After agreeing a loan to Bonnyrigg Rose, Taylor Sutherland made a memorable return to Dunfermline for their Reserve League match against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park on Tuesday. Not only did Taylor enjoy the match, but the seventeen year old also played a pivotal role in Dunfermline’s 4-2 victory, scoring twice and claiming two assists. Reflecting on the game, he remarked, “It was a great win, our first in the Reserve League. It is good to come down here and get the three points.”
The four goals came from Taylor and his younger brother, Jake. This was no revival of the Scottish folk duo who had hits in the 70s with rock band Quiver but these Sutherland Brothers were truly on song as Taylor scored twice and set up his 11 month younger brother for his two goals. A special relationship exists between the two brothers claimed Taylor:-
“We work off each other, look for each other, link up and get the goals together. Sometimes you could say that it’s not as tight at home but when we get on the football pitch it works. It is good. We have been in the Dunfermline Academy together but we didn’t start playing together until in the under 18s.”
Taylor went straight into the Bonnyrigg Rose squad and debuted as a 78th sub in his first league match against Spartans. The striker who started his football with Blue Brazil and then the Fife Football Performance Academy before entering the Dunfermline Academy in 2021 hopes to get regular game time from his loan. “I would like to establish myself, maybe get a few goals and assists and come back in January to hopefully get in the first team.”
While Dunfermline Athletic’s management deliberated on Taylor’s loan, considering their injury woes, they believed that Bonnyrigg would be the ideal platform for their young player’s development. Taylor agreed:-
“Regular game time will probably benefit me more. I do whatever I can do to help the team out every week, whether that’s coming on for five minutes at Dunfermline or cheering them on from the bench. It’s whatever is better for the team.”
With Taylor off to Bonnyrigg that created space on Saturday for Jake Sutherland, Ewan McLeod and Liam Hoggan to warm the first team substitutes’ bench. Taylor was pleased for his former U18 team mates but also with the reception he got from his new team mates at Bonnyrigg. He conceded:- “It is hard to put yourself out there in just twelve to thirteen minutes. I will train Tuesday and Thursday nights with Bonnyrigg and every day at Dunfermline.”
