Highland League ‘grateful’ for Huntly’s cup final hospitality as Buckie and Rothes take positives

The Highland League Cup final will be played this Saturday at Huntly’s Christie Park after the showpiece fixture was postponed at the weekend.

Keith’s Kynoch Park was waterlogged at the weekend, which meant the tie between Rothes and Buckie Thistle has had to be rearranged.

Kynoch Park is unavailable this Saturday, so Christie Park has been selected as the new host ground.

Highland League secretary Rod Houston said: “Naturally we’re disappointed because in these circumstances an awful lot of extra work goes into arranging a match.

“There is an extra demand on venues just now because of the pandemic and some venues maybe don’t have the pitch match-ready if the club has been hibernating to some extent. They’ll keep things ticking over, but there is a difference between that and match ready.

“However, the Highland League is grateful to Huntly FC for offering to stage the match.”

Buckie Thistle boss Graeme Stewart added: “It’s frustrating, but we want to play in good conditions, so if it was windy and the pitch was really wet that’s probably not going to suit our style.

“So maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world, but we’d prepared all week and the boys were flying after the result against Brora.

“We were gutted, but you’ve just got to react to it. We’ll get a good week’s training and extra time to prepare.

“I had a team in mind, but I had one or two carrying little knocks, so it gives them a chance to recover.

“Sam Morrison was isolating having been a contact of someone who had Covid, so he hasn’t trained much. It gives him another week.

“You’ve got to look at the positives from this and it gives us more training time. We only trained once this week because the Brora game took a lot out of the guys.”

© Paul Campbell

Rothes manager Ross Jack was disappointed by the postponement, but admits the delay may give more of his squad a better chance of being available.

He said: “We were all disappointed when we heard the game was off. Everyone was looking forward to it and I’m sure Buckie were the same.

“But we’ll regroup and it will give a couple of guys that were struggling a wee bit to recover.

“Jack Brown and Alan Pollock were both struggling, so they can get some treatment and get some training and hopefully be fit for next Saturday.

“We did have a few people missing anyway, although Paul Macleod and Gregg Main are both available again.

“Our new signing Sean Linden could come into things as well.”

Meanwhile, prior to Saturday morning’s pitch inspection, Keith discovered Kynoch Park had been vandalised.

A window was smashed with shutters also damaged. Maroons chairman Andy Troup said: “It’s obviously very disappointing, our committee, ground staff, helpers and everybody who does a tremendous amount of work, so much effort into getting the ground looking fantastic.

“So for people just to vandalise it shows a lack of respect.”