Connor Bunce eager to grasp promotion chance with Brora Rangers

Connor Bunce is desperate to turn Brora Rangers’ promotion dream into reality.

The Breedon Highland League champions face Edinburgh City on Saturday at Meadowbank in the second leg of the pyramid play-off final.

At the weekend, the sides couldn’t be separated in the first leg at Dudgeon Park with James Anderson’s opener for the Cattachs cancelled out by Divine Iserhienrhien’s equaliser for the capital club.

Although Brora started brightly, City had the better of the second half. Bunce, 24, didn’t feel the Sutherland side were at their best, but he is upbeat ahead of the return leg.

The attacker, who was signed from Clachnacuddin in November 2024, said: “The game on Saturday wasn’t Brora at our best, bar the first 20 minutes when we were good.

“We know we can play better than that and if we do then we’ll have a good chance.

“I think their astroturf might suit us and we’re looking forward to it.

“These are the games you want to play in and games like these are why I came to Brora.

“We’ve worked all season to get this opportunity and everyone in the dressing room wants to go up.

“When I came to Brora, trying to get promoted was mentioned and that was one of the things that attracted me to come to Brora.

“We’re one game away from getting promoted and we have to give it everything on Saturday and see what happens.

“You don’t know how many chances you might get at something like this, so you want to make the most of it.”

Tie still in the balance

Saturday’s outing was Brora’s first competitive fixture since April 11 and Bunce reckons the Cattachs will be better at Meadowbank as a result of having minutes in their legs.

He added: “It’s good we’re still in the tie. If you’d said to me before the start of the season that we’d be one game away from promotion and it was 1-1 going into that game, I’d have bitten your hand off.

“The tie is right in the balance and I think having 90 minutes in our legs again will help us for the second leg.

“I did notice a difference having not had a competitive game for a few weeks, particularly in the closing stages.

“But we’re right in the tie and we’ll be going down to Edinburgh looking to win.”

Since Bunce joined Brora, he has helped the club win back-to-back Highland League titles and he believes securing a place in League Two would be a hugely significant achievement.

He said: “It would be a massive thing for the whole area if we could get promoted.

“I think we could be another team in the north that could do really well in the Scottish League and it would be a really good thing.

“Everyone connected with the club wants it to happen and everyone will be trying to make it a reality on Saturday.

“The chance is there to play in the Scottish Leagues and I really want to take that chance.”

[Source: Press and Journal]