Forres Mechanics v Buckie Thistle at Mosset Park.
Picture: Becky Saunderson. Image No.042387
HORROR defending and freak goals contributed to Buckie Thistle’s early Halloween shocker at Forres Mechanics on Saturday. Jags crashed to a 7-2 hammering at Mosset Park as their hosts produced a devastating show of firepower. Stewart accused his players of not heeding pre-match warnings about Forres’ prowess from free kicks and corners. Mechanics’ veteran Robbie Duncanson scored a hat trick of free kicks and ex-Caley Thistle forward Andy Macrae also netted a treble, yet the Buckie boss claimed his team had numerous opportunities of their own. “We spoke before the game about them being dangerous from free kicks and corners and not to give them away,” said Stewart. “Then we gave away three really silly free kicks just outside our box which were unnecessary. Robbie Duncanson, who we know has got great free kick ability, he has put them all in the top corner. “We basically gave ourselves a mountain to climb. “The guys know it was a freakish result and they know they never played as well as I would have liked, but there was not that much in the game. “We probably created as many chances as them it was
just the fact we gave ourselves too much to do with the silly free kicks and the corner. “They scored from five setpieces, which you never normally see. You normally only see a couple of goals at most from setpieces in one game.”
Stewart said the first error in the game gifted Forres the lead after just two minutes. He pointed to giving away possession to Forres then being forced to concede a corner kick, which led to striker Stuart Soane heading home Duncanson’s flag kick. Duncanson fired a 35-yard free kick into the top corner on 20 minutes, then repeated the dose from closer in ten minutes later. Eight minutes before the break Macrae raced through to make it 4-0, leaving Jags needing a second-half miracle.
It got worse before it got better, with Macrae adding two more including a penalty conceded by Ally MacKenzie to take the gap to six goals. Stewart made some changes to try and gain some respectability, and it paid off when sub Callum Murray pulled one back midway through the half. Full back Andy Skinner drove home to bring it back to 6-2, but another free kick for the home side was blasted past young keeper Lee Herbert by an on-song Duncanson to finish off the visitors. Stewart said his players were
hurting at full time and challenged them to take out their pain on Rothes, who pay a visit to Victoria Park this Saturday. “They were gutted after the game and I’ve spoken to a few of them since,” said Stewart. “They all know they should be doing better than that and they are all up for putting it right on Saturday. “They will all work hard this week in training and we need to bounce back and show a bit of character.” The latest name on the Buckie injured list is Shaun Carrol, who pulled his hamstring in an
under-20s game against Cove last week and is set for a spell on the sidelines. Player assistant Lewis Mackinnon damaged his achilles in the Forres defeat and will be assessed this week. First choice keeper Daniel Bell has been working offshore but could return to face Rothes this weekend but defender Kieran Adams is away working for the next fortnight and misses out. John McLeod had a second hip operation this week and will miss the rest of the campaign while Kevin Fraser could be back by Christmas.