January 3rd 2025
UNDER-20s Head Coach Stuart Finnie did not mince his words after watching his side lose in the North of Scotland League for the first time this season. Niall Docherty fired visitors Brora Rangers into a two-goal lead in the first half before seeing his team go down to 10 men with Cammy Sutherland picking up a second booking 10 minutes before the interval. But the numbers were levelled up just over a quarter-of-an-hour into a goalless second half with Callum Ednie dismissed for his second caution. “We are very disappointed in the performance and I think we have massively let ourselves down,” Finnie said. “Brora looked hungrier and sharper than we did and that is really disappointing for me. Some boys looked like they had not prepared properly for the game over the weekend." “I told the boys that the game was going to be tough and that they were a good team but our decision-making was shocking, whether it was going long all the time or holding on to the ball for too long." “We stressed at half time that with Brora being down to 10 men, we had to get the ball moving from side to side to try to drag them about but all we wanted to do was hoof it long and that was meat and drink for their centre backs, who swallowed that up all night with ease.” Ednie was booked for a lunging challenge in the first half before seeing red just after the hour-mark for persistent infringements after giving away another free kick just two minutes after receiving a final warning from referee Gordon Seago for another foul. Finnie said: “I have no complaints about our sending off. I understand boys getting frustrated but you must keep your discipline, especially when you are on a booking." “It is even more annoying as we had Colin Morrison stripped and ready to come on for Ednie, so it ruined our plans.” He added: “Then, there was an over-reliance on Seamus (McConaghy) and we looked as if we were expecting or hoping that he would dig us out of a hole. We need our boys to be braver than that and want to get on the ball." “It has been a poor night but we must learn from it. We now play Elgin away in two weeks and they do not come much harder than that. We need a reaction and after tonight – everyone’s place is up for grabs. No one is assured of starting that game and the only way boys will get in the team is if they train well over the next two weeks.” Graeme Macleod
