Fraserburgh assistant manager James Duthie reckons points are at a premium for the top sides in the Highland League.
The Broch are among a clutch of teams at the top chasing league-leaders Brora Rangers, who hold a three-point advantage at the summit.
Two of the contenders face off at Bellslea today, with Fraserburgh taking on Buckie Thistle. Both sides have games in hand on the teams above them too, with Fraserburgh playing a game less than Brora and two less than second-placed Inverurie Locos.
Duthie has been impressed by the standard of the teams fighting it out for supremacy at the top, with the Highland League shaping up for an intriguing title race in its first year without Cove Rangers.
He said: “The top six have been setting really good standards – not many points have been dropped. You need to make sure you get points on the board as nothing is really getting dropped elsewhere.
“It’s against one of your rivals (today) but it’s the same three points, whether it’s against Brora Rangers, Buckie Thistle or anyone else. It’s about taking care of yourselves first.
“It’s session by session and game by game for us. The moment you start to look too far in the future, it can bite you on the backside. We’re in a cup final and are reasonably close to Brora in the league – we need to stay focused on our jobs and we remind the players of that.”
Buckie, in fifth, have played 14 games so far and they too can go within three points of Brora if they win their games in hand. Rothes are the team separating today’s opponents, with an impressive 35 points from their 15 games.
Buckie goalkeeper Daniel Bell feels a lack of recent action will force his side to play catch up in their efforts to keep up the pressure on the top.
He said: “I don’t think we have played on a Saturday since the start of November, we have not had many games lately.
“We have still been training every Saturday, the manager has kept us in which has allowed us to work on things.
“We have got to win our games in hand. We would rather have those games played and points on the board.”
Buckie have the chance to move level on points with the Broch if they can win at Bellslea, with Bell expecting a close encounter.
He added: “It’s a big game for us. We played Fraserburgh not long ago in the Aberdeenshire Cup. It was a close game which finished 1-1 and went to penalties, and they won.
“We know it will be a very tough game. We are in similar positions in the league so I definitely think it will be tight. Both teams will be up for it and fancying their chances.”
