Will Clark: Did Scottish Cup prove the Highland League isn't as good as we thought?
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All 18 Highland League teams entered the Scottish Cup first round, and only five guaranteed their place in the next stage.
There was only one all-Highland League tie, with Nairn County beating Strathspey Thistle, with Brechin City, Brora Rangers, Huntly and Rothes beating teams from other divisions.
Buckie Thistle, Deveronvale, Formartine United and Wick Academy all still have a chance of joining them in the second round via replays.
If they do, a 50 per cent success rate for the division is not a bad return.
But there were certain results which from my opinion, should not have happened, and dare I go as far as embarrassing?
Or is it that junior turned senior teams from further south, who have only recently gained entry into the Scottish Cup, have always been better and are only getting the chance to prove it now?
There were two eye-catching results, Highland League leaders Fraserburgh, favourites on current form to win the title, lost 2-1 at home to Sauchie Juniors, 14th in the sixth-tier East of Scotland Premier League.
I’m not a gambling man anymore, I’m enough of a mug, but if I was Fraserburgh, beating Sauchie would have been first on the coupon.
Second-placed Inverurie Locos, were battered 3-0 at home by Jeanfield Swifts, eighth in the East of Scotland League. According to sources at the game, 3-0 was kind on Inverurie.
Keith lost 2-1 to sixth tier West of Scotland outfit Darvel at home.
Clachnacuddin lost 2-1 at home to seventh-tier East of Scotland Conference outfit Dunipace, while Preston Athletic from the same division, went to Lossiemouth and won 3-0.
There was no shame for Forres Mechanics bowing out after a defeat to Lowland League leaders Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, while Turriff United pushed North Junior heavyweights Banks O’Dee in a 1-0 loss.
Banks O’Dee have beaten Keith and the Highland League top two Inverurie Locos and Fraserburgh to reach the Aberdeenshire Cup final to face Formartine.
I might be guilty of hyperbole, some have accused me of coming out with audacious statements – usually those who are happy to sit on the fence – but I expected beaten SHFL clubs, representing the fifth tier of Scottish football to overcome sixth or seventh- tier opponents.
Could this be ignorance from the north and the lack of knowledge of junior football in the central belt in the past?
Arguably the best non-league club in Scotland is Auchinleck Talbot. Knocking out Championship leaders Ayr United in 2019, they are no strangers to a cup run which has caught the public’s imagination.
But Brora Rangers have done the north proud in the Scottish Cup in recent years too, in particular defeating Hearts 2-1 last season to cause one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition.
However, defeat to Stranraer in the next round, followed by being humbled by Kelty Hearts in the play-offs semi-final, left former Brora manager Steven Mackay crestfallen.
It might have just been a poor first round for the Highland League clubs, but the results do justify why the pyramid has been extended to tier six and tier seven.
Last weekend may have resulted in certain Highland League clubs taking a long look at themselves.
