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Is the Breedon Highland League title chase between Fraserburgh and Buckie Thistle or could Brora Rangers, Brechin City and Inverurie Locos make a late charge?


By Craig Christie

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THE next two months is promising a thrilling finish to the Breedon Highland League football season.

Fraserburgh manager Mark Cowie has taken his team to the top. Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Fraserburgh manager Mark Cowie has taken his team to the top. Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Fraserburgh and Buckie Thistle are currently battling it out for top spot with champions Brora Rangers, debut boys Brechin City and Inverurie Locos among the clubs hoping for slip-ups.

The shift in positions can be shown in our animated graph which charts every clubs fortunes over the past seven months.

At the other end of the table, Fort William have brought in a raft of new signings with the aim of overtaking Strathspey Thistle or Turriff United and avoiding a relegation play-off.

By the end of April we will know the champions to take on the Lowland League winners - likely to be Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic - in a play-off to take on the bottom side in League 2 for a place in the SPFL next season.

Graeme Stewart hopes Buckie Thistle keep their winning run going..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
Graeme Stewart hopes Buckie Thistle keep their winning run going..Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

The club that finishes in 18th place in the Highland League will then face a play-off to stay in the league against a side from the sixth tier of the Scottish pyramid system.

With Covid-19 and the weather resulting in numerous matches being postponed throughout the campaign, fixtures will be coming thick and fast over the final two months.

So who do the title contenders and those threatened by the relegation trap door still have to play?

Here's the remaining fixtures for the clubs at the top and the bottom.

Fraserburgh will have home matches against Deveronvale, Forres, Nairn, Turriff and Wick. On the road they still have to play Brora, Deveronvale, Formartine, Keith, Rothes and Strathspey.

Buckie Thistle also have 11 games to play with five at Victoria Park against Brora, Huntly, Rothes, Strathspey and Wick. Away from home they will meet Clach, Deveronvale, Forres, Inverurie, Keith and Wick.

Champions Brora Rangers have ten to play, welcoming Clach, Fraserburgh, Keith and Lossiemouth to Dudgeon Park and travelling to Brechin, Buckie, Forres, Rothes, Strathspey and Turriff.

Currently fourth, Inverurie Locos have just three home games remaining against Buckie, Fort William and Wick. On their journeys they take on Brechin, Deveronvale, Forres, Huntly, Rothes and Strathspey.

Brechin City will conclude their debut season at home to Brora, Clach, Inverurie, Nairn and Wick, with an away fixture against Fort William to be played at Glebe Park. Away from home they go to Huntly, Keith, Lossiemouth, Rothes and Strathspey.

Highland League table on February 25
Highland League table on February 25

Fort William currently sit bottom with just two points but their results have been greatly improved under new manager Shadab Iftikhar.

It was decided at the start of this campaign that the Lochaber club must play all of their matches away from home because of the poor state of their Claggan park pitch at the time.

Fort's remaining 'home' fixtures, played at their opponents' ground, are against Brechin, Clach, Deveronvale, Formartine, Keith, Nairn, Rothes, Strathspey and Turriff.

They also have to travel to Forres, Inverurie, Keith and Lossiemouth and face a heavy schedule with just seven weeks left to play their remaining 13 matches.

Strathspey Thistle, who are second bottom, eight points ahead of Fort, have a similarly tough programme of games as they also have 13 left to contest.

The Jags host Brechin, Brora, Clach, Forres, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Inverurie and Turriff, as well as their 'away' game against Fort at Seafield Park. On the road they have to play Buckie, Lossiemouth, Nairn and Rothes.

Turriff United recently rose out of the bottom two but are not yet clear of danger.

They have just eight games to play, hosting Brora, Formartine, Forres and Rothes as well as the nomadic Fort, and three away games at Fraserburgh, Nairn and Strathspey.


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