Buckie Thistle 1-0 Fraserburgh

Buckie Thistle ground out a one-goal victory over Fraserburgh at Grant Park to move up to third and within six points of leaders Brechin City, with three games in hand.

Lyall Keir continued his excellent form, bagging his third goal in three games with a well-taken winner in the 32nd minute, and some resolute defending kept Broch at bay at the other end.

Josh Peters had an early header at goal from Joe McCabe’s cross well held by Joe Barbour.

Ryan Sargent then got down the left of the penalty area for the visitors, but he blazed his shot well wide from 15 yards.

Fraserburgh came closest to an opener in the 20th minute, Greg Buchan swinging in a free kick from the left that beat everyone in the penalty area and bounced off the right-hand post.

Bryan Hay then headed another Buchan set piece back across goal, only for Hamish Munro to clear the danger with a vital header.

Jack MacIver fired wide from 22 yards after a good move involving McCabe and Andrew MacAskill, then Buckie went ahead on 32 minutes. Jack Murray played a superb pass into the feet of Peters, he then found Keir in space who placed his shot neatly beyond Joe Barbour into the bottom right corner from 12 yards.

Keir had another chance two minutes later, but he couldn’t get a firm enough connection on Peters’ driven cross and his volley drifted wide of the far post.

Jags remained one in front at the break.

Scott Barbour flashed in a cross that was just beyond Sargent on 52 minutes, then Sargent missed another great chance, firing a shot over the bar when put clean through by a great pass from Willie West.

The visitors were on top now and a wicked inswinging corner from Scott Barbour evaded Ritchie, only for Kieran Simpson to head over from right under the crossbar.

Ritchie then made a fine diving save from a curling effort from Sargent, after he got on the end of Jamie Beagrie’s dinked ball over the top.

Scott Adams and Marcus Goodall replaced Josh Peters and Jack MacIver late on for Buckie as they looked to see the game out.

It was Broch who came close again though, a late corner from the right breaking dangerously across the six-yard box, but McCabe made a vital clearance to keep Jags in front.

Fraserburgh substitute Aidan Sopel received a straight red card for a petulant kick on the grounded Max Barry in injury time, and it ended in a one-goal victory for the ‘hosts’, completing a mightily impressive haul of nine points from three games in an eight-day spell.

Clach are the opponents this weekend for The Jags, who have fired themselves right back into the title race with four wins from four since losing at Nairn County at the beginning of the month.

Buckie Th: T. Ritchie; J. McCabe, R. Fyffe, J. Murray, H. Munro; S. Pugh (c), M. Barry; A. MacAskill, J. MacIver (M. Goodall 85), L. Keir; J. Peters (S. Adams 76). Subs not used: S. Knight, E. Storrier, C. Ramsay, L. Harvey.

Scorer: L. Keir (32)