HIGHLAND LEAGUE 2007-8 SEASON.

Sat 04 August 2007 Buckie Thistle 3 Fraserburgh 0 (H/T 2-0) Scorers: Low 30, Macdonald 40, 59.

The Jags got their campaign underway in exemplary fashion, punishing the Broch, who beat them twice last term, home and away and the match proved to be the swansong for Darren Strong, who leaves for Tulliallan Police College in the next week.

 The game got underway in front of a shirt-sleeved crowd at the Viccy and, although early exchanges were inconclusive the jags began to force the pace from the opening minutes.

Jamie Shewan showed he was up for the occasion, winning a stern tussle with Steven Main before spraying the ball to Graeme "Spider" Stewart, before racing through to take the return, only for the far linesman to quickly raise his flag.

 A minute later, a Mike Macdonald cross was met by a Broch defender, who opted to concede a corner, rather than let Lewis Mackinnon get to the ball inside the area. The flag kick was half cleared as far as new boy, Brian Neill, but his 20 yarder was blocked and the ball howked away to safety by a jittery looking Broch defence.

 Billy Gordon went down as though poleaxed, following the clearance, but recovered after some extensive treatment. Thistle were looking the likelier side as they toiled away in search of the opener, with Fraserburgh defending stoutly in the face of a brisk breeze blowing the length of the Viccy.

With Brian Neill beginning to show up well in midfield, Fraserburgh's Steven Main made a desperate lunge, but Mr Fraser, the referee, was close by and yellow carded the player for his indiscretion.

A ball into the Fraserburgh box by Craig MacMillan, after Spider had slipped a pass to him, allowed Lewis Mackinnon to race in on goal, but Gordon bravely dived to block the burly striker's chance. The ball spun clear  and was running away from goal, when Neill was clattered down by Ralph, the Broch central defender, who made the clearance.

Shortly after Gordon's second spell of treatment, with half an hour played, Thistle pressed down the right flank, where the ball sat up sweetly for TONY LOW to crash home a superb volley, opening Thistle's tally for the new season, a real contender for goal of the season, even at this early stage!

Six minutes later, Thistle might have gone two up, after a Neill free kick curled towards Gordon's left hand stick, but Jamie Shewan was unable to hit the target with his back post header.

The fans didn't have long to wait though, for with five minutes of the first half remaining, their favourites stretched their lead. A long clearance by Dezzy Strong was chased down by MIKE MACDONALD, whose pace caught out the dilly- dallying Broch defence and allowed him to send a cheeky chip over the exposed Gordon and into the waiting onion bag.

Another display of sheer pace by Tony Low allowed him to skate past the Broch defence with consummate ease, but Billy Gordon belied his age in getting down smartly to block, then hold the shot at the base of his left hand post.

On the stroke of half time, a rush of blood to the head saw Fraserburgh's Neil Main retaliate stupidly, in front of the referee after he was fouled, resulting in a red card and the hot water in the showers.

Shortly after the restart, a lunging tackle on Kevin Small saw Marc Dickson yellow carded, for showing studs, as the referee showed he wasn't standing for any nonsense.

In 50 minutes Buckie scorned another chance, as Lewis Mackinnon chested down a pass then turned to shoot, but the ball sneaked inches wide of the near post.

Three minutes later, a complete miskick by Elrick allowed the ball to run through for Craig Macmillan, but his half-hit snap-shot was paled away by the veteran Broch ‘keeper.

Tony Low demonstrated his pace once more, scorching past the Broch defence in 59 minutes, before centring for MIKE MACDONALD to virtually secure the points by crashing the ball home into the far corner, despite a despairing dive by Gordon.

Thistle were in Easy Street now as they began to show-boat a bit, but their confidence almost took a dent in 63 minutes, when Broch's Johnston had a shooting opportunity, following a free kick award, some 25 yards from goal, but the well struck free kick whizzed a foot over Strong's crossbar.

The visitors were still putting it about a bit and Derek Milne was booked in 71 minutes, for arguing his point over zealously with Mr Fraser, following a free kick award, against him.

With his team well in control now, the Jags Manager was able to substitute several players yet without weakening his side and The Davidsons, Neil and Ritchie, together with Andy Mathieson replaced Lamberton, Neill and Stewart, for the remainder of the afternoon.

Mike Macdonald, who was rightly declared the sponsors' Man of the Match, missed a snip in 85 minutes, when, through on the ‘keeper, he uncharacteristically slid his shot off target, from around 12 yards range.

A late flurry of corner kick awards brought hopes that the Jags would score another before the end, but the Broch defence held firm and the whistle eventually sounded.

On to Cove on Wednesday night then on cup duty, yet another tough match, with Deveronvale visiting the Viccy next Saturday (11^th) - a tough schedule in anyone's eyes!

Jags lineup: Strong, Shewan, Lamberton(R Davidson64), Grant, Stewart(Mathieson 71), Small, Low, Neill(N Davidson71), MacKinnon, MacMillan, MacDonald. Not used: Urquhart, Edmund.

Broch: Gordon, Milne, N Main, Dickson, Ralph, Elrick(Ross77), Norris, West, Johnston, S Main (Stephen59), Hale(Murray 81). Not used: Noble, Thomson.

Referee: Mr G Fraser.