Brora go marching on
They drew 1-1 with Edinburgh City in the second leg, resulting in an aggregate 2-2 scoreline. Extra time produced no more goals and so it was down penalties – with Stuart Kettlewell’s spot kick providing the winning goal.
They now face Division 2’s bottom club, Montrose, tomorrow, again at Dudgeon Park, in a first leg decider to see who will be playing in that league next season. The following week they travel to Montrose for the return leg.
No-one can doubt the commitment of the Brora Rangers’ players or fans last Saturday, despite many pundits suggesting they might “throw” the game because of the financial implications of rising to the Scottish Professional Football League.
Indeed, it was all positives as supporters look forward to welcoming bigger clubs to Dudgeon Park next season – and business owners hope for lucrative spin-offs in an area which has seen an economic downturn recently.
Local Highland councillor – and avid Brora Rangers fan – Deirdre Mackay said: “The team’s success has been a real boost to the village and everyone is uniting behind them and wearing the club colours.
“We hope that plenty of opportunities will arise from central belt teams, and those further south, coming to the village with their supporters. They will be made very welcome.”
Brora Rangers 1 Edinburgh City 1 (AET)
(Aggregate 2-2)
Brora win 4-3 on penalties
BRORA Rangers survived the loss of an early goal, and the drama of a penalty shoot out, to set up a Scottish League 2 play-off final against Montrose, beating Edinburgh City 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Dudgeon Park on Saturday.
The Highland League champions were without three key players for the tie, Zander Sutherland, who was at a stag party in Germany; Grant Munro, who was at his parents 40th wedding anniversary in Perth; and Dale Gillespie, who was suspended.
Stuart Kettlewell, not fully recovered from a hip injury and Ally MacDonald, who had just returned from a three-month spell in the States, fitted in at the back, while Colin MacLean was also in the starting line-up.
The tie was in the balance after the teams drew 1-1 at Meadowbank Stadium the week before, but Brora got off to the worst possible start.
Brora defender Craig McKeown failed to cut out a Jordan Caddow pass in the fourth minute and the ball fell kindly for Ross Allum to drive low into the net off the inside of Joe Malin’s left-hand post.
The visitors came close again in the 10th minute when Brora were caught out by a quick throw in and City skipper Douglas Gair fired the ball just wide of target.
At the other end Andy Greig cut in from the left in the 18th minute but his shot at goal flew well to the side of the target.
Four minutes later Gavin Morrison’s cross was headed into the arms of City goalkeeper Andrew Stobie.
But City looked dangerous on the break and they threatened again in the 25th minute. Dominico Gibson threaded the ball through to Gair whose attempted lob was clutched out of the air by Malin.
On the stroke of half-time Malin pulled off a fantastic point blank save from Allum before McKeown came in to the rescue to head clear.
Brora were seeing more of the ball in the second period and Ally MacDonald was not too far away with a long range effort which flew just wide.
But the pressure paid off in the 63rd minute when a misjudged pass back from City centre back led to an equaliser. He headed the ball over his own keeper’s head and Scott Graham nipped in to tuck the ball into the net.
It was all Brora but they just could not get the killer goal.
Good work out on the left from MacDonald and Greig led to Greig’s cross into the box being blasted over the crossbar by Martin MacLean.
City were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Chris McKee was booked for a second foul.
But the 10 men stuck to their task to frustrate a Brora side that were on the front foot for most of the extra-time period without creating a real scoring chance.
And so it was down to penalties. MacLean and Steven MacKay both scored from the spot before McKeown’s effort was saved by City keeper Andrew Stobie. Steven Harrison had already sent City’s first spot kick over the crossbar so when Gavin Morrison netted his one it was 3-3. Mbu then crashed his spot kick off the crossbar, which left Stuart Kettlewell to fire home the winner.
Brora – Malin, Houston, MacDonald, McKeown, Kettlewell, G Morrison, Martin Maclean, Graham, C Maclean (H Richardson 57), S MacKay, Greig. Subs not used — Michael MacLean, Allan, Martin.