CRAIG Dorrat has been put on Buckie Thistle’s transfer list as part of manager Graeme Stewart’s squad-trimming exercise. With several of Jags’ injured stars now returning to fitness, assistant boss Lewis Mackinnon said the player pool at Victoria Park has become too large to manage and there will be several departures before next season. The club sold midfielder Ally MacKenzie to Rothes last week and Dorrat has been made available for transfer, with Mackinnon revealing how others will follow. “We will be thinning the squad out and there will probably be two to three more players up for transfer in the summer. We are carrying too many with the boys coming back,” he said. While the likes of Kevin Fraser, Hamish Munro and Sam Urquhart continue on the comeback trail, and Buckie still recruiting new players, some will become surplus to requirements. Boss Stewart recently signed attacking midfielder Joe McCabe from Inverurie Locos and last week brought in 16-year-old Elgin-based prospect Mark Mclauchlan, who was released by Aberdeen. A third, unnamed young player has also been secured on a pre-contract deal. Mclauchlan was on Jags’ bench for Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Huntly and the speedy left-sider is being pencilled in for a debut at left-back during the remaining games of the campaign. Mackinnon hinted at changes to the Buckie starting line-up for Wednesday’s trip to Nairn County and Saturday’s return match with Huntly at Christie Park. “We are looking to maybe blood other players who haven’t been involved, and Mark is one we want to see in action,” he said. “We might give some of the other lads a run out to show what they can do and play for a starting berth next season. Mackinnon held his hands up to the mistake which led to David Booth giving Huntly an early lead
at Victoria Park last weekend. In a scrappy contest, Andy Macaskill missed a close-range chance to level before Stevie Ross netted on 73 minutes to rescue a point for the home team. “I do think we had the better chances and we missed a couple of absolute sitters but I gifted them a goal which doesn’t help,” said Mackinnon. “We did edge the game albeit we played very poorly and we should be doing a lot better than our current form. Buckie will look to put that right with their midweek clash at Nairn. “They have got a nice surface which will suit us because we do try and play football and maybe we overplay the football at times so we maybe need to try and go a bit more direct and get in behind defences. “We are just a bit too easy to play against just now, teams are sitting in and we’re playing the ball about in front of them so we need to be more aggressive with our passing and runs.” Kieran Adams is offshore but will be available to play more often next season.