NATIONAL 1

Aberdeen Grammar head coach Ali O’Connor will miss tomorrow’s trip to leaders JedForest as the Rubislaw men try to break a run of five straight defeats.

With O’Connor on holiday, assistant coach Matt Reid will take the side for the long trip to the Borders, where it will face a Jed side which has won all seven of its league matches so far this season.

Reid is confident his players will travel with belief after a 33-26 victory at Jed’s Riverside Park in March, which helped avoid relegation.

Reid said: “When we were struggling last seasonwehadto try to win every game to secure our spot. We found outwewere safe halfway through the JedForest game in March but we still scored with the last play of the game to win.

“I was looking after the second team that day but there are lots of players from last season still involved, so, hopefully, they can use that experience. JedForest are always difficult to play against. They are a physical side and are on a high after starting the season with seven wins. We will be without captain Calum Champion and Conor Lavery, while Harry Broomfield is still out following his concussion.”

Winger Calum Ruxton believes a surprise victory would transform his side’s season and he said: “The head coach sets really high standards for us to try tofulfilandtheonusisonus to meet them. Playing against the league leaders on their home pitch will be an extremely difficult challenge. It’s a game we have to have the right mindset for and a win could turn our season.

“The key for us is to start strongly. In last week’s 30-5 defeat by Marr we lost 20 points early. We need to start strongly and concentrate for 80 minutes. We’ve been working in training on putting the whole thing together.”

Despite their recent slump,

“Jed-Forest are on high after starting with seven wins”

Grammar remain nine points clear of the relegation zone, having started their campaign promisingly with back-to-back victories against Stewart’sMelville and Howe of Fife.

Having required a late surge to avoid the drop last season, Ruxton remains confident his side will not be dragged into the mix again.

He added: “Last season went down to the wire. It’s still early on in the season sowestill have a positive attitude, much like we did last year.”