Ross Still admits it was tough to decide to leave Huntly – but he felt the chance to see another part of the world was too good to turn down.
Today’s Breedon Highland League encounter with Clachnacuddin at Grant Street Park will be the 29-year-old’s penultimate game for the Black and Golds before he jets off to Australia on March 1.
Still first joined Huntly in 2016 and, apart from spending the 2021-22 season with Inverurie Locos, has been there ever since.
Still relishing new experience
However, he is now getting set to move to Melbourne and has agreed to sign for Craigieburn City, who play in Division Two of the Victorian State League.
Still, who can operate in central midfield or central defence, said: “My time at Huntly has been really enjoyable.
“I’ve played my best football at Huntly and particularly in recent times playing centre-back has been good and I think it suits my game.
“I had no intention of leaving Huntly and it’s not for footballing reasons that I’m leaving.
“This opportunity in Australia came up and it swayed me. I had a lot of things to weigh up and it wasn’t an easy decision.
“The chance to see a different part of the world and experience life somewhere else is why we’re going.
“Hopefully in this game against Clach and next week against Formartine I can go out on a high.”
Still doesn’t know how long he and his partner Laura will spend Down Under, but is looking forward to the experience.
He added: “Right now myself and my fiancée Laura don’t have a mortgage or anything really tying us down.
“We got engaged in October so it was kind of a case of thinking about settling down or going and trying this for a year or a couple of years.
“We might only be there a year or two or it might be permanently, we don’t really know, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Lilywhites add Ross
Meanwhile, Clach have signed goalkeeper Logan Ross on loan from Ross County for the rest of the season.
Lilywhites number one Joe Malin is out with a knee injury and manager Conor Gethins is pleased to have recruited a replacement from full-time football.
Ross, 20, has played for Elgin City, Huntly, Forres Mechanics, Nairn County and Clach at various points this season as an emergency loanee.
Gethins said: “Joe’s been solid for us and Daniel Rae and Michael Miele have done well when they’ve played, but they’re maybe not quite ready to be thrown in yet.
“Logan’s played for us already this season and he was excellent.
“He’s a full-time goalkeeper who is getting coached every day and he’s ready to slot in straightaway.”
Looking ahead to facing Huntly, Gethins added: “We’ve got to be looking to finish in the top five. We’ve been there for a long period of the season and it would be disappointing if we were to fall away.
“But if we want to push for that we need to beat the sides in and around us and Huntly are one of them. They want to be up there like ourselves so it will be a difficult game.”
Morrison could make Strathspey bow
Elsewhere, Strathspey Thistle could hand a debut to Sam Morrison when they face Formartine United at North Lodge Park.
The 26-year-old centre-back has joined his hometown team on loan from Buckie Thistle for the rest of the season.
Strathspey manager Ryan Esson said: “Sam’s experienced, he’s a really good communicator, he’s a good passer, he reads the game well and he’s aggressive.
“He ticks every box in terms of what we’re looking for, he knows what’s expected and he’s got that hunger to get himself going again having not had a lot minutes this season.”
Fraser Mackie returns for Fraserburgh who face Wick Academy at Bellslea. The Scorries are minus Owen Harrold, Alan Hughes, Matthew Robertson, Jack Henry, Richard Macadie and David Allan, but Mark Macadie is back in the fold.
Keith face Rothes at Kynoch Park and have signed defender Josh Buchan on loan from Inverurie Locos for the rest of the season.
The 19-year-old had a stint with Maroons last season and manager Craig Ewen said: “Josh is an excellent young player.
“With Grant Moroney being recalled by Formartine that opened up a space and we’ve still got players missing so with 13 games left we felt it was a good opportunity to take Josh in.
“Josh did well for us last season, hopefully he can come in and push on again this season.”
Ruairi Duncan returns for Rothes.
Buckie make signing ahead of Brechin clash
Manager Lewis MacKinnon believes new recruit Bodhan Campbell can have a bright future with Buckie Thistle.
The 17-year-old striker has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Jags ahead of today’s clash with Brechin City at Glebe Park in the Breedon Highland League.
Campbell joins Buckie from Inverness youth outfit Balloan and MacKinnon said: “We’ve got a wee tie-in with Balloan. Our young goalkeeper Harvey Fitzgerald is also with them and our Inverness players train with some of their young lads on a Monday night.
“It was at training that I first came across Bodhan and he asked to come down to Buckie to train with us and he’s fitted in really well.
“When we’ve been light on numbers he’s been in a few matchday squads as a trialist to gain experience.
“He’s from Plockton so it’s a lot of travelling, but the commitment from Bodhan and his family to come to training and games has really impressed me.
“He’s got a great attitude and he’s a strapping lad for his age. What impressed me in one of his first training sessions was that he gave Hamish Munro a bit of a battering.
“Bodhan’s got a bright future and I think he can do well for us.”
Cregg calls for ruthlessness
Meanwhile, Patrick Cregg has called on Brechin to show their killer instinct during the title run-in.
After drawing 2-2 with fellow contenders Banks o’ Dee last weekend the Hedgemen are second behind leaders Brora Rangers on goal difference.
