Saturday 20th March
Fort William 0 Huntly 2

Huntly struck twice in the last fifteen minutes to move into third place after surviving an early scare minutes into the game after host Fort William missed a penalty.

Calum McLean was dealt a blow in the warm-up when Mark Gillespie pulled up through injury and was replaced prior to kick-off by his brother Michael. John Hewitt and Ian Foggo came in for Stephen Hendry and Martin Kerr.
Ross Campbell came in for his first start since April of last year while Andrew Fraser and Kevin Lonie were called onto the bench. Simon Scott missed out through a one game ban; Andrzej-Slawomir Kleczkowski and Craig Dorrat were ruled out through work commitments while Kenny McKenzie and Ross McKenzie were both struggling with injury.

Three minutes into the game and Neil Hastie was penalised for taking down John Hewitt inside the area. It was the second penalty the keeper had given away in three games but the former Clachnacuddin shot stopper redeemed himself with a great save to his right to deny Sam Urquhart from the spot.

Neil Reid did well on nineteen minutes putting in a block to keep out winger Sean Ellis.

After the half-hour mark, David Booth got clear out wide and cross into the middle of the box but Colin Robertson and Russell Guild both failed to connect.

Late on inside the first half, Hewitt fired wide of the post with the keeper to beat after linking up with strike partner Urquhart.

The best Huntly chance for the visitors came in the 38th minute when Mark Gray tried his luck with a speculative long range effort as John Campbell was caught off his line.

The home side did go close again minutes before the interval but were denied when Hastie did well to hold a Hewitt effort.

Half-Time: Fort William 0 Huntly 0

The second half was delayed when farside Assistant Referee Steve Swanson pulled up with injury and had to be replaced by Kenny Macaskill who had earlier been officiating at another game close locally. There were also changes in playing staff as Huntly looked a different side in the second half and changed their tactics around when Michael Ewen replaced Ross Campbell at the break.

Five minutes into the second half and there was panic at the back for Huntly as Urquhart fired across the face of goal. Two minutes later Stuart Soane managed his side’s first effort on target when his header was cleared off the line following a David Booth corner.
Booth himself went close forcing John Campbell to hold on 59 minutes while a minute later the player headed wide of the post.

Neil Hastie again denied the Fort on 73 minutes with a good stop against Hewitt but two minutes later the momentum of the game was to change.

With a quarter hour to go, a ball was played in from the left flank and Ewen did well to flick the ball on for Stuart Soane to power in first time with a great strike high into the net.

A minute after the opener, Ewen was denied following a block from John Campbell.

Some good skill from Michael McGinlay on 81 minutes saw the substitute turn his marker out on the left flank before cutting inside forcing Campbell to save. Four minutes later there was panic in the home penalty area when Simon Shields headed off his own bar from McGinlay’s cross.

With three minutes to go Michael McGinlay started a move which saw Neil Reid and Michael Ewen link-up down the right. Ewen delivered a cross to pick out McGinlay running in at the back post who sent the ball past Campbell with a neat shot.