Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart says his current Jags squad is the most talented he has ever worked with
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GRAEME Stewart says his Buckie Thistle team has more talent than the Jags side he won back-to-back titles with a decade ago.
Wins over Forres Mechanics on Wednesday and Strathspey Thistle on Saturday took the Highland League record-breakers to 23 consecutive victories.
With Fraserburgh also winning both their games in the last week, it is the Buchan men who hold pole position a point ahead of Jags with just two games to go.
Buckie can only keep on winning and pray for a slip-up, with manager Stewart overwhelmed by his team’s form.
“It’s just unbelievable,” he said. “The players have been fantastic and we just need to keep it going.
“It has almost got to the stage where all I need to say to them is to do what they did in the last game. As a manager that is amazing.
“This team has more talent than the team I played for. Maybe not as street wise as we were but by far the most talented squad I’ve ever been part of. As a manager it’s a dream.”
Stewart says the Buckie dressing room is a great place to be right now, and team talks are easy.
He admits his players understand exactly what he expects of them, even though he says he does too much talking at times.
"We are a well-oiled machine and we just need to keep playing.
"When you have players who know exactly, and I mean exactly what they are doing it is a great feeling.
"Some of the more experiences players, guys like Andy MacAskill want me to have less of a team talk. They come into the changing room and they roll their eyes when I talk too much. They want me to be a bit more quiet."
While Buckie keep on winning, Fraserburgh are doing the same and have now clocked up eight victories in a row to stay just above Jags.
More pictures as Buckie make it 23 Highland League wins in a row.
The Buchan men came through what many saw as the toughest test of their remaining programme of games when they won 3-1 at Rothes on Saturday.
Stewart revealed that he shuts out what his rivals are doing on matchdays to focus on his own team getting their job done.
"I’m not interested in Fraserburgh’s score until the final whistle goes," he said.
"During the game I don’t care. If they keep winning fair play to them, all I care is about my team."
Jags helped their boss celebrate his 40th birthday in style with a 5-0 win over Strathspey, as Andy MacAskill, Kevin Fraser and Sam Urquhart (3) got the goals.
Buckie host Wick next Wednesday and finish with a trip to Clach, following Saturday's League Cup final against Brora at Nairn.
Fraserburgh finish with home games against Nairn and Forres on the next two Saturdays.
