The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Final falls foul of waterlogged pitch
The Highland League Cup final will be played at Huntly’s Christie Park on Saturday after the showpiece fixture between Buckie Thistle and Rothes was postponed at the weekend due to Keith’s Kynoch Park being waterlogged.
With Kynoch Pa r k unavailable this weekend Christie Park has been selected.
Highland League secretary Rod Houston said: “We like to think we can control many things, but controlling the weather is beyond the scope of the Highland League.
“Naturally we’re disappointed because in these circumstances an awful lot of extra work goes into arranging a match.
“It ’ s a pity that the weather got the better of us.
“But given that we’re trying to finish the disrupted 2019-20 season we maybe shouldn’t be too surprised that the weather decides to have the last laugh.
“There is an extra demand on venues just now because of the pandemic and some venues maybe don’t have the pitch match ready if the club has been hibernating to some extent.
“T he y ’ ll keep things ticking over but there is a difference between that and being match-ready.
“However, the Highland League is grateful to Huntly FC for offering to stage the match.”
Buckie Thistle boss Graeme Stewart added: “It’s frustrating, but we want to p l ay in go o d conditions so if it was windy and the pitch was really wet that’s probably not going to suit our style.
“So maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world, but we’d prepared all week and the boys were flying after the result against Brora.
“We were gutted but you’ve just got to react to it, we’ ll get a good week’s training and extra time to prepare.
“I had a team in mind, but I had one or two carrying little knocks so it gives them a chance to recover.
“Sam
Mo r r i s o n was isolating having been a contact of someone who had Covid so he hasn’t trained much so it gives him another week of training.
“You’ve got to look at the positives from this and it gives us more training time.
“We only trained once this week because the Brora game took a lot out of the guys.”
Like Stewart, Rothes manager Ross Jack was disappointed by the postponement but admits the delay may give more of his squad a better chance of being available.
He said: “We were all disappointed when we heard the game was off. Ev e r y o n e was looking forward to it and I’m sure Buckie were the same.
“But we’ll regroup and it will give a couple of guys that were struggling a wee bit to recover. We were set to go so it is disappointing.
“Jack Brown and Alan Pollock were both struggling so they can get some treatment and get some training and hopefully they’ll be fit for Saturday.
“We did have a few people missing anyway, although Paul Macleod and Gregg Ma i n are both available again . Our new signing Sean Linden could come into things as well. He had a wee niggling injury and wasn’t fit for last week so if he can be ready it gives us another option.”
Me a nw h i l e , prior to Saturday morning’s pitch inspection Keith discovered their premises had been vandalised.
A window was smashed with shutters also damaged. Maroons chairman Andy Troup said: “It’s obviously very disappointing. For our committee, ground staff, helpers and everybody who does a tremendous amount of work – so much effort into getting the gound looking fantastic.
“So for people just to vandalise it shows a lack of respect.
“I’m just absolutely devastated about it. I’m so upset and annoyed because of the number of hours my committee and helpers have put in and they’ve done a fantastic job during the closed season.”