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Locos stunned Fraserburgh at Harlaw Park, to record their best result of the season. A first half Milosz Ochmanksi penalty was followed up after the break by goals from Ethan Cairns, Taylor Chapman and Callum Duncan. Injuries to Josh Buchan and Max Foster tainted an otherwise memorable night at Harlaw Park.
Duncan had started the game on the bench, the only change to the team from Saturday, with Jack McKenzie taking his place. The opening twenty minutes of the game passed without much incident. The Broch had the ball in the net but were denied by the offside flag – one of several that halted their attacks in the first half. Cairns then fired over from the edge of the box.
The opener came in the 22nd minute. Lloyd Robertson fed Cairns and he was about to shoot when he was caught by Bryan Hay, who can have few complaints about the award of a spot kick. Ochmanski stepped up and fired low to the goalkeeper’s left. Scott Barbour came close to a leveller for Fraserburgh but Blessing Oluyemi got a touch to his shot across goal to send it behind for a corner.
The Broch were seeing plenty of the ball but it was Locos who looked the greater threat. Ochmanski had a golden opportunity to double the lead with a second penalty kick. Robert Ward got his head to Foster’s forward ball before being clattered by Fraserburgh keeper Joe Barbour. After Willie West had hooked the goal-bound header off the line, the referee pointed to the spot again. This time Ochmanski went for the other side of goal but put it wide of the post. Locos were happy with their lead at the break but the question on everyone’s lips was would they come to rue that miss.
Fraserburgh again enjoyed most of the ball in the early stages of the second half but it was Locos who proved clinical. A miscommunication at the back allowed Ward to latch onto a Mark Souter clearance. He found Jay Halliday who in turn passed to Cairns, whose shot was too powerful for Barbour. Locos pace and movement in attack was causing the visiting defence problems and by the time the third goal arrived on 73 minutes, it didn’t feel much of a surprise. Ward took a short free kick to Oliver Green and when the Aberdeen loanee returned the ball to him, his cross was met by Chapman who headed home his first goal for the club off the post.
The Locos supporters were loving what they were seeing and began to relax, confident that the points would be staying at Harlaw Park. Two substitutes combined to put the icing on the cake four minutes from time. Josh Bolton appeared to have been forced too wide to create anything but he managed to cut back onto his left foot before picking out Duncan who took a touch before lashing a shot past Barbour at the near post. Scott Barbour headed over for the visitors in the dying moments but Locos held on to their clean sheet.
This performance was reminiscent of Locos’ great run at the end of last season. Fraserburgh threw plenty at the Railwaymen who were resolute when they needed to be and devastating at times in attack. That defensive solidity was even more impressive given injures forced Dean Donaldson into replacing half of his back four before half time. The changes made little discernible difference though, with every player playing their part and all the substitutes being involved in goals.
This game was a real bright spot in a difficult season and Locos will now be full of confidence going into another tricky home game on Saturday when Banks o’ Dee are the visitors to Harlaw Park.
