Buckie boss close to finding top blend
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BUCKIE Thistle boss Graeme Stewart feels he is closer to finding his strongest starting eleven after two SPFL tests in the past week.
Jags went down 2-0 away to League 1 Forfar Athletic last Saturday before holding neighbours Elgin City to a 1-1 draw at Victoria Park the following midweek.
Stewart made a rash of substitutions in both games but said beginning with Saturday’s game against Peterhead he will be playing just the players he is likely to use most during the coming season.
“Bringing in younger lads who maybe hadn’t played the formation a lot meant we were a bit disjointed (against Elgin),” said Stewart. “We did say going forward now, we’ve got two weeks to go (until the season starts) and we won’t be making as many subs. I’ll be keeping it to two or three.
“We’ve got to get a core of 14, 15 boys who we think are going to be playing most weeks, and we need to get them their minutes.”
Stewart lined up with 19 players against Elgin on Tuesday night, not including new signing Dennis Wyness, who was working, and experienced stopper Chris Hegarty, who was unavailable.
The manager has a number of young players like Liam Cheyne, Stuart Hodge, Kyle Gauld, Robert Scott, Elliot McDonald and new signing Liam Paterson on the fringes of his first team, and may look to loan some out to other Highland League clubs or junior sides for more experience.
Three are expected to go to Rothes on a loan deal until Christmas, though he revealed that one of his new young faces will be staying in the first team pool due to the potential he has shown.
Kai Ross may be a teenager stepping up from the amateur ranks to Highland League but Stewart feels he has the physical qualities to cope at this level.
“He’ll be in our first team squad, we are not looking to loan him out. We just need to put him in little by little, but he’s got all the ability.”
Jags lost out to a first half Martyn Fotheringham brace at Forfar – one a dubious penalty – while against City a Darren Wood header put Buckie ahead at the break before Brian Cameron square it late on.
Stewart has been particularly impressed with the displays of Kevin Fraser and recent signing Paul Napier, who is back for a second spell at Victoria Park following a stint at Formartine.
He also said new goalkeeper Greg Sim showed up well against Elgin, using the experience he has built up from spells at the likes of Cove Rangers, Rothes and Turriff United in the past.
