The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Kirk vows to battle on after Brechin drop six points behind leaders
BUCKIE THISTLE 1 BRECHIN CITY 0
Brechin City manager Andy Kirk insists that his side will battle on after a 1-0 defeat by Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park saw them fall six points behind league leaders Fraserburgh, who have a game in hand.
“We’ll keep fighting and keep pushing,” he said.
“The next match becomes really important and we have to aim to take maximum points from that and then try to put a winning run together after that and see where that takes us come the end of the season.
“It was a difficult game and I didn’t think we saw a great deal of quality from either side, if I’m being honest. I thought that we were the better side in the first-half although we didn’t ask or test enough of their backline and of their goalkeeper to see what they’re made of.
“We’d one or two half opportunities and a couple of strikes at goal, but ultimately their goal came from an error from our keeper and unfortunately there’s no outline after him but sometimes that happens.
“Outfield players make mistakes during the course of matches but when your keeper makes one it often leads to a goal.
“It was really difficult in the second half as it was really windy down the pitch. We tried to get into good areas but we didn’t put balls into their box often enough. We made some poor decisions when we were on the ball and we didn’t put Buckie under enough pressure in the wider areas and put crosses in and put shots in to test their keeper.
“We’re disappointed with the result. There are positives that we can take from the performance, but we’ve got to pick ourselves up and move on.”
The only goal of the game came after just five minutes when the Jags won a free-kick 25 yards from the City goal.
Max Barry’s free-kick took a deflection off City’s defensive wall and although keeper Jack Wills looked to have it covered he was caught in two minds whether to clutch or clear the ball and ultimately allowed it to squirm past him into the top corner of the net.
Buckie manager Graeme Stewart said: “With the pitch not being great, the wind and it being a game of such magnitude, I thought the boys were unbelievable in terms of work rate and effort.
“The quality probably wasn’t there, but it was about getting a win and we ground it out.
“I think we had to win – a draw didn’t suit either team.
“Hopefully we’ll kick on, but Brechin are still in. I’m delighted because it’s the hardest week we’ve had this season and we’ve come through with flying colours.”