Brora Rangers boss Steven Mackay reckons his Breedon Highland League leaders have the tougher run-in of the two title contenders.
Both Brora and Brechin – only behind the Cattachs on goal difference – have four league matches left, and they are both in action on Wednesday evening.
Huntly’s Christie Park is Brora’s destination, and Mackay rates a closing schedule which includes two clashes with the Black and Golds, plus a tussle with third-placed Banks o’ Dee, as more dangerous than the games their rivals, the Hedgemen, still have to face.
On whose finish is harder, Mackay – who thinks four victories are required to take the championship trophy to Sutherland – said: “We’ve got one away and then three at home, which is Banks o’ Dee, Huntly and then Rothes.
“(So it’s) probably ourselves, in reality.
“I think Brechin have got Strathspey, and then it’s Formartine away – which will be a tough game for them – and then it’s two home games against Nairn and Lossie.
“They’re both tricky for their own reasons – but the reality is I’m not caring about their run-in.
“I’m just caring about what we do and what we’ve got in front of us, and we’ve got some tricky games.
“But if we play like we did on Saturday, we’ll give ourselves a good shot, that’s for sure.”
Mackay believes their 2-1 weekend win over Clachnacuddin, who had led Brora 1-0, was a “big moment” for his side.
It completed another topsy-turvy title race week, where Brechin’s midweek loss at Inverurie Locos saw them fall off top spot, having only recently reclaimed the summit following Brora’s defeats against Buckie Thistle and their Angus rivals.
Mackay says Brora are “under no illusions Brechin will be ready to pounce” again if they “can’t take care of our own business” down the closing stretch – including at Huntly.
He added: “It’s a bit strange we’re playing Huntly twice in just over a week.
“Going to their place is always hard – any team that goes there is in for a tough game.
“They’ve obviously had a pretty strong season, albeit the fact they’ve had so many games called off, and they’ve lost a little bit of momentum.
“But they’ve got a lot of threats in their team – Callum Murray and Angus Grant to name a couple.
“We know it’ll be a tricky game for us, but like I said, we played well on Saturday, we controlled the game really well and we’ll need that level of composure and control if we’re going to get anything.”
Huntly have drawn against Strathspey Thistle (1-1) and lost to Nairn County (2-1) in their last two outings, and the good news for Brora is Colin Charlesworth’s team will still be without 30-goal striker Grant, who is struggling with an ankle ligament injury.
Michael Clark and James Connolly will return for the home side.
Ray McKinnon: All of our opponents want to have title race impact
Meanwhile, ahead of their trip to Strathspey Thistle on Wednesday, Brechin interim boss Ray McKinnon knows he is coming up against opponents who, like City, still have plenty to play for this season.
Second-bottom Strathspey’s 1-0 win against Rothes put three points between them and the Speysiders at the bottom of the table.
There is still an outside chance the team who finish bottom of Highland League this term will face a relegation play-off, and McKinnon thinks Brechin “absolutely” must be wary of the still-motivated Jags.
He said: “They’ve had some good results recently, they’ve made some new signings, so I can assure you we won’t be underestimating anybody from now to the end of the season.
“Everybody will get the same attention that we have been given.
“I’m sure it’ll be another competitive game.”
McKinnon – who took the Brechin job at the start of the month in the wake of Patrick Cregg’s sacking – has the sense all of Brechin and Brora’s opponents in this last stretch of the campaign have been desperate to influence the title race, adding: “At this time of the season, every game is going to be competitive.
“I’ve found that in the games I’ve been in charge.
“Everybody’s up for playing against us and I imagine it’s the same for Brora, so I don’t think that’ll change from now to the end of the season.
“You’ve just got to try and win every game that’s in front of you to the end of the season and see where it takes you. It’s as simple as that.”
McKinnon is hopeful he could have the vastly-experienced Kevin McHattie, as well as wideman Craig Tosh, back from injury and able to help their title bid before the campaign’s end, but they will not be available to face Strathspey.
Strathspey manager Ryan Esson insists he is targeting five wins from their remaining five games to guarantee they avoid last place – and any relegation jeopardy.
He said: “It’s in our hands – that’s all we could have asked for when I first came in at the start.”
On Wednesday’s game, he added: “Brechin are going for the league, but we’ve been in the majority of the games, with a couple of disappointing games in between.
“Every game, we’ve got to be confident that we’re going in to try and win it.
“But we know it’s a tough ask because of the amount of games that we’ve actually had to play – it’ll be 12 games in six weeks by the end of March. That’s tough for any team.
“Look, we’ll approach it like we do and we’ll prepare for it.
“I’ve seen Brechin a lot. Even in the time I was at St Johnstone before I came here, I’d played them twice: once in pre-season there, and then the Challenge Cup with the under-21s at St Johnstone.
“So I know them quite well. I know a few of their players.”
Josh Race is expected to miss Wednesday and Saturday’s games for Strathspey through injury.
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