The competitive part of Sean Butcher means it will take a little time for the Fraserburgh striker to really appreciate his goal against Premiership Kilmarnock.
Butcher pulled one back for the Highland League champions in Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup opener, during a fierce second half rally from the home side.
The 28-year-old’s close-range finish beyond Killie keeper Zach Hemming reduced the deficit, after a Ross Aitken own goal and Fraser Murray free-kick had put the top-flight outfit in control of the Group B tussle.
The Broch contingent inside a packed Bellslea erupted at Butcher’s goal, however, their glee was dampened moments later when Kyle Lafferty finished off Danny Armstrong’s cross to seal a 3-1 victory for the visitors.
Butcher thinks, after the initial disappointment at the loss wears off, he’ll come to appreciate his souvenir from the David v Goliath League Cup clash, saying: “Just now it doesn’t feel unbelievable, because we got beat and as a football player you still want to win matches.
“It’s definitely something I’ll look back on when the game settles in my mind a bit. It’s something to tell your grandkids about, scoring against an SPFL team.
“They had some unbelievable players and they showed their class at times, but I think the boys worked really hard and I don’t think we disgraced ourselves. We gave it a good go and got it to 2-1.
“The Bellslea is a brilliant place to play in any game, nevermind a big game like that, and when we scored the place just erupted.
“Unfortunately for us, their player on the wing has put it into to Lafferty, who does that (score) for a living. He’s done that all his life, he’s a great player and it was just unfortunate, because 2-1 would’ve frightened them a bit.
“At the start of the second half we changed our shape and went man-for-man and I think it really did get to them a bit. I’m not saying we really put them under pressure, but it definitely changed things as they had to change their shape to get on the ball a bit more.”
‘I can jump quite well, but Ash Taylor was still a foot above me’
One of the notable differences between the part-time Broch and Derek McInnes’ Championship winners – the four-tier gap between them in the Scottish football pyramid apart – was the disparity in stature between the sides.
At one point in the opening period, Butcher – renowned for his aerial prowess – looked perplexed as to how he was going to out-jump 6ft 3in former Aberdeen centre-back Ash Taylor.
Butcher said: “It was unbelievable. There was one long ball that came from Paul Leask, and I went up to win it like I would normally.
“You’ve seen I can jump quite well, but Ash Taylor was still a foot above me. I was like: ‘whoa, he’s a big lad’, and I thought I’ll need to do better in the next 80 minutes to win some headers.
“But every player in their team looked big, which is Derek McInnes’ style I suppose – he likes big lads.
“At set-pieces, they were definitely a challenge. We had our men to mark at the start of the game, and I was picking up Kyle Lafferty and he was towering above me.”
Butcher understands need to shuffle pack in League Cup campaign
Fraserburgh host League One Montrose at Bellslea on Tuesday night (7.45pm kick-off) in their next Group B match.
Butcher accepts, for Broch boss Mark Cowie, the Premier Sports Cup has to be a balancing act.
He said: “It’s difficult. Of course, the main priority for us has got to be the Highland League – that’s what we’re playing in and we need to try to challenge again to win the league and get that chance again to get promoted.
“But these games, this is what you want, to play against better opposition, against the best players you can and test yourselves, especially when it’s big teams like that and we get big crowds.
“As players you want to play every minute, but you understand the manager thinking he needs to shuffle it a bit and keep boys ready for the Deveronvale game, because you don’t want us all blowing a gasket for the 23rd when the Vale come here to see us.”
