(13/08/2022 – BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE, GRANT PARK, LOSSIEMOUTH)
This weekend, Lossiemouth host Highland League champions Fraserburgh at Grant Park. The Broch are trailing behind the leaders in the opening stages of the season after a narrow loss to Buckie Thistle a couple of weeks back, and – like the Jags – have suffered in their early season cup ties, but will be a tough test for Lossie.
LEAGUE FORM (MOST RECENT RESULT FIRST)…
LOSSIEMOUTH – LLL, GF 1, GA 11; LEAGUE POSITION – 18th
Lossie are still hunting for their first point of the season. Narrow losses to Formartine United and Deveronvale were followed by a home defeat to Buckie Thistle.
FRASERBURGH – WLW, GF 7, GA 2; LEAGUE POSITION – 7th
As on their last visit to Grant Park, a defeat to Buckie Thistle is the only blot on Fraserburgh’s recent Highland League record, with their last league defeat before that coming in February, also against Buckie. Fraserburgh were huckled out of the Premier Sports Cup group stage without a win, but the replacement of pre-season friendlies with competitive cup ties means the Broch are battle-hardened for the season already. Their last league outing was a 3-0 win over Wick Academy at Bellslea last weekend, while in midweek a much-changed Broch team went out of the SPFL Trust Trophy to St Johnstone B at the same venue.
EARLIER THIS YEAR…
19/02/2022 – Lossiemouth 1-3 Fraserburgh
The two last met at Grant Park in February, and while the Broch came away with the points it was Ryan Farquhar’s long-range goal that had the Lossie support talking at full time. Fraserburgh were two goals clear when Farquhar made things interesting by scoring from all of forty yards, ahead of a nerve-settling third late in the game for the tourists. Click here for the match report, and here for the match photos.
PREVIOUSLY AT GRANT PARK…
28/11/2020 – Lossiemouth 0-2 Fraserburgh
The first game in the brave new world of Covid took place amid social distancing in the ground, Portakabin changing rooms for the away side, and a cold crowd of masked up football fans who’d have gone to watch literally anything after the best part of eight months stuck in the house. Naturally, the football gods were in no mood to entertain and the game reached half time without incident. While Lossie returned to the warmth of the changing rooms, the Broch eschewed a return to their luxury suite at half time and stayed on the pitch at the break, and promptly won the game inside of seven second half minutes with goals from Scott Barbour and Gary Harris.
PREVIOUS SIX LEAGUE GAMES AT GRANT PARK…
11/09/2019 – Lossiemouth 0-3 Fraserburgh
18/08/2018 – Lossiemouth 0-7 Fraserburgh
16/09/2017 – Lossiemouth 1-5 Fraserburgh
07/01/2017 – Lossiemouth 1-2 Fraserburgh
21/11/2015 – Lossiemouth 1-2 Fraserburgh
29/10/2014 – Lossiemouth 5-6 Fraserburgh
Fraseburgh are on an unbeaten league run at Grant Park dating back to Saturday, August 28th, 2002, when they lost 3-2. That was a full eighteen months before Logan Ross was born. Since then, the sides have argued over the points 19 times and played out 6 draws, the last of which came on Saturday August 31st, 2013 when the game finished 1-1. Click here for the match report from that day.
TOP SCORERS…
Sean Butcher is top scorer for Fraserburgh this season with four goals across all competitions, while Martin Charlesworth’s goal against Formartine remains Lossie’s only counter this season.
ON THE DAY…
Door tax is £10, or £5 concession. Raffles available at the gate. Please arrive early to avoid queues. Should anyone attending require assistance in entering the ground, please let us know and someone will be on hand to assist in the day. The social club will be open and pouring ahead of kick off, and afterwards for anyone with sorrows needing drowned. The pie shop will be open during the game, too.
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM PREDICTION…
Erm… we’re due a win? If nothing else you’ll get goals – the last goalless draw between the sides was in 2011, and the one before that was in 1995. Lossie’s current barren spell in front of goal in this fixture is an anomaly, with the Coasters failing to register only three times between 2000 and 2017.