Brora boss says the loss of early goals must stop
DESPITE dominating for long spells in the match Brora Rangers ended up on the losing side in a scrappy affair at Grant Street Park last Saturday.
The match, the only one to go ahead on the Highland League card, passed a second inspection at 10am.
Brora’s Zander Sutherland was the first name in referee Tom Shaw’s book in the 10th minute for a reckless tackle on Blair Lawrie in the middle of the park. The Clach winger only lasted another five minutes before being replaced by Paul Brindle.
The match was level pegging and the first real chance fell to Scott Graham in the 19th minute but Brora keeper Ally Ridgers did well to block his shot. Then Brian MacLeod fired wide as the ball broke to him just inside the area.
The home side went ahead in the 33rd minute when Colin Williamson rose above the Brora defence to head home an Alan Pollock corner.
The Lilywhites almost added a second before the break but Graham’s header was cleared off the line by Stuart Golabek. Then Ridgers had to be quick off his line to deny Sam Urquhart after Pollock set him up.
Brora made a lively start to the second half and Sutherland had a clear sight of goal in the 54th minute but Clach keeper John Campbell made an excellent stop.
The visitors had another chance seven minutes later when Steven MacKay got on the end of a deep cross from substitute Dale Gillespie but he failed to direct his header goalward.
Brora pushed for an equaliser and Steven MacKay was not far away with a back post header following a dangerous cross from Sutherland.
Clach had goalkeeper Campbell to thank for a great stop in the 74th minute as Sutherland let fly from the edge of the box. Campbell pulled off a stunning one handed from Gillespie, whose header looked destined for the back of the net.
But it wasn’t to be Brora’s day.
Brora manager, Davie Kirkwood told the Northern Times: "We were more direct in the second half, but we need to stop giving teams a goal of a start. When you do that you have to score two to win a game, it gives you a mountain to climb.
"We want to win every game but we have to play for the whole 90 minutes. We have a long way to go – we are only four months into a three-year project. We are not going to win the league by bringing in a load of players that hopefully will gel. We have to have the right sort of players, it’s like a jigsaw. That’s going to take time."
Brora: Ridgers, Duncan, Goalbek, Houston, Grant, J MacKay, M MacLean, Hart, Sutherland, S MacKay, Greig (Gillespie 57), Baxter (Grant 57). Subs – C Ross, J Ross, Allan.
TOMORROW (Saturday), Brora will be hoping for a change of fortune when they host Keith at Dudgeon Park – kick-off 3pm.
