A game of two halves is the oldest cliché in football but, for some games, that doesn't make it any less accurate. What was a contender for the worst first half of football this season at any ground was thankfully followed by a 45-minute spell of action, drama, and entertainment, as Lossie overcame regular foes Rothes by a single goal at Grant Park.

All of the early chances fell to Rothes. Lossie, missing several players through injury and work commitments, were struggling to get a hold of the ball and Rothes were having things their own way.  The first real chance coming from a set piece in the 14^th minute; Gary Spence sent it goalwards but Chris Stuart was on hand to turn it round the post. From the resulting corner by Spence, Mark Taylor flashed a header just wide.

Rothes continued to press, restricting Lossie to shots from long range. Jamie Bagley screwed a shot wide from 30 yards half way through the first half and shortly after Bagley curled a left foot cross to Mark Cody but the ball was to long and it ran out for a goal kick.

Rothes continued to have success with set pieces and a free kick just before the half hour by Gary Spence it curled straight into the hand of Chris Stuart in goals.  Then a Ross Duncan corner was flicked up in the air by teammate Mike Smith and then was headed over by Mark Taylor.

Lossie were struggling to create chances and their last one in the first half came from David Blackhall who fired well over the bar. At the other end Rothes continued to look the likelier but they didn't have their shooting boots with them. Kris Duncan shot over from close range and then Michael Smith saw a ball from a corner drop at his feet, but failed to get a shot away before Craig Donaldson ushered the ball out from underneath his feet.

The misery of the first half was forgotten almost immediately at the restart of the game, with Lossie tearing into Rothes right from centre. Graham Wilson in particular showed he was in no mood to hang about as he robbed Mark Taylor of possession from kick off and stormed down the pitch, before playing the ball out wide to Huckins. The winger, in his home debut for Lossie, crossed low into the box for David Blackhall who knocked the ball over the bar from six yards.

Lossie were now in charge, with Rothes still in the dressing room. Wilson was again causing problems, passing to Cody for a cross to Huckins, who saw his header clawed off the line by Masterton with the ball behind his head.

The visitors slowly came back into the game and a right foot effort from Ian McRae forced a good low save by Chris Stuart, which the keeper did well to hold.

Minutes later and Lossie were in the lead. Matt Huckins again crossed from the right, firing the ball tantalizingly close to goal but just out of reach of Masterton. With the former Lossie keeper ball watching and stationary, Mark Cody appeared at the back post to nod the ball back across the face of goal, behind Masterton and in off the post, from the very tightest of angles.

The Coasters could have doubled their lead a minute later when Huckins crossed to Blackhall, who was wide open with the goal at his mercy, but his header went a yard wide, to the dismay of the home crowd.

Rothes now realized they were in a game and upped their efforts, with Kevin Stuart and George Russell having to clear goal bound attempts from the line as Rothes laid siege to the Lossie defence.

The final ten minutes saw the action continue, with both sides having a goal disallowed. Rothes were first to be disappointed, with Ian McRae header from close range ruled out, and moments later Lossie had the ball in the net when Huckins squared to a wide open Lamberton, but were left empty handed as the latter had strayed just offside before receiving the pass. Goals for Lossie are hard enough to come by without that kind of error, and a second would surely have killed the game.

Lossie were keeping Rothes away from the Lossie goal with some success and again kept the visitors to set pieces, and the last chance for the visitors went to Gary Spence, who saw Chris Stuart easily catch his tame free kick under the bar.

The last drama of the afternoon came in the shape of a stupid red card for Michael Dunn. Already on a yellow card, Dunn responded grumpily to a free kick award to Lossie and took his frustration out on the ball, unfortunately lashing it in the direction of the flattened George Russell. The referee went straight for the book and Rothes ended the game with ten men, and Lossie claimed all three points.

Full Time: Lossiemouth 1 Rothes 0
Reporter: Kevin McKenzie