Carnoustie made it two wins from two games in 2023 as they beat Midlands League leaders Dundee North End at a windy Laing Park.
It was testament to the hard work that has been carried out on the Laing Park pitch that the game went ahead after a very wet build up with three games in the Midlands League as well as Dundee FC’s game at Dens Park all being postponed.
Gowfers Manager Phil McGuire was able to bring back Ryan Suttie and Louis Joyce after suspension as well as Bailey Steel after injury with Greg Warwick and Pat Martin dropping to the bench and Paddy Conway resuming his coaching role.
Carnoustie started on the front foot and were rewarded after seventeen minutes when Ross Fraser whipped the ball into the near post and Dale Reid celebrated his new deal with the club by stabbing the ball home off a North End defender. The Gowfers were forced into a change on 34 minutes when Danny Millar had to be replaced by Greg Warwick but it failed to knock Carnoustie from their stride and on another day could have added to their tally before half time.
Carnoustie made a further change on 55 minutes as Bailey Steel was replaced by Jamie Winter and within six minutes Carnoustie extended their lead. Louis Joyce won the ball on the edge of his own box, passed the ball on to Winter whose long ball was fed into the path of Gordon Macdonald by Ross Fraser and as the North End defence stood off, Macdonald picked his spot inn the far corner. That man Winter was involved in the third Carnoustie goal, scoring from the penalty spot on 81 minutes after Ross Fraser had been brought down and then on 87 minutes a Winter corner was brilliantly volleyed home by Macdonald at the back post to complete a fine 4-0 win for The Gowfers.
The win sees Carnoustie remain in seventh place but just six points behind the leaders with five games in hand.
