NEW Lossiemouth boss Stevie Dunn has promised to get tough with his squad after blaming poor fitness levels on his team’s slump into the Highland League basement.
And he has brought in three new faces to help plug the defensive leaks which have blighted the Coasters’ quest to climb the table this term.
Following Deveronvale loan stopper Grant Mitchell into the club are ex-Rothes pair Mark Smith and Donald Horsburgh, both experienced defenders who Dunn feels can help the younger members of the team.
Only days after replacing Kevin Walker as Lossie manager, Dunn took his team training to the town’s East Beach for a ‘beasting’ on the sand dunes, and revealed he will be working hard on getting the squad fitter for the second half of the campaign.
“Fitness has been our weakness,” he said. “Over the past few weeks I notice how in the last 15-20 minutes of games we’ve fallen away.
“In one game at Wick, we were doing well but conceded four or five goals in the later stages.
“I feel our fitness has been quite poor, so that’s one of the things I’m looking to improve.”
Dunn has told his squad that every Tuesday night training session will be dominated by running and fitness work, so his players can benefit in time by going the distance in matches played on heavy surfaces.
“A lot of it has been more like pre-season. There will be plenty short, sharp stuff and a lot of running.”
New faces Mitchell, Smith and Horsburgh could all feature in a new look Lossie rearguard this weekend as Dunn takes on his former manager, Clach boss Iain Polworth in his first match in charge.
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