Duncan Shearer and Budger interview on highlandleague.net

Buckie Thistle v Wick Academy - interview with both managers Duncan Shearer of Buckie and Budger of Wick after Wick won 2-0.

From www.highlandleague.net

Connelly Calls It: Buckie Thistle 5 Wick Academy 0
Scoreline: Buckie Thistle 0 Wick Academy 2
Click to view match review
Interviewer: Brian Barclay

Duncan Shearer
BB - A week is a long time in football Duncan
DS - Yea. Its a shame after the players had done so well last week here we are having slipped up against another lower team and its quite unbelievable actually, quiet unbelievable to produce that and it showed how thin our squad actually is when we had a number of players missing.

We know that we have to add to the squad but there is no way that I am going to panic and just bring players in for the sake of it. If I have to wait to the summer then so be it. I knew when I took the job that it was always going to be a building process looking ahead to next season and if we got results and success earlier then it was going to be regarded as a bonus. Having said this the team has performed well but I didn't think we would let what championship aspirations we had to slip here.

BB - It seems to be the "so called little teams" that have cost you this season as victories over Fraserburgh, Locos and Vale now seem to have meant little.

DS - You're right. We have lost eight points in our last three home games. Nairn took two off us then we lost to Brora and today Wick have done the same. You just couldn't predict that. The lads along with myself are hugely disappointed with the performance but if I have to take something from today's game it was the introduction of the two young strikers. I didn't want to have to introduce them into a game where we two goals behind and ask them to try and win the game for us, but they did well when they came on and I saw enough of the lads to say they have a future at the club.

BB - Two youngsters as you say, Nicky Smith just 16 and Michael Ewan whose 18.
DS - There are not quite ready for this being a bit raw but circumstances saw us having to include them earlier than I wished, but certainly in times to come they are going to be around here and valuable to Buckie Thistle.

I started with the same question to Ally Budge
BB-A week is a long time in football Ally.
AB - It is along time as we were hurt pretty bad last week you know but we spoke about what went wrong last week and we learnt a lot from it and I have to thank Steve Paterson for speaking to me at the end of last weeks game and I took a lot of his information on board and it has certainly been a benefit at the end of the day.

We know Buckie were short today and the loss of a couple of players to the team made a big difference to them but having said that we have been battling the whole year with injuries and to turn in that kind of performance at one of the bigger clubs grounds is great. I am delighted for the guys to come this distance and get the points. We changed a few things around especially the system we are used to playing and it paid off.

BB - Got to mention Nigel McKenzie's performance.
AB - The guy has just had a little baby and he has been out for a few weeks and we have missed him. He seems to make the team play better. Martin Gunn gets a lot of the praise for our team but Nigel does magnificent for us on the left with his pace and deserves the credit. Martin MacGregor is another who did well for himself today.

BB - We spoke earlier in the season about a squad. Are you any nearer getting what you want?
AB - That's what we are aiming at. I'm still looking to add to it as we still have to use youngsters on the bench. I had two fifteen year olds and a sixteen year old on the bench today and we have to be stronger than that if we are going to compete with the likes of the Buckie's and the Clach's and that is what I keep telling them.

BB - Another rattle-shaker for a title chasing team from your outfit and since the turn of the year a few of them have been lucky to beat them as the team improves.
AB - Yes. There's no doubt about that. The difference in the team is that we have been competing and this is what I am telling the players. Getting them to play as a team and to think positively right from the start has made us stronger and we are now playing as unit. You have to instil into you're players that they are the best and believe in that. We won today but there is still a long way to go. Its a learning curve and this was another part of it completed but it will be little gained if we don't take that part of the learning and use it in our next game