Improvement is still needed at Clachnacuddin
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Clachnacuddin’s players know they need to improve at the back if they are to keep picking up results when the Highland League’s top teams come calling, according to Jordan MacDonald.
The Lilywhites’ boss was left frustrated by a lapse in concentration that cost them against Nairn County last time out, and with Brechin City travelling to Merkinch on Saturday he knows they cannot afford a repeat.
It has generally been a very positive start to the campaign, and even against Nairn they played extremely well in the first half, but MacDonald still feels there are more levels for his players to go through.
“It’s not the first time that’s happened this season,” he reasoned.
“Listen, this is new to them, the way we want them to play and go and attack the bigger sides. They’ve not been used to that, so we’ll just go back into training and keep working away.
“I look at it the other way – I remember when Nairn had to strip everything back and start again. Looking at it that way, young players are going to make mistakes,
“The more they play and stay together, the better they’re going to get at it. That’s what we’re going to do. We are going to get better at it. We’re good at it at the moment, but we need to get very good at it.
“The players were very frustrated themselves after the game, but one thing I will give them praise for from Saturday’s second half is that when we concede a goal, we tend to concede another one quite quickly afterwards this season, but we didn’t.
“Everything was rushed from us in the second half, but we didn’t lose it, so that was a positive for us if we can take one.”
Those positives not just from last weekend, but throughout 2021/22 so far, will need to be focused on if Clach are to get a result against a side desperate to return to the SPFL.
As far as MacDonald is concerned though, nothing about his approach will change whether he is preparing to face a struggling Nairn team or a high-flying Brechin outfit – they will be going all out to win.
“The game is there to be won, and we’re going to try and win it,” MacDonald said.
“It won’t be for the lack of effort or a lack of commitment. The players are giving us everything, I will not ever question our players’ work rate, because they’ve been outstanding.
“Brechin come on Saturday and we will have the same mentality and the same attitude – nothing changes for us.”
