Buckie Ladies dig deep to claim three points at Clach in league opener
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A BATTLING Buckie Ladies team dug deep to claim the points in their league opener away to Clach.
The champions looked to be cruising to victory after Alena Gardiner and Lori Lappin gave the visitors a 2-0 half-time lead.
However, Clach – who were Buckie's main challengers for the title last season – came out swinging in the second half and pulled back the deficit, setting up a thrilling finish to the game.
Buckie, though, showed why they are champions as they asserted control again in the last 10 minutes, with Gardiner claiming her brace and Abbie Marshall putting the game out of harm's way.
Buckie full back Rebecca McMillan praised her team-mates' resilience in fighting back from Clach's resurgence.
"We started off pretty well but we took our foot off the gas a wee bit and couldn't keep possession," she said.
"It did look at one point like we'd choked it.
"However, we dug deep and we showed we still have that winning mindset from last season. Clach are a much-improved side and we had a few players missing, plus some new players, so we've still to gel.
"Three of the players we had at Clach have only been with us for a week, we've got some really good prospects.
"We're delighted to have kicked off the season with three points, especially as we didn't have the pre-season we would've wanted, with a lot of training cancelled due to bad weather."
With manager Laura Duncan unavailable coaches Lorna Young and Kathryn Evans were at the helm for Buckie's victorious league opener.
Buckie Ladies are next in action on Sunday, April 16 when they host Caithness at Gordon Park, Portgordon. Follow the club's Facebook for match updates, including kick-off time, and other team news.
