Jags boss Brown laments defensive frailties after heavy defeats
IT has been a week to forget for Charlie Brown after watching his Strathspey Thistle charges concede a whopping seventeen goals in their last two Highland League outings.
There was no noted improvement on Saturday when the club were knocked for six at Kynoch Park.
The Jags manager was left lamenting his side’s defensive frailties after a series of errors again put the game beyond their grasp by half time.
Brown said: “The defeat was all down to our inability to defend at set pieces and our reaction to second balls.
“Keith are on the up and have players with pace who can hurt teams if given time and space to work in. Not clearing our lines properly left us open and they took the chances.”
Home side Keith opened the scoring through Kieran Mooney after just ten minutes, who cut in from the left to curl a shot into the top corner.
Goals added by Ryan Robertson and Matthew Tough gave Keith a 3–0 advantage at half-time.
Thistle pulled one through Aidan Cruickshank in the second half, but Mooney added goals either side of it, and a Stewart Hutcheon penalty rounded off the defeat.
One shining light in an otherwise miserable week was the performance of new signing, Cruickshank, who joins the club on a one year deal.
The 17-year-old former Elgin City under-18 forward scored twice for Dufftown during a short loan spell with the North Region junior side last season.
Cruickshank joins an increasing group of new faces at Seafield Park as the manager looks to turn the season around.
Brown added: “Aidan is one we have taken on loan from Elgin City. He is a young player who was on loan last season at Dufftown and was a standout for them.
“We also had three trialists on the bench from the community team against Brora, who have been performing well and deserve the chance to step up and show what they are capable of.”
The Jags hope to have club captain James Mcshane and striker Alan Kerr back in the squad for this weekend’s game at home to Turriff United.
The manager said: “We know Turriff will be tough to break down but we know we have the players to open them up. Defensive wise, we need to be stronger and more proactive rather than reactive.”