Breedon Highland League secretary John Campbell hopes the title race will again go down to the wire after publishing an updated fixture programme for the rest of the season.
There were 43 outstanding fixtures to be rearranged, but with free Saturdays utilised and midweek games scheduled for February 22, March 8, March 15, March 22 and March 29, there are now only three matches left to be rescheduled.
The campaign concludes on Saturday April 22 – with a potential winner-takes-all title showdown between Buckie Thistle and Brechin City at Victoria Park on the last day.
After last season’s title race went to the final day with Fraserburgh pipping Buckie, Campbell is hoping for similar drama this term.
He said: “If you look at last season, everything hinged on the last day and it would be great to be in that position again this season.
“There will be lots of twists and turns between now and the end of the season and it might be done and dusted by then.
“But the hope would be that it goes down to the wire and the games on April 22 will count in terms of identifying the league champions.
“We had 43 outstanding fixtures to arrange and there’s now only three, so we’re probably in a better position than we’ve been in some seasons previously.
“But, given we only had four Saturdays to work with, it’s caused us a few problems in terms of some of the longer-distance ties.
“We’ve tried our best with that and fingers-crossed the weather will stay good for us.”
Midweek headache
Rearranging games for Wednesday nights hasn’t been easy for Campbell, who was keen to avoid clubs having to make lengthy midweek trips.
He added: “It’s the first time I’ve felt butterflies or tightness in my stomach when I was looking at the ties to be played and trying to be fair to all the clubs in terms of how far they need to travel on a Wednesday night.
“But unfortunately sometimes it’s unavoidable that we’ve got some teams travelling further than I would ideally be comfortable with.
“With the semi-finals of the Highland League Cup, we still have some scope to play a couple of games on April 8 once we know who is in the cup final.”
The Breedon Highland League fixtures for the rest of the season are as follows:
Saturday February 11
Brora Rangers v Fraserburgh Deveronvale v Turriff United Buckie Thistle v Keith (2pm) Huntly v Lossiemouth Inverurie Locos v Strathspey Thistle (2pm) Nairn County v Brechin City Rothes v Wick Academy Formartinne United v Clachnacuddin Forres Mechanics v Banks o’ Dee
Wednesday February 15
Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield final: Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh
Saturday February 18
Banks o’ Dee v Formartine United Brechin City v Inverurie Locos (2pm) Clachnacuddin v Deveronvale (2pm) Fraserburgh v Keith Lossiemouth v Brora Rangers Rothes v Forres Mechanics Strathspey Thistle v Huntly Turriff United v Buckie Thistle Wick Academy v Nairn County
Wednesday February 22
Formartine United v Brechin City Forres Mechanics v Clachnacuddin Huntly v Keith Lossiemouth v Banks o’ Dee Rothes v Strathspey Thistle Wick Academy v Brora Rangers
Saturday February 25
Brora Rangers v Strathspey Thistle Buckie Thistle v Clachnacuddin (2pm) Deveronvale v Banks o' Dee Formartine United v Rothes Fraserburgh v Turriff United Huntly v Brechin City Inverurie Locos v Nairn County Keith v Lossiemouth (2pm) Wick Academy v Forres Mechanics
Saturday March 4
Clachnacuddin v Keith Rothes v Nairn County Turriff United v Brora Rangers Wick Academy v Fraserburgh
GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup Buckie Thistle v Banks o’ Dee Inverurie Locos v Brechin City
Wednesday March 8
Brechin City v Fraserburgh Brora Rangers v Lossiemouth Keith v Wick Academy Turriff United v Rothes
Saturday March 11
Banks o’ Dee v Buckie Thistle Brechin City v Brora Rangers Clachnacuddin v Fraserburgh Forres Mechanics v Formartine United Inverurie Locos v Wick Academy Lossiemouth v Turriff United Nairn County v Huntly Rothes v Deveronvale Strathspey Thistle v Keith
Wednesday March 15
Brora Rangers v Buckie Thistle Formartine United v Turriff United Keith v Forres Mechanics
Saturday March 18
Brora Rangers v Nairn County Buckie Thistle v Rothes Deveronvale v Forres Mechanics Formartine United v Wick Academy Fraserburgh v Banks o’ Dee Huntly v Inverurie Locos Keith v Brechin City Lossiemouth v Clachnacuddin Turriff United v Strathspey Thistle
Wednesday March 22
Formartine United v Banks o’ Dee Wick Academy v Strathspey Thistle
Friday March 24
Fraserburgh v Lossiemouth
Saturday March 25
Banks o’ Dee v Brora Rangers Brechin City v Wick Academy Buckie Thistle v Nairn County Inverurie Locos v Turriff United Rothes v Huntly
Wednesday March 29
Brora Rangers v Wick Academy Fraserburgh v Brechin City
Saturday April 1
Banks o’ Dee v Lossiemouth Brechin City v Turriff United Formartine United v Deveronvale Forres Mechanics v Buckie Thistle Inverurie Locos v Brora Rangers Nairn County v Keith Rothes v Fraserburgh (2pm) Strathspey Thistle v Clachnacuddin Wick Academy v Huntly
Saturday April 8
Brora Rangers v Formartine United Keith v Huntly Strathspey Thistle v Buckie Thistle Turriff United v Wick Academy
Saturday April 15
Banks o’ Dee v Strathspey Thistle Brora Rangers v Huntly Buckie Thistle v Formartine United Clachnacuddin v Brechin City Deveronvale v Wick Academy Fraserburgh v Forres Mechanics Keith v Inverurie Locos Lossiemouth v Rothes Turriff United v Nairn County
Saturday April 22
Brora Rangers v Rothes Buckie Thistle v Brechin City Deveronvale v Nairn County Formartine United v Inverurie Locos Fraserburgh v Strathspey Thistle Huntly v Forres Mechanics Keith v Banks o’ Dee Turriff United v Clachnacuddin Wick Academy v Lossiemouth
Still to be arranged
Brechin City v Nairn County Clachnacuddin v Banks o’ Dee Nairn County v Clachnacuddin
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