"We knew we would score" - Buckie Thistle assistant Lewis Mackinnon was never in doubt that Jags would come up with late goals to snatch victory at Strathspey Thistle
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GRINDING out wins shows that Buckie Thistle have the mentality to push for the Highland League title.
Thats the view of Jags assistant manager Lewis Mackinnon after watching his team score twice in stoppage time to squeeze through to a 2-0 victory at bottom side Strathspey Thistle on Saturday.
Super sub Sam Urquhart struck twice at the death to land a crucial three points for the leaders, who opened up a seven point gap at the top ahead of Brechin, who have two games in hand.
“That’s what you call championship-winning performances when you are grinding out results like we are,” Mackinnon said. “Teams at all levels dream of doing that but it’s superb to see us keeping the wins coming and we are just looking forward to Formartine on Saturday now.”
Brechin play one of their games in hand at home to Fraserburgh on Wednesday. If they lost that, Jags would win the title with a game to spare if they defeated Formartine at Victoria Park, a week ahead of the home clash with Brechin which many believed would be the title decider.
Jags were so close to dropping points against a dogged Strathspey, until Urquhart pounced on a rebound right on the 90 minutes to make a breakthrough. He quickly added a second to seal the victory and Mackinnon said the sub could easily have had another.
“It was a tough afternoon. Credit to Strathspey, we knew with the results they had been getting that they could make things difficult.
“They set up with a tight unit defensively, looking to hang in to the game for as long as they could.
“The pitch was difficult and there was a strong wind, but if we had taken our chances it would have been a much easier afternoon for us. We had a minimum of 18 corners where we really didn’t threaten the goal with them. We could have attacked them better which we normally do. “
Andy MacAskill had a penalty saved on the stroke of half time, but Jags used their subs’ bench to good effect in the later stages.
“Spider and I did say to each other that the goal would come. We were confident especially when we put on the firepower of the three substitutes. Scott Adams, Sam and Jack Murray all have goals in them.
“In the end it paid dividends when Sam got the two goals. Before that he missed a sitter that he really should have scored a header so he could have had a hat-trick in the 20 minutes he was on.
“Last season we went on that magnificent run but it was never in our own hands. This year it is but it is also in Brechin’s hands, so it’s winner-takes-all.”
