Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart isn't interested in breaking a new all-time Highland League record for consecutive wins - he just wants to claim the title for Jags
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THRASHING champions Brora Rangers 5-0 on Wednesday night took Buckie Thistle to the brink of a Highland League record, but manager Graeme Stewart only wants the title.
Jags now have 18 consecutive league victories under their belt, yet still trail leaders Fraserburgh by a point in one of the most thrilling finishes to a north season in years.
Boss Stewart believes Caley might have the record of 20 straight wins durimg their unbeaten title success in 1982-83, but says he is only interested in silverware, not milestones.
“Honestly I don’t care about the record, I just want to win the league,” he said. “If we break the record by winning the league I will be delighted. If we draw the next game, don’t get the record but still win the league I will be more than happy.
“Winning 20 in a row or even 25 and still not winning the league doesn’t bear thinking about. Of course we would rather lose one and take the title and that is what it is all about now, and that is what we are focused on.”
Wednesday’s match was crucial with both sides desperate to stay in touch with Fraserburgh.
Brora has won six and drawn one of their previous seven, building up some momentum in their title defence but were soon cut down to size by the league’s form side.
Marcus Goodall opened the scoring with a brilliant left foot volley on ten minutes.
Max Barry soon added a second and Brora’s challenge effectively disappeared down the drain when their goalkeeper Lenny Wilson reacted to a Buckie challenge with an alleged kick and was shown a red card with an hour still to play.
When Jack Murray nodded in a third just after the break, it was game over and further goals by Barry - his 17th of the season - and sub Kyle MacLeod wrapped up an emphatic win.
“It wasn’t really a 5-0,” Stewart admitted. “We deserved to win it but it should have been a lot closer.
“I don’t think we played that well in the first half. I am maybe being hard on the boys but I said after the game I was disappointed with some of the play.
“That is the way I am, always looking to improve and if our standard goes below what I’m looking to set I’m not happy.”
Buckie will aim to clock up 19-in-a-row when they head to Wick tomorrow, with a home clash against Rothes the next challenge to follow that on Wednesday night.
"We have a massive game on Saturday, with Wick not playing this week while we’ve had three games in a week.
"We have to do the travelling and they don’t, we’ve picked up some niggles and some players injured so it is going to be a massive ask to get a win at Wick but we will do our best.
"We won’t take Wick lightly that id for sure. By hook or by crook we need to go there and get a win.
"If we get back down the road with the ugliest 1-0 win ever and just recover, that will do me because it has been a very hard week.
"We really need to finish off what had been a great week with a win at Wick and that is all about what we are focused on."
