IT was an off colour Inverurie Locos who failed to rise to the Challenge Cup occasion and, despite a late Craig Ross goal giving them hope for an extra time period, it was an in-form Fraserburgh who grabbed a controversial last gasp goal to secure a semi-final trip to Huntly.

The visitors asserted their authority during the opening 45 minutes, Steven Main's swinging cross was flicked just over the post by Graham Johnston from just six yards out.

Paul Jarvie was called into action as Locos failed to defend a route one attempt. Roddy Mess tried to flick a Billy Gordon kick towards Jarvie, however he managed to only take the pace off the ball and it landed at the feet of Graham Johnston. However, with Jarvie closing down the angles the striker was only able to slip the ball past the post.

Locos, who went into the game without a number of key players through injury and suspension, had suffered a major blow in 21 minutes when Scottish Semi Pro captain Neil McLean had to be subbed by Craig Ross after a hefty challenge by Neil Main.

With the home side failing to record a shot during the opening period, it wasn't too much of a surprise for the home crowd when Fraserburgh took a well deserved lead.

Kevin Norris's weighted ball caught the Locos defence off guard as they correctly spotted Alan Hale offside. However, with Hale bringing his run to a halt, Steven Main was then free to calmly slot the ball past Jarvie, finally breaking the deadlock.

There was hope of a better performance in the second half when the Broch were reduced to ten men. Graham Johnson was deemed to have dived under a challenge from Mess deep in the penalty box, the referee having no hesitation, and having earlier been booked, he had to walk.

It took a while for the benefit of a one man advantage to work. A long ball from Jarvie was controlled well by Ross, this allowed him to quickly play in Gary Nicol, however his snap shot was instinctively saved by Gordon from six yards.

It looked like defeat but there was to be drama galore in the closing stages. Danny Milne's lengthy cross from the left to right flank found Ross, and with one look at Gordon off his line, he deftly chipped over the stranded keeper and into the far side net.

Extra time loomed but two minutes into injury time, Charlie Duncan's boys sealed the win. Steven Main took down a tame long ball into the Locos box, as the striker turned goalwards he was the victim of a clumsy challenge by the already booked Murray McCulloch.

It was a soft decision and the ref shocked the home faithful by showing the second red card of the match. Man of the match Neil Main stepped up and drove the ball into the bottom left corner, inches from Paul Jarvie's fingertips, to secure Fraserburgh's win.

It was a disappointed Kevin Will who spoke about the second Cup defeat by the scoreline of 2-1 in a week.

He said: "It's a fact we had several absences but we cannot use that as an excuse. Fraserburgh played really well in that first half while we never really got started. They worked extremely hard while we couldn't find our feet.

"It was frustrating but we went out looking to do better in the second half and I felt we'd do that as they had a man sent off. We failed to ask them enough questions and it is a wake up call to some players who didn't perform as well as they can.

"We should've been looking at extra time when we got it to 1-1. For the ref to give the penalty the way he did is annoying, there was a foul outside the box and it was not a penalty but it is not about the ref, it is about us.

"Over the piece we did not perform well enough to get through so Fraserburgh deserved to go through."

Inverurie Locos: Jarvie, McCulloch, Scott, Gordon, Mess (Simpson 76), Buchan, Singer (Danny Milne 58), Calder, Michie, Nicol, McLean (C. Ross 21). Subs not used: McKinstry, Reid.

Fraserburgh: Gordon, Derek Milne, N. Main, Dickson, Ralph, Elrick, Norris, West, Hale (M. Murray 77), S. Main, Johnston Subs not used: Cameron, J. Ross, Marchi, Thomson.