FORMARTINE UNITED 0 BUCKIE THISTLE 1

Buckie Thistle remain a point behind Highland League leaders Cove Rangers with a game in hand thanks to magnificent 25-yard strike from Robbie Brown at Pitmedden last night.

However, the visitors survived a 90th minute scare when Formartine's Barry Somers hit the post from the penalty spot and, although the same player headed home the rebound, it was correctly chalked off and an indirect free kick awarded against him as no one else had touched the ball since the kick was taken.

Formartine United skipper Mark Simpson failed a fitness test on his injured rib, while Buckie Thistle, who were without suspended midfielder Davie MacRae, fielded two wingers in Paul Napier and Zander Sutherland.

Mark Young almost grabbed the opener for the home side and only a timely tackle from Chris Angus as the winger was about to pull the trigger prevented a certain goal.

On the half-hour mark Formartine's Stuart MacKay hit the base of the post with a speculative cross with Strong struggling to get across goal to cover.

Sutherland tried his luck from distance but his grounder failed to trouble Gray in the Formartine goal.

Early in the second period MacKay almost did the trick when he was only inches from connecting with an inch-perfect Kenny Coull cross and seconds later Patrick Vigurs thumped a 25-yarder inches wide as the home side went in search of the opener.  Buckie responded with a Donnie Munro header but Gray was well-placed to clutch confidently.

The game badly needed a goal and it came in the 69th minute when Brown picked up the ball 25 yards out and thundered a great left-foot drive past the diving Gray.

Buckie were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd minute when Murray, who had been booked earlier picked up a second yellow card for stupidly firing the ball home after a free kick had been awarded against him for handball.

It took another great diving stop by Strong to deny MacKay as the home side pushed for the equalised.

In the 90th minute Formartine were awarded a penalty kick when Bob Duncan brought down MacKay.  Somers took the kick but his effort hit the base of the post.

He Reacted quickly to nod home the rebound but it was disallowed as no other player had touched the ball since the spot kick and so Buckie held on.

Report by Dave Edwards, Press & Journal