City produced a scintillating first-half display to sweep aside Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park yesterday evening, moving to within three points of Highland League leaders Brora Rangers with two games in hand.

The visitors did the hard work in the first half with all goals coming in the opening 45, whilst also having two goals ruled out for offside.

Manager Andy Kirk made one enforced change from Saturday’s outing, with Grady McGrath replacing the suspended Brad McKay.

City wasted no time in asserting themselves. After just two minutes, Spencer Moreland burst forward and squared perfectly for Mitch Taylor who found himself one-on-one with Sean McIntosh, only for the Buckie goalkeeper to smother his low effort.

Two minutes later, Taylor turned provider with a wicked delivery from the left that found Cillian Sheridan unmarked. The experienced front-man powered home a header but celebrations were cut short by the assistant’s raised flag.

Fraser Macleod then flashed a drive narrowly wide on 13 minutes as the early pressure mounted. Buckie offered a brief reminder of their threat on 25 minutes when a long throw was flicked on by Innes McKay and Lyall Keir glanced inches past the post.

City thought they had broken the deadlock on 28 minutes when a long Hutchinson pass was cleverly flicked on by Sheridan into the path of Taylor, who calmly slotted beyond McIntosh, only to be denied again for offside. Moments later, Macleod’s rasping drive was brilliantly turned around the post by the busy Buckie keeper.

The breakthrough finally arrived on 33 minutes. McGrath’s intelligent movement created space inside the box and he picked out MITCH TAYLOR unmarked. Although McIntosh saved the initial effort, Taylor reacted quickest to fire home the rebound for a deserved lead.

City smelled blood. Callum Hannah surged forward a minute later to set up McGrath who beat his man but fired wide. 

He would not be denied shortly after. On 38 minutes, Macleod’s corner found Lewis Martin whose header was cleared off the line, but only as far as GRADY MCGRATH who stabbed home from close range to double the advantage.

Sheridan came close again with a guided volley just past the upright before City struck a third just a few minutes before the break. A flowing passing move carved Buckie open and McGrath slid a perfectly weighted pass in behind the defence for MITCH TAYLOR to coolly slot into the far corner.

At 3-0 and with two further goals ruled out, it was a dominant first-half display that had the contest effectively settled by the break.

Ben Armour replaced Sheridan at half-time as City looked to manage their resources with a hectic run of fixtures ahead.

The tempo dipped in the second half, but City remained in control. Armour fired wide at the near post on 52 minutes, while substitute Ethan Crombie - fresh from Scotland Under-17 duty in Spain last week - was played in by the impressive McGrath on 74 minutes but couldn’t quite sort his feet in time.

Buckie’s best chance came on 78 minutes when Josh Peters broke in behind Euan Spark, only for Andy McNeil to produce a tremendous one-handed save. McNeil preserved his clean sheet again late on, denying Peters at his near post on 86 minutes.

Overall this was an accomplished, ruthless performance from City - devastating in the first half and controlled in the second. They never needed to move beyond first gear after the break, conserving energy while seeing the game out with authority.

Next up for City is a trip to face Turriff United in the semi-final of the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup on Saturday, where they will look to carry this impressive form into the cup and potentially reach the final for the first time.