Strathspey Thistle knocked out of Highland League Cup
The Jags went into their Highland League Cup meeting with Clachnacuddin at Seafield Park looking for some revenge.
They wanted to put one over their opponents in an effort to redress the balance following their unlukcy North of Scotland Cup defeat in Inverness last month.
Boss Ryan Esson brought back Liam Shewan, Paul Brindle, Lewis Mackie and Kieran Duffty into his starting line-up in an effort to overcome that defeat by the Merkinch side at Grant Street Park.
Filip Franczak, came in on loan from St Johnstone, and the youngster made an impressive debut for the Grantown club when he replaced Caelan Mutch for the second half.
But it was the visitors who opened on the front foot with Euan Storrier producing a superb save to deny Ben Cormack from nodding home an early opener with just three minutes on the clock.
A minute later the deadlock was broken when the home defence was sliced open and Jack Davison raced in on goal to beat the advancing keeper.
The home side hit back and almost notched the equaliser after 10 minutes, when a Kieran Duffty free-kick from fully 30 yards beat keeper Joe Malin all ends up but cannoned of the far post and back into the keeper’s arms.
The home side fell further behind after 13 minutes after failing to clear their line effectively.
Mutch and Connor Bunce jostled following a long through ball on the edge of the box, with Bunce edging out the full back and slotting his effort past the helpless Storrier to put the visitors well into the driving seat.
The home side kicked into action and a well-flighted cross from Kieran Duffty into the six-yard box saw both Lewis Mackie and Paul Brindle just fail to get the vital touch in an effort to reduce the leeway.
The second period opened with the home side very much on the offensive and looking to claw their way back into the cup-tie.
They almost reduced the deficit two minutes after the re-start when Alistair Nixon found Juan Cuellar with a fine ball down the left, and when the winger delivered the cross into a dangerous area, only a desperate saving challenge from Clach skipper Harry Nicolson denied Lewis Mackie inside the six yard box.
St Johnstone loanee Filip Franczak was proving to be a handful for the visitors and his powerful probing runs down the right almost saw the home side reduce the margin when he set up Paul Brindle with a cut back on the byeline, the striker’s right foot effort brought a full length save from Clach keeper Joe Malin.
The home side continued to create opportunities, however, they were made to pay for those missed chances just on the hour mark.
Connor Bunce stepped onto a pass and from fully 30 yards smacked home a right foot effort past the keeper at his near post to effectively end the cup-tie as a contest.
To their credit the home side continued to push forward at every opportunity with Jags skipper James McShane testing Malin with an 18 - yard drive that went narrowly past the far post with the keeper scurrying across anxiously.
The miss of the game came with eight minutes remaining when visiting substitute James Anderson from point blank range contrived to head over with the goal at his mercy.
A minute later, the home side were dealt a serious blow when youngster Scot Docherty was forced to leave the field of play with what looked like a nasty knee injury which is almost certain to keep him out for some weeks.
The player was later seen leaving the ground on crutches.
The final minute saw Lewis Mackie and Franczak combine down the right, and when the full back delivered a cross to the far post Cuellar cut the ball back for youngster Mackie to go close with a right foot effort.
Boss Ryan Esson takes his side to Grant Street Park, Inverness on Wednesday evening on League duty looking to secure his second Highland League win of the season.
This weekend will see the club go to Station Park, Nairn, on League business before entertaining Sauchie Juniors on Scottish Cup duty at Seafield Park, on Saturday 28 September.
The new gaffer will be disappointed by the way in which his side conceded the goals against the Merkinch men, but also the fact they are losing a number of early goals from which they leave themselves with a mountain to climb as a result – cutting out those errors are sure to be top of his agenda.
Strathspey Thistle: Euan Storrier, Caelan Mutch (Filip Franczah 46) Alistair Nixon, James McShane, Cameron Lisle, Liam Shewan, Juan Cuellar, Scot Docherty (James Fraser 83 Paul Brindle (Doguie Muller 65) Lewis Mackie & Kieran Duffty
Subs unused: Kit Fletcher (gk) Aaron Doran
Match Referee: Stuart Randall (Inverness)
