Forfar Farmington inched to within a point of sealing the Scottish Building Society Scottish Women’s Premier League Two with a comfortable 7-1 win in Maud against Buchan.
First half goals from Danni McGinley, Caroline Heron, Julia Scott and a Joanna Murphy own goal were added to by McGinley and Heron’s second while Megan McCarthy completed the scoring for Mark Nisbet’s side.
There were three changes from the previous week’s draw with East Fife with Beth Shillitto, Alana Bruce and Nicola Davidson replaced by Gemma Collier, Leah White and Julia Scott.
Farmington started off well and could have gone ahead twice in the opening three minutes with Caroline Heron firing over before Danni McGinley’s throw in was flicked on but Gemma Collier could only scoop the ball over from yards out.
Louise Brown sent an effort into the arms of Fiona McNicoll for the hosts while McGinley saw her header from a Scott corner held.
McGinley was denied again but she put Farmington ahead in the 11th minute; Cheryl Kilcoyne’s shot was deflected onto the bar and the striker reacted fastest to net her seventh of the season since re-joining in June.
Four minutes later the lead was doubled when Kilcoyne sent a cross into the box only for Joanna Murphy to divert the delivery past her keeper.
Leah White cleared off the line in the 18th minute however at the other end Scott and McGinley were unable to force the ball home, the former hitting the woodwork.
Heron was next to add her name to the scoresheet six minutes later as she powered a header home following Scott’s corner.
McGinley was next to hit the woodwork while Scott did the same on the half hour mark when Lauren Sangster pushed her shot onto it before gathering the loose ball.
Megan McCarthy saw her header held by Sangster however Farmington added a fourth on the stroke of half time; Scott sending a 30-yard free kick soaring into the top corner for her ninth of the season.
Scott came close to a fifth for Farmington at the start of the second half when she was denied by the keeper.
Buchan pulled a goal back in the 54th minute as Louise Brown fired past McNicoll but the four goal deficit was restored less than sixty seconds later; Erin Cattanach’s run set up McGinley to find Heron with a low cross for the latter to stab home.
Robyn Smith blasted over from close range shortly before she found the net only for her goal to be ruled out for offside.
Kayleigh Brough saw her effort deflected wide after the hour mark while Heron and McGinley were unlucky not to score again with Sangster saving both shots.
Substitute Alison Debio sent a long range drive into the arms of Sangster but it wasn’t long before Farmington went further ahead. A long ball wasn’t dealt with by the defence and McGinley capitalised to round the keeper before stroking into the empty net.
It was seven in the 79th minute as Kayleigh Noble’s free kick was headed in at the back post by the unmarked McCarthy.
McGinley could have had a hat-trick moments after but she couldn’t keep her shot down.
Debutant Lotte Deubel almost grabbed her first goal four minutes after entering the fray; her run towards goal ending in the former Tayside Ladies player firing inches over the bar.
The result, coupled with Motherwell’s defeat, sends Farmington nine points clear with just four games remaining. They can potentially win the title when they entertain Motherwell in a fortnight however they have the small matter of a Scottish Cup Semi Final this week; taking on Glasgow City at Stirling Albion’s Forthbank with a noon kick off.
Buchan: Lauren Sangster, Gemma Rae, Fiona Ritchie (Julia Reid 62), Natasha Wiseman, Danica Ritchie, Joanna Murphy (Jenna Shepherd 83), Zoe Smart (Beth Emslie 74), Leanne Reid, Rachel Masterton (Michelle Sutherland 54), Caitlin Matthews, Louise Brown
Forfar Farmington: Fiona McNicoll, Gemma Collier (Laura Parsley 70), Leah White, Erin Cattanach (Alison Debio 62), Danni McGinley (Lotte Deubel 83), Robyn Smith (Beth Shillitto 62), Caroline Heron, Cheryl Kilcoyne, Megan McCarthy, Julia Scott (Kayleigh Noble 74), Kayleigh Brough
Subs not used: Kirsty Deans, Chantelle McKay (gk)