Clachnacuddin striker aims to finish off great week with scoring on final day of Highland League season against Formartine United in Inverness after becoming a father for the first time
Andrew Macrae is hoping to top off a dream week of becoming a father for the first time with scoring for Clachnacuddin on the final day of the Highland League season.
The striker celebrated the arrival of his first child when his daughter Maddie was born in the early hours of Sunday morning.
His partner went into labour last Friday which handily coincided with Clachnacuddin having a free weekend.
Now he wants to round off the Highland League campaign by scoring for the Lilywhites on the final day of the season against Formartine United at Grant Street Park on Saturday.
He said: ”It would be a great way to top off the week and the season by getting a goal.
“If I had played at Clachnacuddin a bit longer, we thought about the name Lily.
“But if we have a second girl, we might call her that.”
Clachnacuddin are set to finish in the top half of the Highland League for the first time in over a decade as they are currently in fifth place before Wednesday night’s matches.
Macrae believes a mixture of experienced players who have come in this season along with products from their youth set-up has led to their success,
He said: “For the best part of nine to 10 years, Clachnacuddin haven’t been where they should have been.
“They have shown this season by getting in experienced players to play alongside with the youth that Clachnacuddin can compete at the top of the Highland League.
“You look back at all the games this season against the top six and we have taken points off most of them.
“It shows you we are capable of being at the top end of the table.”
Macrae says he is full of praise the way manager Conor Gethins and his dugout team have motivated the squad throughout the season to help them achieve one of the club’s best campaigns in years.
“The success is down to the management and the way we have played. Everyone has bought into it and since I have arrived, I have noticed we are one of the fittest teams in the league.
“When I arrived I thought I was fit enough, then I realised I need to do some work to get up to everyone else’s fitness level.
“But what Conor Gethins and his team have done is install belief in us and we are no longer afraid of taking on anyone.”
Macrae, who arrived at Grant Street Park from Brora Rangers in November, now hopes Clachnacuddin can build on the improvements they have made and aim even higher for the 2025/26 campaign.
He said: “In previous seasons, Clach would have gone to Brechin and Brora and be happy with a 3-0 defeat. Now we are going there and expecting to get something.
“When we look back at this season, if you said Clach would be sitting in fifth and got to a North of Scotland Cup final, people would have laughed.
“We are going to get better from now on, Conor has plans to bring in players next season and it is a good time to be a Clach player and a Clach fan.”