Brora Rangers aiming to take down Highland League leaders as player aims to help fire Cattachs towards top of the table again
JAMES Wallace says Brora Rangers will look to lay a marker in their Highland League title defence when they head down to current league leaders Formartine United on Saturday.
The Cattachs head to Pitmedden looking to put themselves in a position to claim top spot again as they find themselves three points behind United.
However, Brora Rangers have two games in hand on Formartine United and second place Brechin City who are two points ahead
Wallace (25) says the Highland League is shaping up to be one of the most open in years as it is heading towards the halfway stage.
He says it is important Brora get a result which doesn’t see them lose any more ground on what he has described as a mixed start to the campaign.
He said: “We are going in hoping to win.
“It has been a mixed start to the season and I don’t think that we have hit the standards that we reached last year. But when you look at the league table, we are only three points off the top.
“Formartine is always a hard place to go, never mind the form they are in or the signings they have made. But if we are at our best, we will be confident of winning.
“The league table shows no team is running away with it and everyone is dropping points. It will come down to the team that puts in the best run of form and go on a long winning run which hopefully will be ourselves.”
Brora Rangers will be playing their first competitive game in three weeks due to being knocked out of the Scottish Cup first round against Fraserburgh last month and the second round taking place last weekend.
However, they did play a closed door friendly against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Tuesday night as they look to keep up match fitness.
Wallace had been struggling with injury at the start of the campaign, but feels he is getting back to his best.
He said: “I have missed a few weeks with a niggle in the hamstring and I wanted to get back to speed as quick as possible.
“It is torture sitting on the sidelines and watching the boys. But it has only been three or four weeks, played in a few positions including out wide and in the midfield which is different for me.”
Despite being top of the league, Formartine United have lost their last two matches, losing 2-0 to Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup second round and a 2-1 defeat to Fraserburgh in the Aberdeenshire Shield on Tuesday.
Wallace says Formartine will be determined not to make it three defeats in-a-row and Brora will have to be up for the challenge.
He said: “They have been impressive with some of the signings they have made and experience they have in the league.
“Rory McCallister scores a lot of goals and they have the likes of Julian Wade.
“They have strengthened a lot and have quality from last season. But it is a challenge we are looking forward to.
“In the last year, we have been at the top of the league and when we haven’t been, our aim has always been to get up there.
“Formartine went out of the Scottish Cup and Aberdeenshire Shield and will not wanting to make it three defeats going out of the two cup competitions.
“I think when we were going for the league last year, we grinded out a win with 10 men and it gave us confidence for the rest of the season to win the league.
“We want to go and put a marker.”