Graeme Stewart is urging his Buckie Thistle high-fliers to go for glory in every competition as they head to Forres Mechanics in the semi-finals of the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup.
The Jags head to Mosset Park on the back of a 17th straight league victory as they swept to a 6-0 rout at Keith on Wednesday, while their hosts are looking to strike back from a punishing 8-0 battering by Brora Rangers on the same night.
Buckie are only one point behind leaders Fraserburgh as they hunt down the club’s first league crown since 2017.
⏭️ Attention turns to the Highland League Cup on Saturday as the Jags take on @TheCansOfficial at Mosset Park in the Semi-Final!
🏆 @GPHBuildersMer Highland League Cup.
📍 Mosset Park, IV36 1AU.
📅 Saturday March 12th – 3PM KO.We look forward to seeing you there! pic.twitter.com/ho8xpOFJEF
— Buckie Thistle FC (@BuckieThistle) March 10, 2022
Boss Stewart wants Thistle to be not just challenging regularly for prizes, but winning them.
He said: “We want to win something. We’re a team which has evolved since we last won the league five years ago.
“I feel this team should be winning trophies every year. We are one of the biggest clubs in the Highland League, so have got to a position where we’re challenging with Rothes, Brora, Fraserburgh and Formartine. They have won the trophies over the last three or four years.
“We need to be doing that as well to be spoken about in that company. The hard work is put in place to try and win trophies, not just one or two, but three or four trophies over the next few years.
“I want the guys to create memories and remember being at Buckie as being the best period of their careers, as it was for me as a player.”
Buckie believe in winning chances
Throughout their sizzling streak in the league, Buckie have beaten direct rivals and Stewart feels the squad can sense they’re on to something big.
He added: “It’s all about confidence and the boys really believe now more than ever. The last couple of seasons, we have struggled against the top four or five teams.
“This time, after losing to Brechin, Rothes and Brora away, we have beaten Formartine and Locos twice, who are just outside the top sides, but we also defeated Fraserburgh away and Brechin City at home and that’s been huge for the confidence.”
Forward Declan Milne is on loan at Dyce and striker Adam MacLeod is out with a cruciate ligament injury, but otherwise Buckie have no selection concerns. Keeper Lee Herbert, who is on loan at Forres, won’t be involved.
Numbers back to boost hosts Forres
Forres were missing nine players through a mixture of injury and Covid as they faced Brora in midweek.
However, goalkeeper Stuart Knight, defenders Tom Brady, Joe Gauld, midfielders Callum Johnston, Martin Groat and Kane Davies and striker Paul Brindle all might return, with only remain Ruari Fraser and Jack Grant sidelined.
Can Cans manager Steven MacDonald, who has helped guide the club to 10th spot in the league since replacing Gordon Connelly in late January, admits it was the perfect storm when they met the Cattachs, who are just three points off the summit.
He said: “We had genuine injuries and a couple of Covid cases, so it was a tough one.
“The last thing we needed was a game like that, but I knew it was going to be tough before we went into it. Brora were so ruthlessly professional and never took the foot off the pedal at all.”
Can Cans seek strong semi showing
MacDonald knows how tough it will be against another side packed with attacking quality.
He added: “We have to perform even better than we did when we beat Inverurie last Saturday.
“We will, realistically, need Buckie to also have an off-day, but I don’t expect them to take their eye off the ball.
“They have so many really good attacking options. I know Buckie striker Andy MacAskill quite well and he and Kevin Fraser really make them tick.
“Graeme Stewart has said Andy’s the best player in the league, so clearly we’ll need to stop him, for starters, although they have so many other good options.”