Brora Rangers' Tom Kelly seeking improved play-off showing after first leg frustration

Press and Journal

29-04-2025

Tom Kelly says Brora Rangers need to give a better reflection of their ability in the return leg of the pyramid play-off tie with East Kilbride.
The Breedon Highland League champions face the Lowland League winners at Dudgeon Park on Saturday, trailing 4-1 following the first leg at K Park last weekend.
Although the Cattachs require an extraordinary comeback if they are to progress to the play-off final against either Bonnyrigg Rose or Forfar Athletic, defender Kelly believes with the firepower in their squad the Sutherland club shouldn't be discounted just yet.
But regardless of the aggregate score the 24-year-old's first focus is on producing a much better performance in the return leg.
Kelly said: 'We've got to go for it, we've got to be aggressive from the start and try to get an early goal.
'The main thing we need to do is to put in a much better performance to try to get something from the second leg.
'We'd like to give a better reflection of ourselves. We were in the dressing room for a while after the game on Saturday and we discussed how we didn't really play our own game.
'We weren't brave enough, we didn't trust each other and we didn't play enough football.
'The message for the return leg is to do those things, put in a good performance and show what we can really do.
'If we can get the first goal you never know, especially with the quality we've got going forward.
'I'd never discount us from scoring three goals in a game and that's what we need to try to do.
'We realise that we let each other down. It can't be the same this week and we need to give a much better account of ourselves.'
Reflecting on the first leg of the tie Kelly was frustrated with how things panned out for Brora.
They were 2-0 down at half-time, but rallied after the break and Max Ewan scored to reduce their arrears before East Kilbride's Jordan McGregor was sent off in the 67th minute.
However, the Cattachs were unable to capitalise despite having an extra man and lost two goals in the final 10 minutes that Kelly felt were preventable.
He added: 'It was a tough one to take on Saturday, in the first half we maybe sat off them a wee bit too much and gave them too much respect.
'But in the second half we were a lot better and we imposed our game on them.
'We got our goal to get back into the game, but then we maybe went a bit too gung ho and left ourselves open and that cost us.
'The momentum completely shifted for a spell in the second half. But conceding the third goal brought us back down to earth and the fourth goal was a real killer.
'The two goals we lost late on were self-inflicted really, we got a bit complacent in possession and it's made things difficult for us heading back to Brora.'