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Rothes bounced back from their defeat up at Brora Rangers to down Clachnacuddin at Grant Street Park although their hungry intentions were demonstrated in a different fashion early on with Kenny Hendry picking up a yellow card just eight minutes into the game.
Four minutes later they were ahead. A cross from the left from Ross Duncan was headed from Chris Grant from edge of the D and if flew into the back of the net low to the goalkeepers right
In the 15th minute Kenny Hendry found himself clean through from a long ball and his shot outside right foot went narrowly wide of the keepers right hand post. Minutes later there was some neat work between Rothes Kenny Hendry and Chris Grant. The latter was free on the right and his cross found former in the middle of the box he put his chance just over the bar.
Clach needed a lift and they very nearly got it when Blair Lawrie did some neat work on the right hand side of the Rothes box and fed the ball in to Robbie Duncanson but the former Nairn man put his shot high and wide. Duncanson was to follow Hendry into the book ten minutes later and Chris Grant joined him to make it three strikers in the book in the first half along with Scott Begg and Steve Dunn.
Right on the stroke of half time Rothes netted a crucial second. From the free kick that saw Begg booked for diving the Speysiders went the length of the field and it concluded with Kevin Collins burying the chance, firing it low into the bottom left hand corner.
Collins passed up a great chance to make it three early in the second half when David Ross was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. The midfielder lost his 100 per cent record when keeper Smith pulled of a fine save.
Smith once again kept Clach in the game when he dived to his left to prevent George Massie from finding the back of the net with a shot on the turn. The Lilywhites seemed low on confidence and this was typified by an uncharacteristically poor finish from Alex Bone when a rare chance presented itself.
The visitors wrapped up the points in the 66th minute when a Kevin Collins free kick saw Smith make another five save but Mark Taylor was following in and he managed to hack the ball into the net to extend the lead to three.
Late on Sutherland missed a one on one with Stevie Dunn then Alex Bone netted when given the same opportunity however the goal was called back for a handball by the striker. A day to forget for the Lilywhites but one to remember for Rothes who are now just one point behind Clach.
Full Time: Clachnacuddin 0 Rothes 3
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