Top two pull away at top of Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare League
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Boat of Garten Ospreys and Aviemore Thistle pulled further ahead of the pack on Tuesday night in an evening which saw its highest number of goals so far in the Strathspey and Badenoch Welfare League.
Aviemore Thistle 11-0 Spey Valley Utd
Valley’s young side was no match for the Jags’ seasoned campaigners as the hosts ran up their highest goal tally of the season.
David Ross and Wayne Cathcart combined to get the rout underway, with the latter passing the ball into the net.
Dafydd Simon was next onto the scoresheet with a sweet finish from a tight angle to double the Jags’ lead.
Number three came courtesy of David Ross who finished well following some great play between Cathcart and David Robertson.
Terry Swinton was perhaps rather fortunate to get onto the scoresheet as his deflected effort somehow managed to find the net, before Cathcart bagged his brace to end the first half.
Sadly for the visitors there would be no let-up after the interval as Cathcart bagged his hat-trick with another deft finish.
And the Jags were in seventh heaven when a superb assist from Sam McIlroy found Swinton, and he took a great touch before flicking it over to Cathcart to grab his fourth of the night.
David Ross secured his own hat-trick with a quick-fire double, followed shortly after by a strike from Damian Paluga to see Aviemore enter double digits.
Terry Swinton saved the best for last with a contender for goal of the season. Valley nodded clear a corner but the ball fell sweetly to the veteran striker who smacked it on the half volley straight into the top corner.
FC Abernethy 2-4 Cromdale
Cromdale hit their stride from the start with the hosts nowhere near ready to contain their guests’ early dominance.
Indeed, the game was a mere six minutes old when Josh Talbot fired Dale into the lead with a fine lob.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0 as Dan Whitehorn coolly slotted past the keeper with an excellent finish.
Nethy had barely started composing themselves when they went further behind. And it was Whitehorn again as he left a trail of Nethy defenders in his wake, before a neat one-two with Graham Murray saw his fine work rewarded with a net bound smash.
Clearly rattled by this opening assault, Nethy finally found their rhythm and pulled a goal back shortly before half time. The trialist picked up the ball in midfield, sidestepped his man and unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards, which flew into the top corner.
The goal clearly gave Abernethy more belief and they took the game to Cromdale in the second half.
They were right back in it when a good move saw the ball end up with Sean Christie who slipped past his man and then flicked the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper before coolly slotting it into an empty net.
Abernethy created a number of great chances and were close to bringing themselves level but could not quite find the clinical touch.
And this was cruelly punished on 67 minutes when Whitehorn showed a cool head to slide the ball past the keeper from outside the area to secure the win.
Kingussie 2-9 Boat of Garten Ospreys
Due to the funeral for ex-Newtonmore shinty star Andy MacKintosh, held earlier in the day, Kingussie fielded a greatly weakened side and the Ospreys took full advantage to maintain top spot on the league table.
Fraser Greenlees set his stall out early as he was in the right place at the right time to tap home
Boat’s first of the evening on the quarter hour mark.
Matt Reynolds then got his name on the scoresheet with a thundering volley from 25 yards out that rippled the back of the net.
A few minutes later it was 3-0 as Harley MacFarlane beat the keeper low to his left with a deft tap-in as the Ospreys showed they were in no mood to take it easy on their weakened hosts.
Indeed, MacFarlane grabbed another with six minutes to go till the interval, followed by a nice strike from Greenlees to complete the first half scoring.
Any hopes Kingussie had of Boat taking their collective foot off the gas was shattered 10 minutes after the restart.
And it was that man MacFarlane again with a low drive from the edge of the box for his own third and the Ospreys’ sixth.
Tom McInnes was very fortunate to net Boat’s seventh when his mishit cross somehow found its way into the net although he will doubtless claim it was intentional.
Five minutes later it was MacFarlane once again, grabbing his fourth with a poked shot from a tight angle.
There was to be no granny for Kingussie, however, as Sam Cairns managed to pull one back for the Badenoch side. But this was short-lived relief as moments later Boat netted goal number nine with a cruel own goal off a flailing Kingussie leg.
However, the host would have the last word as Cairns grabbed a second 10 minutes from time to add a touch more respectability to the final score.
