Brechin City boss Andy Kirk says his Breedon Highland League title-chasing side are “champing at the bit” to get back to action.
Wednesday’s home game against Nairn County will be the Hedgemen’s first league game since February 25, with Saturday’s trip to Keith their latest fixture to be postponed due to bad weather.
Since second-placed Brechin’s last Highland League outing, leaders Buckie Thistle have played three times – stretching their lead over their title-rivals to nine points.
Having also been left to stew on March 4’s disappointing Highland League Cup semi-final loss at Inverurie Locos, Kirk’s men, who have four games in hand on Buckie, are now facing hectic period of matches.
Brechin City manager: ‘It is what it is’
They will embrace it, according to their manager, who said: “It’s frustrating, but it is what it is. There’s been a bit of weather.
“It gives us the opportunity now to play games thick and fast, which we had towards the end of last season, and had a fantastic run.
“We’re looking forward to get back playing, that’s the main thing.
“It’s one of those where we’ve had one really poor performance and a couple of average ones in there. We’ve then trained really well and are looking forward to that next game to try to get it out our system, and it’s been called off.
“I think the last three now have been called off, so we find ourselves a little bit behind and trying to play catch-up on games.
“But sometimes that’s not the worst thing. The boys are champing at the bit and the game on Wednesday can’t come soon enough for us.”
Kirk says his squad have shown in training they have a “spring back in their step”, but he knows Wednesday’s visitors to Glebe Park will be a test – with Nairn one of the Highland League’s form teams in the second half of the season.
He added: “There’s that hunger to get back playing again.
“Hopefully we can hit the ground running, and put in the performance which gets us the result.
“The game’s going to be a tough one against a very improved Nairn County side.
“We’re going to have to work and compete harder than they do. Earn the right to get a foothold in the game.
“I know we’ve got a lot of quality, with players we have and the changes we can make – (but) ultimately they’ve got to do more than opposition.
“If we can do that and get a performance going, we’ve got a hell of a chance of picking up the points.”
Mackay: I want Nairn to able to take points at these places
Nairn could have veteran centre-half Ross Tokely back for their trip to Angus.
The Wee County are in the midst of a seven-day stretch where they play Brora Rangers, Brechin and Buckie away from home.
Nairn took the game to Brora in the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 loss after finding themselves 2-0 down, with manager Steven Mackay saying: “It could have gone one of two ways: it could’ve been a comprehensive win for them, or we could’ve rolled up our sleeves, did a bit more and worked a little harder. We did that in the second half.
“I’m looking for more of the same on Wednesday.
“We’ll go there, we’ll set up in such a way, and try to take something from the game.”
Mackay, whose side are eighth in the standings, added: “Sixth could be an outside chance for us – but we lost to Locos and lost to Rothes, and they were the two real tests for us, where, if we wanted sixth, we had to do something in those games.
“If we finish eighth that will still be deemed relative success from when we took over, but I just want to see what the mentality of the team is like over this week.
“Can we go to the three toughest places in the Highland League and take points?
“It’s all very well being glorious failures – (and hearing:) ‘unlucky, you’ve matched them the second half’ – but we’ve come away with nothing and I don’t want that to be the mentality of our club.”
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