Brora dance a merry tune round the Can-Cans
Brora Rangers 3
Forres Mechanics 0
Brora Rangers’ opening home match was certainly a game of two halves.
The high balls into the box in the first half were meat and drink to the tall and rugged Forres defence before a second-half switch to playing on the deck undid the Can-Cans.
The opening 10 minutes were all Brora, with the Moray men’s at times over-physical defence working hard to frustrate and keep the Cattachs out.
But after mounting their first attack on 12 minutes, Forres gradually came more into the match and a swift one-two resulted in Martin Groat screwing a 20-yard shot well wide of the far post.
The first half was generally poor fare with only a few half-chances being created.
In the second half Brora started troubling the big Forres centre backs who had looked so comfortable and secure in the first half when dealing with the aerial threat.
Six minutes into the second period Craig Campbell turned in the penalty box and dispatched a 15-yard snapshot low into the net to break the deadlock.
On the hour, a beautiful netbound flicked header by Steven MacKay from 15 yards was touched over by Forres keeper Stuart Knight
But it was not all one-way traffic and on 64 minutes Forres striker Lee Fraser sent a header over from a corner when well positioned just under the crossbar.
Brora were dominating this phase of the game and, a few minutes after coming on, substitute Paul Brindle went on a long run down the inside left channel in the 79th minute and was chopped in the box for a penalty that resulted in a booking for Stuart Soane. Dale Gillespie dispatched the spot-kick with aplomb to put the Cattachs 2-0 up.
In added time Brindle deftly steered a left wing corner into the far corner of the net to complete the scoring.
Brora only got into their stride in the second half but they ended up as worthy winners.
Seven goals without reply is not to be sneered at from the opening two matches.
They go to Inverurie tomorrow to face Cove in reasonably good form in a match that, even this early in the season, will give a good indication of the ultimate destination of this season’s league title.