Co-manager Jamie Watt says Banks o’ Dee are “itching” to get their teeth into a daunting run of fixtures.
Dee are facing four matches in 10 days – they host Deveronvale at Spain Park in the Breedon Highland League on Wednesday, before a league trip to second-placed Buckie Thistle on Saturday, a Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield clash at Fraserburgh next Tuesday, and then a league meeting with the Broch in Aberdeen next Friday.
Still, Watt is eager to get going against the Vale this evening, as cup fixtures involving Dee and other teams have meant the Highland League new boys – currently sitting fifth – have only played one league match (2-0 win over Forres) in the past four weeks.
Watt is keen for Dee to get on with establishing themselves in the division, saying: “We’ve created a lot of confidence. Each game’s been getting better and more solid at the back.
“I know the test the Vale will bring. I’ve done my homework on them and found out they’re a pretty aggressive team from what I’m hearing in how they’re playing. I think they’re making it sticky against a lot of the top teams.
“I watched their highlights against East Kilbride (4-2 Scottish Cup loss) – a game they could’ve won – and thought it was a pretty impressive showing from them.
“We’re itching to get back, but it’s a tough run coming up.”
Watt now has most of his squad up to speed, including veteran goal-machine Neil Gauld and ex-Formartine boss Paul Lawson.
He insists depth, and this experience, will be vital over the week-or-so ahead.
Watt added: “Boys like that (Gauld and Lawson) are invaluable.
“You see what Gauldy brings – he knows where to be with his movement, and his finishing… There’s a reason he’s two goals or one goal behind Cammy Keith in the all-time Highland League standings.
“Paul is just starting to find his feet. He was carrying a couple of niggles, but in the last few weeks he’s come back to fitness, started the last two games, and he’s just got class written all over him.”
Dee’s squad is unchanged, bar Dean Lawrie, who is offshore.
Michael Phillipson, Max Alexander and Kyle Willox remain out long-term.
Deveronvale, meanwhile, travel to Spain Park boosted by a 4-3 win over Keith on Saturday – a game where they scored four times in 16 first-half minutes after going 2-0 down.
Boss Craig Stewart has been happy with Vale’s performances this term – but thinks they’ve been undone in some games by defensive lapses and failing to take chances in key moments.
He hopes Saturday’s victory is the dawning of a new ruthlessness from the Banffers, saying: “We go in with a wee bit of confidence following a win on Saturday and scoring a few goals as well, which we’ve been struggling to do recently.
“I don’t think our performance on Saturday was any better or worse than previous weeks – I just think we took our chances, and that’s certainly going to be important on Wednesday night.
“We obviously need to shut up shop at the back as well, which we’ve been working on week in, week out.”
Aaron Hamilton (knee), Robbie Allan (knee) and Jamie Tinnock (ankle) are still a few weeks away from returning for Vale, while Matty Jamieson is also touch and go with an ankle issue.
Brechin host Huntly, while Keith head to Lossie
Elsewhere on Wednesday, flawless Breedon Highland League leaders Brechin City host Huntly at Glebe Park.
Andy Kirk has watched his side win eight games out of eight so far – including Saturday’s 1-0 win at Inverurie Locos – and wants to see more of the same from the Hedgemen.
He said: “We try to approach every game the same way in terms of our preparation and getting that level of performance right, and putting ourselves in a position where we have a chance of winning the game.
“To do that, we know every week we have to be at our best. We need to be doing the basics well, as we’ll be facing another team who’ll be desperate to try to beat us and who will pose different threats.
“We’re aware we’ve been doing well recently – but we’ve been doing well for certain reasons and we want to try to keep that going.”
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📸 @mcgrath_grady is pictured netting the only goal of the game at Inverurie yesterday as City made it 1️⃣9️⃣ league wins on the trot! pic.twitter.com/J79fRWpNO3
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) October 2, 2022
Kirk’s squad is at near-full strength, with Jamie Bain and Kieran Inglis returning to full fitness over the last couple of weeks.
Huntly will be missing Kyle Dalling, Colin Charlesworth, Zander Jack, Alex Thoirs and Liam MacDonald.
Meanwhile, 12th-placed Keith travel to 14th-placed Lossiemouth on Wednesday.
The Maroons are looking to bounce back after giving up their two-goal advantage to lose 4-3 against the Vale on Saturday.
Their manager, Craig Ewen, said: “It was just a horrendous 20 minutes we can’t get back. We were sitting in a position where we were in control, but the momentum shifts very quickly in football.
“There’s no easy games in the league. Lossie away – we didn’t perform last year – and, taking into account they haven’t had a game since Huntly (4-1 loss), which they’ll have viewed as a poor performance and will be wanting to bounce back from, it’s probably two teams who are fairly evenly-matched and both will be looking to get the three points.
“It’s one of those where it’ll be whoever’s better on the night, more than likely.”
Keith will be without goalkeeper Craig Reid, Nick Gray, Nathan McKeown and Kieran Yeats, while Dean Stewart is unavailable for Lossie, but Jared Kennedy, Ryan Stuart and Scott Miller return.
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