Carrol vows to wield the axe
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TIME has run out for some of his stuttering stars, insists Buckie Thistle boss Gregg Carrol.
Hard-hitting Carrol vowed to wield the axe and move players on after the Jags crashed out of the William Hill Scottish Cup at the hand of third division East Stirling.
Despite coming from 2-0 down to take the second round replay into extra-time at Victoria Park, the Highland League champions ran out of steam in extra-time as they crashed 4-2.
However, Carrol was less than impressed with a poor first half performance and failure to kill off East Stirling with a string of second half chances.
And following some faltering performances in the league of late, Carrol was clearly an angry man after the game.
He told 'The Scot': "Our players are well paid but too many are in a comfort zone.
"The players have had their warning the last few weeks and too many are not performing."
Carrol warned that up to four players could be set to leave the club as he bids to shake things up.
After describing the performance in last Sunday's 1-1 draw at East Stirling as "rubbish", Carrol admitted the opening 45 minutes at Victoria Park was more of the same.
A third minute 30-yard free-kick from Andrew Stirling gave East Stirling the lead and Bradley Coyne gave the visitors a deserved two goal advantage on the half hour mark.
Whatever Carrol said to the players at half-time worked as they came storming back after the break.
Craig Macmillan levelled six minutes after the restart after a Marin Charlesworth shot was only parried by keeper Calum Antel.
And before the hour mark, Mark Chisholm grabbed his first goal for the club following his £15,000 move from Deveronvale when he headed into an empty net after Antel mistimed an attempted punch.
Buckie should have killed off East Stirling as they pressed forward but Iain Chisholm cleared off the line from Paul Napier and then Martin Charlesworth headed straight at Antel in the final minute from eight yards.
'Shire regained some composure in extra-time and goals from subs Nico Gibson and Fraser Team secured a trip to East Fife in the next round.
"Three out of the four goals we conceded were down to mistakes," said Carrol.
"We didn't compete at all in the first half. Players were looking for things to happen rather than making them happen.
"Even when we got back to 2-2 we sat back and seemed to be happy with this."
Defender Michael Morrison said: "Every little thing we seem to do wrong at the moment we are getting punished for. We have got to take it on the chin, pull together and move on from this."
