- Brora and Edinburgh played out a thriller in 2015, with Brora winning the play-off on penalties to deny their opponents promotion.
- Edinburgh are slight favourites at 139/100 but Brora can be backed at 147/100 for this first leg.
- Brora are Highland League champions and enjoyed a fine run-in to the play-off.
Highlanders have home advantage in play-off
Brora Rangers and FC Edinburgh meet at Dudgeon Park on Saturday for the first leg of their relegation-promotion play-off to decide who will play in Scotland’s fourth tier in 2026. These clubs were opponents in a previous play-off battle in 2015, with Brora triumphing on penalties to go up to Scottish League Two.
It was a huge game for Edinburgh, who were at the start of a tumultuous period marked by insolvency and a later 15-point deduction. Edinburgh ended at the bottom of Scottish League Two on 24 points from 36 games in 2021-22, but the 2024-25 campaign was equally traumatic and finished in the relegation play-off.
Brora, who should have the edge at home with their loyal and vocal following in the Highlands behind them, finished the regular season with wins at Clachnacuddin and Brechin and solid draws in April. Steven Mackay’s side play a pragmatic, physical 4-3-3 system and will be determined to keep things tight and let the game open up over the course of the 90 minutes.
Highlanders can cause City problems
In Shane Sutherland, Brora have a proven goal threat and a focal point to their direct game, while the experience of players like Jordan MacRae and James Wallace, who are good at set-pieces, can also make the difference. Edinburgh City, meanwhile, are a high-pressing side that like to over-load the wings and play at a frantic pace, but Michael McIndoe has been forced to adapt his preferred style of football to get results in the pressure cooker of the Scottish League Two relegation scrap.
City suffered three heavy defeats in April, but recovered to trounce Dumbarton 5-0 at home earlier this month. Mark Weir, the captain and goalkeeper, is the leader in defence while Olly McDonald, Jason Jarvis and Innes Lawson can all supply a spark in the final third. Edinburgh’s 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation should take on Brora’s 4-3-3 in what has the potential to be a classic ‘play-off clash’.
The clash of styles should make for an entertaining encounter and we can’t understand why BTTS odds are so short at 13/25. We are more than happy to take that and, given Brora’s good form, think the draw is the more likely result of this first game with a 1-1 draw or a narrow Brora win more likely than a resounding Edinburgh victory.
