Nairn County 3 Buckie Thistle 0: Jags boss Graeme Stewart labels performance 'worst in three years'
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“The worst performance I’ve seen in three years” was how Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart described his team’s shock 3-0 loss at Nairn County on Saturday.
Already facing a backlog of fixtures, Jags returned to Highland League action with a whimper as they were comfortably swept aside by their hosts.
“I can’t remember a game in the last few years where we’ve not been in it, even for the last ten minutes,” Stewart blasted. “We weren’t in it so we had no chance of winning the game, even at 2-0 we didn’t look like scoring and that was disappointing.
“I was driving them forward but as soon as the third goal went in, that was game over. I can’t remember the last time I experienced that in the Highland League. It took me back a little bit. “
The Jags boss said stopper Sam Morrison and midfielder Max Barry were the only two Buckie players worthy of pass marks – the rest were way off the pace.
But the often vociferous manager said he didn’t tear strips off his players after such a poor display, and remains confident they will bounce back from their setback.
“There were harsh words, but just spoken, not shouted. They all took it on board, I have a great bunch of players.
"It was the worst performance I’ve seen in three years, we’ve not had a performance even close to that so I’m hoping to have a reaction and I’m confident that I will because it’s the best bunch of players I have worked with.
“They have a great attitude, everyone gets on fine and there’s a lot of ability in there but these things can happen in football.
“Now we are looking for the characters and we will find out who they are when we seek a response in the games this week.
“Nothing is won or lost in one game so I told the players not to get too excited about it.”
