MacMILLAN'S SMASH AND GRAB EXTENDS BUCKIE LEAD AT THE TOP

Champions Buckie Thistle snatched a vital Highland League point with a late leveller in last night's 2-2 draw against Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park.

With only five minutes left Buckie equalised thanks to Craig MacMillan's second goal of the night as the Jags extend their lead to five points over nearest challengers Keith, who have a game in hand.

Buckie opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Bob Duncan's cross found MacMillan and his superb glancing header flew high over Stevie Dunn in the Forres goal and into the roof of the net.

Two minutes later Forres almost equalised but Lee Fraser's ferocious 20-yard drive cannoned back off the face of the crossbar.  In the 13th minute it was Buckie's turn to hit the woodwork when Neil Davidson's powerful header crashed off the bar.

The home side did have the ball in the net on the quarter hour mark when Kyle Scott rose above the Jags defence and powered a header past keeper Kevin Main but referee Michael McNab disallowed the goal for a push by the forward.

The home side deservedly levelled in the 40th minute when Buckie failed to clear their lines and Scott was handily placed to hammer the ball past Main.

Forres took the lead in the 56th minute when Main in the Buckie goal tried to catch a corner instead of punching the ball while under pressure from Forres forwards and when he dropped it at the feet of Graham Fraser the full back had the simplest of tasks to stab the ball over the line from two yards.

Five minutes from time Buckie equalised when Dunn could only parry a fierce Davie MacRae 20-yard drive and MacMillan followed up to blast the ball into the net from six yards, much to the relief of the travelling support.

Report from Press & Journal