MURRAY SCORES HIS 200TH GOAL IN HIGHLAND LEAGUE TO END HIS CAMPAIGN ON A HIGH AS HE WILL MISS FINAL RUN-IN

Carrol not celebrating yet as Buckie still have work to do.

With Highland League title rivals Cove Rangers dropping two points against Deveronvale, Buckie Thistle took full advantage by beating Strathspey.

Buckie are now five points clear at the top and wins at Rothes on Wedneaday and Wick this weekend would take the championship silverware to Victoria Park for the first time in 52 years.

The visitors had to play the second half with only 10 men after Lewis MacKinnon received his marching orders for a high challenge on Matheusz Bobrowski.

Buckie Thistle manager Gregg Carrol insists any thoughts of the title are furthest from his mind.

He said: "It was a good three points but any talk of winning the league is premature as we still have three hard games to play starting with Wednesday night's game at Rothes against a side buoyant after reaching the Highland League Cup final.

"Ian Murray scored the 200th goal of his Highland League career with a tremendous header.

"it is testament to the wee man's professionalism he signed off the season with a crucial goal as he will miss our last three games as he goes offshore on Wednesday.

"Lewis MacKinnon was sent off for a silly challenge but I am delighted with the rest of the players who worked really hard to get the result against a Strathspey side which is improving."

Strathspey Thistle manager Donly McLeod said: "I'm a bit disappointed as I thought we had a real chance to take advantage after MacKinnon was sent off.  They were there for the taking but we didn't have the quality to stretch them.

"Ronnie Jones did have a couple of chances to score late on but missed them both.  We had a great crowd of more than 400 here today, including three coach loads from Buckie, so at least we got some much-needed revenue after such a hard winter."

Buckie grabbed the initiative in the 32nd minute when 35 year old Buckie Thistle centre forward Murray popped up between two giant central defenders to send a glancing header from Mike MacDonald's pinpoint cross behind Chris Bowles in the Strathspey goal.

Three minutes after the restart Graeme Stewart settled any Buckie nerves when he made it 2 - 0 with a superb volley from a Zander Sutherland cross.

Report from Press & Journal