MAX BERTON SANDWICHED BETWEEN CONNOR RENNIE AND JOE McCabe
A GREEN and white tide overwhelmed Strathspey Thistle as the Buckie Jags signed off from what has been an up and down season in style with a 5-1 rout. Buckie’s new striker Joe McCabe made his mark in Grantown with an impressive headed hat trick which the club management will be hoping is a portent of things to come next season. McCabe pounced twice from corners to give Buckie a 2-0 advantage, with Sam Robertson adding a decisive third. Strathspey clawed one back through Andrew Miller but this was to be shortlived episode of defiance, McCabe reasserting the Jags’ dominance with his third and his side’s fourth. Kevin Fraser wrapped up a good afternoon’s work for the visitors with a fifth goal. While delighted with the result, it also raised questions with Jags boss Graeme Stewart. “It’s a great way to finish the season, especially after the last four or five games which were disappointing for us,” he told the Advertiser. “We missed quite a few chances so the score could’ve up a lot more in our favour. “The question I’m asking is why we weren’t doing this earlier in the season. “I was also delighted for Joe getting a hat trick. He’s slotted in very well to the side and gives us something different with a strong physical presence and is a threat in the air.” The Jags have suffered another injury-ravaged season which has seen them perform below expectations. However, Stewart refused to use this as an excuse for performances he felt were often below par. He continued: “There’s no getting away from it, even taking into account the injuries we’ve had we should’ve had a better season. “Another thing we’ll have to deal with is boys missing games for reasons apart from work or injury. It’s been happening too often and disrupts training and team selection.” Stewart added that he was looking to add another one or two faces to the squad – augmented by the return of long-term injury victims – with three or four players heading for the Victoria Park exit door. The Buckie Thistle squad will now have until June 11 to recharge their batteries for the 2019-20 season.