Injury list keeps growing for Rothes but manager Ross Jack expects his men to push Brora Rangers hard after Saturday's eight-goal thriller at Huntly
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Fresh from an eight-goal thriller at Huntly, Rothes can pose a real challenge to title chasers Brora Rangers despite a growing casualty list at Mackessack Park.
The Speysiders are already missing key players like Alan Pollock, Fraser Robertson and Ally MacKenzie through injury, with stopper Charlie Macdonald also missing Saturday's 4-4 draw at Huntly.
Striker Aidan Wilson limped off at Christie Park and is a serious doubt for this weekend's Brora trip to add to manager Ross Jack's concerns.
"It would be a really hard game at Brora even with a full complement of players," Jack said. "The way that results have gone at the top of the league with Brechin losing a couple, Brora will be thinking if they put a run together they can still be a threat and they are capable of doing that.
"They have played one of the least numbers of games in the league but they will definitely be challenging and I’m certain they will be up for it on Saturday - but so will we.
"Despite the injuries and setbacks we’ve had, we are still plugging away and we will put up a good show.
"It’s key players we are missing, but we can still go into the game with confidence."
Jack admitted that watching his team go from 3-1 up to 4-3 down at Huntly before rescuing a point did not do his blood pressure any good.
"It was a great game and a great advert for Highland League football. Both teams just went for it," he said.
Early goals by Gary Kerr and Jake Thomson had the Speysiders in comand, and even when Lewis Crosbie pulled one back, skipper Michael Finnis converted a penalty to make it 3-1 midway through the first half.
An Angus Grant strike in first half stoppages was a blow for Rothes and when Andy Hunter levelled two minutes after the break, it was a different game.
Grant put the home side in front for the first time and it needed another goal by stopper Finnis to restore parity as a pulsating contest finally ran out of goals.
"We started like a house on fire, then went through a dodgy period and lost some soft goals but it was a really exciting encounter," said Jack.
"We expected them to come back. They are a high-scoring team but the way and the times they hit back really cost us.
"The goal they got right on half time was very important, instead of going in 3-1 up they got a real lift. It changed our team talk and the dynamics a little bit.
"I was disappointed that we lost our lead having been so dominant in the first half but we showed a bit of character to come back from 4-3 down and I thought in the last ten minutes we were probably the stronger team. We just couldn’t get the winner.
"Michael (Finnis) certainly chips in with his percentage of goals and he did it again on Saturday with the two he scored."
