Huntly 1 Banks O' Dee 3: Black and Golds edged by Dee again
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JUST as he didn’t get too high when Huntly were winning games, manager Allan Hale isn’t getting too low after a few defeats.
In a repeat of the Aberdeenshire Shield semi-final that Huntly lost on penalties, the Black and Golds were beaten 3-1 by Banks O’ Dee at Christie Park on Saturday.
Lachie Macleod scored twice before Dayshonne Golding made it 3-0 to the visitors after 32 minutes. Andy Hunter pulled one back for Huntly before half-time but it ended 3-1.
Hale isn’t concerned by a few defeats – with performances still being at a good level.
“You read things online and I do think people get carried away when you lose a couple of games,” he said.
“If you look at our form it has been pretty good over the course of the season and the performance levels are strong.
“We are seven points better off than last season. If people want to say we are in a bad run of form then they are welcome to their opinion, but internally we feel something different.
“Last season we started by having eight games without winning, then we were 10 without losing, then seven without winning. That’s what happens. We can’t allow ourselves to get bogged down – it has not been a bad season overall.”
Hale was frustrated with giving away cheap goals early in Saturday’s defeat to Banks O’ Dee and the gap proved to be too much for the players to overcome.
“When you give away goals in the manner that we did then you will always give yourself a mountain to climb,” he added. “That’s the most frustrating thing for us.
“Other than the first 15 minutes, there wasn’t a huge difference between the teams.
“Banks O’ Dee are good at what they do – they are physical. We had lapses of concentration and they were really poor goals to give away.
“That gives you an uphill struggle. We had a couple of opportunities for 3-2 but we couldn’t get one back. It’s disappointing but we are not panicking as performance levels are not bad.”
Huntly did win on the road last Wednesday – 4-1 at Strathspey Thistle – and are back on their travels as they make the journey to on-form Nairn County on Saturday.
Hale added: “There is not a huge deal between the teams.
“There was a point between us come the end of last season and there is a point between us at the moment. So there’s not a lot to separate us.
“We lost at Nairn last season but it wasn’t a bad game. We will be focusing on setting up the team. It will be tight and keenly contested.”
