The Highland League’s bottom team Strathspey Thistle visit Formartine’s North Lodge Park today, but host manager Steve Paterson is taking nothing for granted.
Paterson has had a tough time of it this month and knows his side can ill-afford to be complacent.
He said: “We have been going through a difficult patch, so we won’t be taking Strathspey Thistle lightly. I know they have taken one or two thrashings this season but we still can’t be complacent as they could have a day when everything goes right for them. We have been shipping a lot of goals ourselves, so we have a few things to sort out.
“We have both of our goalkeepers out injured. Andy Shearer could be out for another month and Errol Watson for probably two more weeks, so our loan signing from Culter, Shaun Barney, will be in goal again.”
Strathspey manager Brian Grant is expected to shuffle the pack after last weekend’s 8-0 loss to Inverurie Locos.
Deveronvale are at home to Lossiemouth at Princess Royal Park with new Coasters manager Charlie Charlesworth returning to Banff for the first time since he resigned three months ago.
Vale will be without Scott Fraser, Scott Henry, Kevin Adams, Zander Jack and Jamie Wilmshurst, while Stuart Leslie, Michele Lombardi and Martin Charlesworth are added.
Lossie travel without Chris Ross, Scott Gordon, and Kevin Duguid, while Shawn Scott is suspended and Greig Watson and Scott Wilson are injured. But Mark Hector, Cameron Farquhar and Bryan Bell will travel.
Fraserburgh take on Rothes at Bellslea. The Broch may well keep faith in the side which hauled back a two-goal deficit to beat Buckie Thistle 4-2 on Wednesday, while the Speysiders are expected to hand a debut to Struan McArthur, a loan signing from Caley Jags.