Inverness Caledonian Thistle former goalkeeper feels that he has proved a point after winning Highland League title with Brora Rangers
CAMMY Mackay feels he has proved a point to those who doubted him as he helped Brora Rangers become Highland League champions on the final day of the season.
The 28-year-old joined Brora Rangers this season after spending almost two decades with Inverness Caledonian Thistle before being released at the end of last season.
During his time in the first team squad at Inverness, he was predominately second choice goalkeeper behind the likes of Mark Ridgers and Ryan Esson. He was also sent on loan to Elgin City in League Two as well as Brora Rangers and Rothes in the Highland League while at Caley Thistle.
With Inverness Caledonian Thistle in financial trouble which would lead to their eventual administration in October, Mackay, along with other players who were out of contract during last summer, were released from the club.
Mackay signed for Brora Rangers in June and became the club’s undisputed number one.
He played a huge part in Brora Rangers’ title success, with the club having the most clean sheets in the league this season with 18.
Mackay feels he didn’t get the chance he deserved at Inverness Caledonian Thistle and is grateful for the opportunity to show what he can do with Brora Rangers.
He said: “Winning a Highland League title is massive for me.
“At Caley Thistle, I spent a lot of my time in the shadows as a number two and wasn’t given many opportunities.
“In my first season in the Highland League, I have been part of a team that has won the North of Scotland Cup, the Highland League and had the most clean sheets in the league as well.
“We also have a Highland League Cup final against Fraserburgh next week. For my first season at the club it has been incredible. I have proved to people who doubted me as a goalkeeper at Caley Thistle that maybe I should have been given more of a chance.
“But I am delighted to be with a club who are really pushing forward to move up the leagues.There is a good bunch on the park and a great set-up behind the scenes.
“I had a few offers after leaving Caley Thistle at the time but this one seemed to be the one I wanted to go through.
“I did have a point to prove to some previous managers who didn’t give me the chance I deserved. I think that I have proved a few people wrong.”
Mackay is one of three former Inverness Caledonian Thistle players who are now playing at Brora Rangers.
Shane Sutherland, who scored four goals in the 7-2 win against Rothes to seal the Highland League title on Saturday, scored 23 goals in the Highland League this season.
Full back Wallace Duffy also joined Brora Rangers, after previously playing for Strathspey Thistle earlier this season, after he was made redundant by Inverness Caledonian Thistle after the club went into administration.
Mackay says there is quality through the Brora Rangers team but very few of the players had experience of challenging for a league title. He said that did show during parts of the campaign, but they learned from mistakes to deservedly win the title.
He said: “I think after the game where we were beaten by Brechin City, we thought that might have been it.
“But after that we both had tough midweek games where Brechin dropped points at Inverurie and we picked all of them up at Keith.
“Since then we have been absolutely solid with some great same performances, especially wins away and home against Huntly. The boys came through and we deserved to win the league.
“We always knew we had quality, but a lot of the boys, including myself, had never been in the position before of fighting for a league title.
“At times we showed inexperience, but when it came down to the business end, we relied on the boys to put the ball into the back of the net and get the result.”
As well as winning the Highland League Brora Rangers won the North of Scotland Cup in October and are on for a treble when they face Fraserburgh in the Highland League Cup final at Grant Street Park in Inverness on Saturday.
In addition, Brora Rangers are eligible for promotion to League Two after being awarded an SFA Bronze Licence in March.
They will face Lowland League champions East Kilbride in the League Two Play-off semi finals later this month. The winner will face the team that finishes bottom of League Two in a two-legged play-off final.
Mackay says he is relishing the chance of making history with Brora Rangers and becoming the second Highland League team to win promotion after Cove Rangers in 2019.
He said: “We will get our heads switched on for the cup final and then look forward to the play-off semi finals with East Kilbride.
“We will take the games as they come, we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves, we want to be enjoying playing as I feel we perform better when we are like that.
“It would be special to be part of the first Brora Rangers team in League Two.
“After the Highland League Cup final, we have four games to make history. It would be exceptional and it is exceptional even being involved in it at all given the season last year.
“Last season we finished in sixth and couldn’t even play matches at Dudgeon Park, there has been a huge turnaround. To think a year on, we are in the play-offs, there has been a huge change.”