Huntly recorded a third straight home win as Martin Skinner’s side maintained a push for a top half finish with a 3-1 win over Buckie Thistle.

Huntly had Cameron Booth missing through family commitments and Blair Johnston ending a run of 43 consecutive starts due to illness as Alexander Jack and Aidan Sopel came in for starts with Alexander Thoirs and Cory Ritchie added to the bench. Buckie rang the changes from the side which faced Huntly a week earlier with former Huntly Captain Keiran Adams returning to partner Lewis MacKinnon in defence.

There was a chance early on when full back Bradley Manson sent a deep cross from the left into the head of Nicholas Gray only for Lewis MacKinnon to make a last-ditch clearance to keep the ball out. Three minutes later, a Sam Morrison throw was worked inside for Scott Adams who fired wide on the half-volley.

Buckie took the lead after eleven minutes when Steven Ross fired low from eighteen yards into the bottom corner.

The lead didn’t last as a Kai Ross free kick was cleared only as far as Glenn Murison who curled into the top corner from the edge of the box for his third of the season.

Craig Reid kept the score level twenty minutes in when he stuck out a leg to block a Steven Ross shot at the near post.

Another Kai Ross set piece undid his former side when he swung in a free kick on 28 minutes for Ross Still to connect with a diving header for his fourth of the season.

Buckie look to level and there was a let-off for the home defence when MacKinnon’s free header went wide off a Scott Adams cross.

Half-Time: Huntly 2 Buckie Thistle 1

Buckie Manager Graeme Stewart was very vocal towards his side at the interval and he didn’t hesitate in ringing the changes with Declan Milne and Callum Murray being withdrawn for Joseph McCabe and Sam Urquhart.

After the hour mark, Huntly keeper Reid again kept up an impressive performance when he stuck out a leg to divert a Kevin Fraser shot over the bar.

After setting up the first two it was fitting that former Buckie player Kai Ross would cap off a fine performance against his former side when he headed home from a long throw from substitute Alexander Thoirs.

Huntly (4-2-3-1)	Buckie Thistle (4-4-2)
13 Craig Reid 2 Alexander Jack 4 Michael Clark (captain) 5 Ryan McRitchie 18 Bradley Manson 10 David Booth 7 Ross Still 11 Aidan Sopel 6 Glenn Murison 8 Kai Ross 9 Nicholas Gray	12 Lee Herbert 17 Sam Robertson 4 Kieran Adams 5 Lewis MacKinnon 21 Sam Morrison 16 Callum Murray 7 Keivn Fraser (captain) 10 Andrew MacAskill 23 Scott Adams 20 Steven Ross 15 Declan Milne
Substitutes 1 Euan Storrier 15 Matthew McDonald (Aidan Sopel 67:52) 16 Tom Andrews 17 Cory Ritchie 19 Alexander Thoirs (Alexander Jack 66:10) 20 Neale Davidson 21 Christopher Hay	Substitutes 1 Daniel Bell 6 Joseph McCabe (Declan Milne 45:01) 8 Jay Cheyne (Sam Robertson 75:24) 11 Sam Urquhart (Murray 45:01) 19 Hamish Munro 25 Mark McLauchlan
Management Team Martin Skinner (Manager, pictured) Richard Cheyne (Assistant Manager) John Farquhar (Coach) James McGovern (First Aid) Gordon Carter (Physio) William Beaton (Kitman)	Management Team Graeme Stewart (Manager, pictured) Darren Strong (Assistant Coach) David Young (Medic) Alister Murray (Medic)
Referee: Filippo Mazzoni Assistant Referee 1: John Black Assistant Referee 2: Arran Cruickshank

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