But they do have a game in hand and also still have to face the Cattachs at Dudgeon Park next month.
Manager Cregg said: “What’s disappointing last week was that we took the lead twice in the game, but Banks o’ Dee were able to come back.
“We can’t dwell on these things, it’s about learning and growing.
“We want to win every game and sometimes a draw can feel like a defeat, but you need to take the positives and learn from it.
“We had opportunities against Banks o’ Dee to be 3-1 up which would have given them a mountain to climb.
“It’s so important to have the killer instinct and the mindset that we need to score goals and give ourselves a cushion when we’re on top in games.
“We know as a group it’s still in our hands and we have to embrace that and be excited by that.
“We need to make sure we learn and make sure we put games to bed.”
Mackay looks to keep control of Brora’s destiny
Brora Rangers manager Steven Mackay is determined to remain in control of their own destiny in the Breedon Highland League title race.
The Cattachs are sitting at the summit of the division on goal difference and take on Turriff United at the Haughs today.
If Brora can win their remaining 12 games that should result in them being crowned champions.
However, Mackay knows that’s a tall order and said: “With how competitive the league has been this season it will be very tough to win all our games.
“All we can do is just look at the next game in front of us and not get carried away.
“We’ll try to tick the games off one by one. The first game ahead of us is Turriff and we need to apply ourselves properly, the league is so unpredictable and anyone can beat anyone.
“We’re mindful of that and we know we can’t take anything for granted.
“If we take care of our business that should be good enough and that’s a good position to be in.
“We don’t want to be relying on anyone else, we’ve got 12 cup finals to play.
“But Brechin and Banks o’ Dee are up there with us. The likelihood is it will go to the wire, but we need to give ourselves every opportunity to be in pole position come the end of the season.”
Yeats aiming for better start
Meanwhile, Turriff’s Kieran Yeats says they need to deliver a 90-minute display to get a positive result against Brora.
United exited the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield in midweek with a 4-2 defeat against Fraserburgh, but performed well in the second period having found themselves 4-1 down at half-time.
Left-back Yeats, 24, scored both of their goals against the Broch and added: “We need to take our second half performance against Fraserburgh and start like that against Brora.
“When we play well I think we’ve shown we can cause anybody problems.
“But it’s up to us to go out and do it on a more consistent basis and do it from the first minute of games.
“A top half finish is still the aim for us and hopefully we can get there.”
Elsewhere, Banks o’ Dee face Forres Mechanics in a 2pm kick-off at Spain Park after the fixture was switched from Mosset Park earlier this week.
Kane Winton and Jason Selbie are missing for Dee, while the Can-Cans are without Ryan McRitchie and have brought in Cove Rangers goalkeeper Jack Robertson, 18, on a week-long emergency loan.
Inverurie 6-1 Deveronvale
Dean Donaldson urged Inverurie Locos to continue being clinical after they made it four wins on the spin in the Breedon Highland League with an emphatic victory against Deveronvale.
At times this season Donaldson has bemoaned the Railwaymen not scoring enough goals, but he was delighted with what he saw in their 6-1 victory against the Banffers at Harlaw Park.
Locos are fourth in the table, five points ahead of fifth-placed Clachnacuddin, who have a game in hand.
Donaldson said: “The boys played some good stuff. We’ve played as well in other games and not scored as many, so it was one of those night where everything clicked for us.
“The target has to be to finish as high as possible. The boys can compete against anyone on their day if they keep that attitude and work-rate.
“We were clinical on this occasion and hopefully that continues until the end of the season.”
Locos rack up the goals
Before kick-off Inverurie welcomed Jason Banks onto the pitch as guest of honour after his historic triple success at the World Indoor Bowls Championship last month.
The home side broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when Cole Anderson’s cross from the right was finished by Milosz Ochmanski at the back post.
Four minutes later Deveronvale equalised as their teenage talisman Jack Mitchell picked out the bottom left corner with an excellent finish from 18 yards.
Calum Dingwall’s superb curling free-kick from near the left angle of the penalty area put Locos in front again on 33 minutes. However, Vale were unhappy with the award of the free-kick initially.
Four minutes later Inverurie made it 3-1. Anderson was felled by a combination of Jayden Goldie and player-manager Garry Wood inside the box and after referee Olivia Crawford pointed to the spot, Paul Coutts found the bottom left corner.
Midway through the second period Locos wrapped up their victory when Aidan Wilson’s cross from the right fell for substitute Callum Duncan to net from 12 yards.
In the 70th minute the Railwaymen made it five when Coutts’ inswinging corner from the left found its way into the net.
Five minutes from time sub Josh Bolton’s ball across from the right teed up fellow sub Ryan Park to finish from 12 yards to complete the scoring.
Disappointment for Banffers
Vale boss Wood said: “To lose six goals isn’t acceptable and the players have been told that. Locos didn’t have to work hard for their goals, which is disappointing.
“Without wishing to get myself into trouble I think the officials had a difficult night.
“We felt we should have had a foul in their half which wasn’t given and then Inverurie got an even softer foul and it leads to the second goal, but we were well-beaten in the end.”
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