Goal hero Max Barry says it's time for Buckie Thistle to end their trophy drought after thrilling Highland League victory at champions Brechin City
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Crucial wins at Brora and Brechin show Buckie Thistle have what it takes to go the distance ponce again in the Highland League title chase.
So says Jags hero Max Barry, whose brilliant 89th minute strike landed a priceless three points in Saturday's 3-2 win at Glebe Park against the league leaders.
Saturday's Highland League round-up.
Barry quickly cancelled out Brechin's opening strike with his first goal of the day, and pounced at the death with his tenth counter of the campaign to secure the all-important victory.
Brechin pipped Buckie to last year's title on the last day of the season, scoring twice in the closing minutes at Victoria Park to snatch the championship - so Saturday's win was a measure of revenge.
"It was almost a six-pointer going down there and beating them," Barry said.
"After the sickener of losing to them at Buckie when they won the league on the final day, it was all about winning this game. It didn’t matter who scored the winning goal but I was delighted to get it.
"This is my third season at Buckie now and we haven’t won anything. We’ve come up short twice in the league and we’ve lost two cup finals so it’s almost getting to the point now where we’re thinking ‘surely at some point we will win something’.
"The way it’s going right now and the feeling in the changing room, it does feel like this could be the year that we win a cup or the league - or both."
Buckie's biggest obstacle could be their own pitch, which is currently out of action due to drainage issues forcing them to play home fixtures at away venues.
They recently defeated Rothes 3-1 in a 'home' match played at Banff, and on Wednesday night they travel to Lossiemouth's Grant Park, which will host their game against Fraserburgh.
"It’s gutting that Victoria Park’s drainage is not up to scratch," Barry added. "Buckie is probably the best supported club in the league so it’s not just a shame for the players but the fans as well, not being able to go to their home ground where some have been going for years and years supporting the club.
"There’s the backlog of fixtures as well. That was our 18th league game and we’re just over halfway and have 16 league games to fit in by the middle of April - plus we are in the semi-finals of the (Aberdeenshire) cup so that could be two more games."
Barry feels his team is increasing their performance levels at the right time, having suffered a dip in form around the time of their much-hyped Scottish Cup match at Celtic.
"We got through the Celtic game and there was a hangover to it all. We weren’t playing well but I think it was bound to happen.
"We got beaten by Nairn and rightfully so, we weren’t good and it was 3-0 and could easily have been more.
"Then in the next game we were 2-0 down to Deveronvale but we came back to win it. I think part of it comes down to missing so many games because of the weather.
"It’s not to say we’re not match-fit but playing one game then not having another for three weeks and having to play a couple in quick succession, it’s not easy. It will be good to just get a steady run of games now and after the week we’ve had, getting six points from Brora and Brechin shows we are up and going now.
"We might go on one of those runs that we did two years ago when we won 23 games in a row - there’s nothing to say we can’t do that again.
"It has given us a lot of confident and now we have Fraserburgh which again we can’t play at home so we go to Lossiemouth. We need to win that one, we can’t afford to drop points. I was looking at the league table and it’s getting really close and there’s a few teams still in it.
"Because we are so many games behind it’s difficult to get a clear picture. We are sitting fourth with a lot of games in hand and we know if we win those, we go top by three points.
Danny Handling's tenth minute strike was wiped out within three minutes by Barry's leveller, and Josh Peters fired Buckie in front soon after half time.
On-loan Ross County striker Matty Wright equalised for City, but a last minute breakway by Jags gained a huge reward.
"We won the ball in our own half and myself, Jack MacIver and Josh Peters linked up and Josh was through on goal, the keeper’s had a good save and it went out for a corner.
"From that corner, Jack put in a cross, a defender headed it clear to the back post towards the corner flag and I picked it up there, I weaved and dribbled my way towards the edge of the box along the 18-yard line and worked an angle to shoot and thankfully it’s gone in."
Barry now has his sights on matching or even beating his best Highland League goal tally to date.
"It’s double figures now. In my first season I think I got 18 goals so I am aiming to get to the 20-mark this season if I can."
