Huntly thrash Invergordon with recovering star Angus Grant on scoresheet while manager Graeme Stewart offers way back for transfer-listed striker Andy Hunter
A seven-goal romp, even with a string of players missing.
But Huntly manager Graeme Stewart isn’t getting carried away with his team’s crushing 7-0 success over Invergordon on Saturday.
Angus Grant’s first goal since coming back from knee surgery was the main highlight of the Christie Park drubbing.
And two goals by transfer-listed striker Andy Hunter could yet keep the player in a black and gold shirt.
Stewart pointed to Invergordon also being without some regulars, but is seeing some signs of progress in his team’s results.
“It's a one-off game and we're not going to get too excited,” he said. “We got beaten at Turriff and drew with Locos so we’ve not become a really good team all of a sudden, just because we’ve beaten Invergordon.
“They're a far better team than that and were missing five or six players. So were we, but it was one of those days where we had a really good day.”
Hunter’s second spell at Huntly hasn’t gone smoothly so far and the player’s unhappiness led to him being made available for transfer earlier this month.
Since then, he has scored three goals in two appearances, and appears to be going nowhere at the moment.
“We had a lot of strikers and they were all fit at one point, so we made the decision to put Hunter on the transfer list and he took it very well.
“But then Gus (Angus Grant) had a setback and Scott Adams got injured.
“Andy came on against Locos and scored one and set the other one up, and he got two on Saturday.
“Football's a funny business where things change pretty quickly. And I'm not stubborn or cutting my nose off just to spite my face.
“He’s still on the transfer list and we will see what happens. But if he keeps playing like this, of course we will want to keep him.
“He probably didn't expect to start on Saturday, and he was outstanding. He's still an asset at the club, and I'll utilise him as much as we can.
“Rght now, he's with us, and he'll be part of our squad for the foreseeable future.”
Stewart lamented a “shocking” situation for his squad with players unavailable.
Aberdeen loan duo Sam McLean and Lewis Carrol were pulled out by their parent club to play in a KDM Evolution Trophy match, while the likes of Adams, Dylan Souden, James Connelly and Cameron Heslop remain out, and full back Kieran Yeats is another on the casualty list.
Club coach Neale Allan had to come out of retirement to play as a second half sub - Stewart said it is nearly ten years since he last played for Huntly.
And although Grant has been back in full training and playing comeback minutes, his recovery hasn’t been as quick as anticipated and the club is being very careful with how long he plays in competitive matches.
However it was a big moment when he pounced to score Huntly’s sixth goal on Saturday, 11 months after being injured in a match at Strathspey Thistle and going back into surgery.
“I would say Gus is still at least a month away from starting games. But I was delighted for him, he hit the post and got his goal and everyone was delighted.
“His head's been down a little bit lately because he's had a couple of knockbacks. “He needed a rest for a couple of weeks, but he looked sharp when he came on.
Hunter got the first two goals and Lewis Crosbie marked his own return from injury by making it 3-0 just after the break.
On-form Owen Morris made it four, Dylan Shaw struck before the hour and Grant’s finish was followed by a late effort from Ross Still to wrap up a great day for the team.
Next up is a Scottish Cup trip to Beith for Stewart’s side this weekend.