Stewart embraces underdog tag as City tie looms

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Manager Graeme Stewart’s Buckie Thistle start as big underdogs to do a cup double against Brechin City this weekend in what he sees as the Jags’ biggest game of the season.

The Highland League champions knocked Championship side Brechin City out of the IRN-BRU Cup this season and the teams meet again in the third round of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Victoria Park this weekend.

Stewart said: “We beat Brechin 2-1 but since then our form has dipped, so we will be massive underdogs to progress at their expense this Saturday.

“They are a Championship club and when we beat them that night it was probably our best performance of the season.

“I’m sure anyone associated with the Glebe Park club will tell you that it was one of their worst.

“I think that result was the biggest in Buckie’s history as Brechin

“We will be as confident as we can be on Saturday”

are about 30 places ahead of us in terms of league position in the pyramid.

“Brechin may be part-time but they are a still Championship club.”

Stewart said one of his injured players may be fit enough to return for Saturday’s tie.

He added: “We will be as confident as we can be on Saturday afternoon because we have home advantage and no doubt we will have a big support right behind us all the way.

“It looks like only goalkeeper Daniel Bell could be the only one to return, leaving the likes of Stevie Ross, Chris Angus, Kevin Fraser, Sam Urquhart and John Maitland still out, which is disappointing.

“Because our league form hasn’t been great this game has even more importance.

“It’s easily our biggest game of the season now, so we need to try and lift the club somehow after going through a poor spell.”