What a Breedon Highland League season! The story of how Buckie Thistle and Brechin City reached Saturday's Victoria Park title decider
For the second year running, the Breedon Highland League season comes down to the final match.
Bidding to go one better than last season when they narrowly missed out to Fraserburgh are Buckie Thistle, the current league leaders.
Standing in their way are Brechin City, in only their second Highland League campaign and desperate to win the title and try to return to the SPFL ranks via the play-offs.
The form book shows that Jags have won 16 and drawn two of their 18 league fixtures since their last defeat at Fraserburgh on November 19.
Brechin have lost just once during the whole campaign. They went a whole calendar year without a league loss until Formartine blotted the copybook with a 2-0 success over the Hedgemen on February 22.
Jags hold a one-point lead going into the decider, a crucial advantage as it gives them the benefit of the draw should neither side manage to find a winner tomorrow.
Buckie went into this season having finished last term with 24 wins and a draw in their final 25 matches - still not enough to knock Fraserburgh off their perch.
The only draw of that 25-match sequence was on course to be repeated on the opening day of the 2022-23 year when Buckie played host to Wick Academy, who were denied victory that day by a stoppage time Buckie equaliser.
Clearly a sticky opponent for Graeme Stewart's side, the Scorries took the lead once again, midway through the second half. Buckie quickly levelled, and repeated their stoppage time scoring feat when captain Kevin Fraser rammed in a winner.
Jags took their unbeaten league run to 29 matches (28 wins) by seeing off champs Fraserburgh, thrashing Lossiemouth 6-0 then Strathspey Thistle 8-0.
The signing of striker Josh Peters from Elgin City gave Buckie's challenge a real shot in the arm, as Peters became a regular net finder on his way to his current tally of 29 goals for the campaign.
Brechin matched Buckie's perfect start with wins over Rothes, Forres, Formartine and Deveronvale, so something had to give when the top two met at Glebe Park on August 20.
It was the team from the east who claimed victory thanks to Grady McGrath's second goal of the season early on - he now has 34 to his name in his debut senior season.
Jags had Joe McCabe sent off at the end as they just failed to reach the 30-game undefeated mark.
And Brechin kept winning. They polished off Lossiemouth, Strathspey and Inverurie without conceding a goal, before finally dropping points in their eighth match when they had to come from behind to seize a 2-2 draw at home to Huntly.
Buckie stayed firmly in the hunt, winning their next five league matches including a 7-1 thumping of Turriff when centre back Jack Murray scored a hat-trick.
However, they were missing the inspiration of captain Kevin Fraser, who struggled with injury throughout the campaign.
Jags slipped up in a 2-2 draw at home to league new boys Banks O' Dee in October, and the Aberdonians ended a six-game winning league run for Brechin by racing into a 3-0 lead in the Christmas fixture, only for City to battle back for a thrilling 4-4 draw.
By then, Jags had lost at Fraserburgh to find themselves three points behind Brechin having played a game more.
That was to change, as the white and green machine gathered pace to register six straight league wins including two nervy one-goal successes over coast rivals Deveronvale in the Christmas and New Year double header.
Just as Huntly had taken points off Brechin, the Christie Park men inflicted a dent in Jags hopes by securing a 1-1 draw against the title chasers in January.
It was a lesson learned for Stewart's men, who won ten of their next 11 in the league and slipped up just two more points in a 1-1 draw at home to Rothes.
They came from behind to defeat Brora 4-2, needed a late Max Barry goal to snatch a 1-0 success at Turriff and in their last two matches before the title decider, saved four vital points with last-gasp goals.
Expected to comfortable see off bottom side Strathspey, Jags made heavy weather of it and relied on two Sam Urquhart strikes in time added on to snatch the three points.
Kyle MacLeod then netted the 90th minute winner to edge out Formartine at Victoria park in their last outing.
Brechin found the pressure of being leaders and title favourites a difficult burden to carry.
On February 4, the Tayside outfit were top with two games in hand over Buckie.
But a shock 0-0 draw at Nairn was closely followed by their first league loss in over a year at Formartine.
A crunching 10-0 win over Wick - McGrath scoring five and missing a penalty - lifted confidence once again, but two 0-0 draws against Fraserburgh and Brora on consecutive Wednesdays denied Brechin the chance to go into the final day with a virtually unassailable lead.
The bottom line is, both Buckie and Brechin have their destiny in their own hands tomorrow.
Win, and they will become champions.
Buckie's attacking brand of play will rule out any possibility of playing for the draw, but they have that outcome to fall back on if things don't go according to plan.
Victoria Prk could be close to capacity for one of the most eagerly anticipated Highland League clashes in years.
So who will lift the coveted title after a thrilling year of action?