Date	Saturday, 28 August 1937
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 6:2 Buckie Thistle
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee	Mr A, Clyne
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: R MacNeil, 2: Roddie Munro, 3: A Burnett 1, 4: J.G MacKay, 5: Ackie Urquhart, 6: J MacIntosh, 7: J.A MacKay, 8: James (Mollie) Ross, 9: Ernest Gowl 2, 10: L Calder 2, 11: W Patterson 1
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 6 Buckie Thistle 2 Give Ross County champions and they are out to slay. Buckie Thistle, over whose grounds the Highland League champion flag floats this season, met a veritable Waterloo at Dingwall on Saturday. It wasn't all Ross County by any means: Buckie went down but Buckie is not out; very far from it. The back division, and to some extent, the half-backs, were a bit unsteady under the purposeful pressure of a live wire Ross County forward line, in which the right wing triangle "did their stuff." For the rest, other teams of the League had better not take the men from 'Up the Burn' or 'Doon the Burn' too cheaply: there is a very high percentage of clever players with fine positional understanding in the Buckie team. Right from the start Ross County showed great dash. In the first minutes J. G. Mackay had a great shot. Gowl could have blocked it, but instead cutely let the ball between his legs. The shot went round the wrong side of the post for a bye. At the other end Smith came into prominence with two good scoring tries. The first shot sailed over the bar: the second, a moment later, was saved by the crossbar. Both goalkeepers were being kept busy by lively forwards. Woods got his hand at full stretch to a ball which was beating him, and within seconds he stopped a hot shot from Gowl. From the resultant corner, Paterson sent across a fine shot. Gowl got it with his head and winger Mackay, lying unmarked, sent it home. It was at this point that Buckie wilted. The defence were getting too much to do. Gowl got away on his own. Woods saved, but Calder got the rebound and beat Woods easily. County went further ahead when James Ross gave Calder a picture pass. Calder made no mistake. Immediately after, James Ross was interfered with by John Bowie in the "box." Woods never saw Burnett's "spot" kick. Buckie were not lying down. In the outfield they were really good. Their trapping of the ball was a treat to see; their ball distribution was also good. But when they reached the eighteen yards line, everything went wrong. The chief cause, of course, was the Ross back line and Urquhart, who defended well as a third back. Just before the whistle blew for half-time, Calder scored for Buckie, getting his head conveniently to a well-placed corner by Duncan. Buckie Thistle gave a much improved display on restarting. For a brief period they put considerable pressure on the County defence. It held out wonderfully although one goal was conceded. It was the result of a fine run on the left by Duncan. He finished with a well-placed cross, and Calder put it in the net with his head. It was a spectacular goal. Meantime Gowl got a good chance to score from a Mackay pass. His parting shot, however, just scraped past the bottom of the post and to the wrong side. Gowl next let Paterson away, but he was slow in parting and although he forced a corner nothing accrued. Duncan was the outstanding man in the visitors' front line and it was not his fault that his team was not better placed as regards goals. He could shoot with both feet and his centering of the ball was always good. Once he had hard lines himself when he sent the ball skimming over the crossbar. Ross County now took the game in hand and a perfect goal by Gowl from another Mackay centre disheartened Buckie. Till the end, however, play continued on fast lines. In the closing minutes Paterson put the County's "bag" at 6, when Gowl passed the ball back to him. It was a glorious surprise chance; Paterson took full advantage. There was not a weak link in the home team. From goal outwards every man gave of his best. Burnett was soundness itself; Urquhart gave his best exhibition this season. Both J. G. Mackay and Mackintosh were stalwarts in defence and clever in feeding the forwards. Perhaps the right wing was more in the limelight than the left, but all played well, with Gowl a perfect centre. It was in the half-line that the difference lay between the teams, the County men being much more impressive. The Buckie backs got too much to do, with the result that Woods was often left unguarded. Duncan was the best forward, but Calder deserves credit for his two clever goals.