minutes from a Callum Devine free kick which took a wicked deflection and ended up in the net.
Aberlour Villa will meet Hopeman in the other semi-final.
Villa were given a tough tie by Ugie in Keith, but took the lead through a composed finish by Marcus Murray.
A brilliant double save by Ugie keeper Ali Nicoll denied the visitors a second before half time.
The Keith men drew level early in the second half with Calum Dunbar getting on the end of a brilliant home move to slot home.
Within two minutes, Aberlour were back in front through a Jay Morrison strike, and had one foot in the semis when top scorer Gary Morrison made a great turn and crashed an effort into the top corner.
There was still some hope for Ugie when Villa’s Korey Pring was shown a red card for a tackle, and when Ugie’s Shaun Petrie found the net with a free kick floated across the penalty area into the net, there were still five minutes left.
An end-to-end finish produced no more scoring, leaving Aberlour still on course for a trophy treble in their centenary year.
Hopeman proved to be far too strong for hosts Rothes A.
Matt Herley scored the first of a hat-trick after just five minutes to put the coast side ahead and it was 2-0 at the break when Herley headed in Logan Urquhart’s cross.
The floodgates opened after the break, with Danny Gresham heading in from a corner and Herley got his third of the game following good work by Jordan Orr and Ryan Fiske.
Urquhart’s powerful strike made it 5-0 on 64 minutes and Stuart McQuaker curled in a sixth from outside the area.
Ewan Hills got one back for Rothes but Hopeman kept pressing for goals and Gresham nodded in his second, before Urquhart also completed his hat-trick with two late goals to complete a 9-1 Hopeman success.
