Strathspey Thistle grab great point in hard fought clash with Fraserburgh
Strathspey Thistle went into their latest league encounter against Fraserburgh with a degree of confidence following the performance at Rothes 14 days earlier.
And they produced their best performance of the season and deservedly came away with a share of the points following a hard fought 2-2 draw.
To a man they gave everything they had in terms of commitment, effort and togetherness as they secured another valuable point in their quest to get themselves out of the relegation zone.
They lacked nothing in terms of desire, and with a bit of luck could have secured another famous victory.
The home side opened with eight of the men who had defeated Rothes in their previous league outing.
Josh Race missed out through suspension.
The home side looked lively and threatening throughout.
However, it was the visitors who held the upper-hand in the opening period with Euan Storrier called into action twice in the opening ten minutes to blunt the threat of Logan Watt and Scott Barbour.
The visitors were stunned after 12 minutes when Caelan Mutch raced onto a cross in the box, chipped the ball over the onrushing Joe Barbour before knocking home the opener despite the attentions of Kieran Simpson.
The Broch response was swift as they drew level within three minutes.
The influential Greg Buchan weaved his way to the byeline, where his driven cross to the far post was knocked home by Liam Strachan for the equaliser.
The visitors spurned the opportunity to take the after 25 minutes.
Skipper Willie West weaved his way along the byeline and cut the ball back for the unmarked Logan Watt who
somehow mistimed his shot from four yards with the goal gaping.
Six minutes from the interval the home side should have regained the lead.
Caelan Mutch raced onto a long through ball and after rounding keeper Joe Barbour saw his final effort blocked by Kieran Simpson.
Two minutes later Liam Shewan went close when his deft angled lob beat the advancing keeper but agonisingly drifted over the crossbar.
As the first period drew to a close it was the home side who were in the ascendency and totally frustrating the visitors in breaking up the play at every opportunity.
Following their early opportunities the Broch were struggling to breakdown the well-organised home defence who were growing in confidence.
The teams went into the interval tied at 1-1.
But the Jags were hit by a huge setback within five minutes of the restart.
A corner was flighted into the crowded box, and when the loose ball landed at the feet of striker Logan Watt he poked home to give the visitors the lead.
Back came the home side, and they deservedly drew level just four minutes later.
Referee Morrison awarded the home side a corner.
From Liam Shewan’s flag kick Steve MacDonald rose above the broch rearguard to bullet home a superb header for the equaliser.
A sweeping move from the home side ended with Stephen Rennie firing a teasing cross into the box with Paul Brindle only inches away from adding the final touch with Barbour looking on anxiously.
With play now swinging from end to end, Jamie Beagrie went close with a header for the visitors while substitute Dylan Lawrence went even closer with a strike that drifted just wide of the far post.
The last 20 minutes saw the home side the likelier to grab a late winner with further efforts from Brindle, Rennie and MacPhee just failing to hit the target.
The look on the faces of the players on the final whistle said it all.
Having put so much into the match it felt like a defeat rather than a share of the points.
Without doubt this was the Grantown side’s best performance of the season.
This result will give them much needed confidence for the remainder of the season and shows that they can compete with some of the best teams in the Highland League.
Strathspey Thistle: Euan Storrier, Filip Franczak, Alistair Nixon, Jamie Calder, Steven MacDonald, Kieran Chalmers (Conor MacPhee) Stephen Rennie, James McShane, Paul Brindle, Liam Shewan (Dylan Lawrence) Caelan Mutch (Kieran Duffty)
Subs unused: Ethan Rae (gk) James Fraser, Lewis Mackie, Cameron Lisle, Zach MacPhee, Aaron Doran
Match Referee: Gordon Morrison
