Illness bug sweeps through Strathspey Thistle camp
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As if life in the Highland League was not tough enough already, Strathspey Thistle boss Rob MacCormack has been left to rue the toll taken by a sickness bug in the Jags camp.
The Grantown side was decimated by illness ahead of what was already a very tough encounter against Banks O’ Dee on Saturday in their first home match of the season at Seafield Park.
In the end they went down 6-0 including conceding a goal after just 30 seconds.
MacCormack refused to blame the defeat on the illness affecting key players, saying it was a bad day at the office.
The setback comes after a highly encouraging display away to Brora Rangers the previous Wednesday night.
The Jags lost 3-1 but were unlucky not to grab a point against one of the likely Highland League title contenders.
MacCormack told the Strathy: “We had one or two of the players call off on the Wednesday night against Brora with illness as they were feeling unwell and unfortunately it has spread through the squad.
“We have had more players who have been unwell in the last couple of days.
“There is a bug going about in the squad and I am hoping that it is going to be gone by the weekend.”
He confirmed some of the players had tested for Covid but were clear of the virus.
MacCormack said: “We put up a much better performance against Brora than we had done previously against Formartine.
“We played them away last season and we just defended pretty much for 90 minutes but that was not the case against them on Wednesday night.
“We created a lot of chances and we were on the front foot at times.
“Do not get me wrong – Brora had a lot of the ball but when we won it back we caused them problems. We were probably unlucky not to get anything from the game.”
He added: “I thought we were good all over the park.”
It looked as if Thistle were back in it when Jack Davison scored in the 71st minute.
Andrew MacRae had given the hosts the opener on the half-hour and then Max Richard Ewan added to it in the 39th minute.
The Jags then hit the post before MacRae again sealed the points for Brora in the 83rd minute.
MacCormack had to deal with four call-offs on Saturday morning with players suffering with flu like symptoms as preparations went out the window.
Michael McKenzie, Jack Davison, Seamus McConaghy and Taylor Sutherland were all ruled out. MacCormack said: “It made a hard task almost impossible.”
“We almost just about had 11 players to play. There are no excuses but it was just a bad start to the day and going 1-0 in the first 30 seconds meant it was never going to get any easier.”
And it did not with MacCormack also being shown a red card in the final quarter of the match.
"I’ll take my one match ban and move on,” he said.
He had argued over a throw-in wrongly given to Banks O Dee near their goal and was the latest in a series of decisions that the Jags management team felt had not gone their way.
The boss said: “I appreciate that the officials have a hard job. I do not envy them but there were a few calls that did not go our way.
“I just asked the question: 'Which part of the body did that hit ref?
"He came marching over and showed me the red card for threatening behaviour. I do not know what he thought he had heard."
Getting the goals for Bank O' Dee were Lachie MacLeod (1st & 36th), Kane Winton (10th), Michael Philipson (27th), Magnus Watson (73rd) and Christian Antoniazzi (92nd).
MacCormack said it is now about getting points on the board with the Jags sat at the bottom of the table alongside Nairn County and Inverurie Locos who are also pointless.
“Apart from Brechin and Buckie, it is about the hardest start we could have got but we have to play all the teams at some point.
"It has been a tough start but the time will come when we play the teams we think that will be around us.”
In-house targets have been set but MacCormack would not reveal more other than to say he is aiming to improve on last season’s basement finish.
The Jags are away to Lossiemouth in the Highland League Cup in the first round on Saturday with a 3pm kick-off.
MacCormack said given the current illness it was not possible to say who would be available or otherwise for the clash.
