Brora Rangers have drawn plaudits for relentlessly punishing teams with high-scoring victories but over the last seven days the Cattachs have been forced to display the grittier qualities also required of champions.
Saturday’s 3-2 Highland League victory in a thrilling match against Fraserburgh at Bellslea came after the Cattachs bounced back to draw 1-1 against Formartine United last weekend, before reversing a one-goal deficit to advance to the AJG Parcels North of Scotland Cup final against Wick Academy in midweek.
Indeed, Davie Kirkwood’s men fell behind for the third successive match when Broch’s Scott Barbour tucked home from the spot 12 minutes in.
However Zander Sutherland was a man intent on making sure Brora were not going to slip up by netting an incisive hat-trick and he had the final say after Peter Alexander Bruce looked to have secured a point for the Buchan side.
“When I’m playing with the players at Brora I’m going to get chances,” said Sutherland.
“For the winner I think I just wanted it more than the Fraserburgh defence at that precise moment.
“Even after Fraserburgh made it 2-2 we kept believing we could go on and get another goal which we did.”
After a quiet start the home side was made aware of Brora’s attacking sharpness on nine minutes when Sutherland lashed over.
However, Fraserburgh made it clear they possessed danger in the final third as well.
Their first attacking surge was halted when forward Barbour was hauled to the ground by Colin Williamson, with referee Morag Pirie showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Barbour showed no ill effects of the challenge and confidently drilled his shot inside the left-hand post despite Joe Malin guessing correctly.
But no matter the circumstances this Cattachs side can show its class in the blink of an eye and Andrew Greig needed no invitation to pick out Sutherland with an exquisite pass from which the forward drilled underneath the onrushing body of Scott Cowe.
As if Sutherland’s finishing prowess didn’t act as a warning to the Broch defence, he was gifted a shooting chance after Russell McBride’s poor clearance on 28 minutes, but the former Buckie Thistle man drifted his effort wide.
The hosts were defending from the front and cavalier play by Brora’s Martin Maclean caused him to be robbed of the ball in his own area by Willie West but the midfielder was hesitant in his finish which was beaten away by Malin.
However, on 58 minutes Brora took the lead for the first time with another outstanding goal that again emanated from majestic wing play by Greig before being converted with class by Sutherland.
After winning the ball in his own half and nutmegging his opponent, Greig’s deep cross from the left was knocked down by James Mackay into the path of Sutherland, who angled a precise low drive beyond Cowe and into the far corner.
It would have been foolish to rule a determined Broch out of this one, though, and on 78 minutes their persistence paid off when Barbour slipped the ball into the path of Bruce, who slotted it low into the far corner past the onrushing Malin.
Kris Hunter’s Broch went in search of a winner and it nearly came when Barbour, who had given Ross Tokely a tough afternoon, brushed off the attentions of the veteran defender before zipping in a cross which narrowly evaded Graham Johnston.
However, there was to be another twist in the plot just four minutes from time.
From a routine Malin goal kick, misunderstanding ensued between McBride and Cowe, allowing Sutherland to nip in and, with the Broch goalkeeper all that stood between the attacker and his hat-trick, there was only going to be one outcome as Sutherland slid home his 17th goal of the campaign.