“It was by far the best feeling I’ve had in football and probably the best day of my life.”
That was the message from Ewan Loudon after experiencing the highest of highs and achieving a feat that every footballer dreams of.
The Perthshire local, a former St Johnstone youth player, netted a vital and dramatic late opener which set Brechin City on their way to the Highland League title on Saturday.
With 86 minutes on the clock against trophy-chasing rivals Buckie Thistle, the ball dropped for Loudon near the centre of the Victoria Park pitch.
At this point the score very much remained locked at 0-0 and, had it stayed like that, the hosts would have secured their first league title since 2017.
But Loudon, who played for Pitfour as a kid and was a St Johnstone youth player, most certainly had other ideas.
The 19-year-old shrugged off one, navigated beyond another and sent a piercing drive low into the bottom corner to spark joyous scenes on the park and in the terraces.
Travelling Brechin City fans poured onto the field in celebration as Loudon wildly sprinted in their direction. There was no putting the brakes on in this situation.
He was more than happy to jump around with team-mates, supporters and anyone unable to run away quick enough.
“I actually ran into one of the wee fans and he’s fallen on the ground,” Loudon laughed. "I went to pick him up but there were just too many people celebrating.”
Loudon had been called from the bench in the second half and was given a shoot-on-sight message in a game of such fine margins. That, clearly, was a wonderful piece of advice.
“I’m more of an attacking player so the gaffer bringing me on showed we were going for the win,” Loudon explained to the PA.
“It was coming to the end of the game and, at some point, we were going to need to throw everything at it.
“It hadn’t been a very good game to watch, to be honest. It was a bit nervy from both teams.
“Coming on I just thought I had to make as much of an impact as possible. Our assistant had been telling me all season to shoot at any opportunity.
“We had the wind behind us so it was pointed out about getting shots on target and test their goalkeeper. That was what was in my mind late on.”
These magical moments can often become hazy in the heat of battle but Loudon remembers his last-gasp heroics fairly well.
He recalls: “I was going to head the ball but then realised I could probably turn.
“I shrugged the boy off, brought it down and managed to go past another midfielder. At that point I had a bit of space so just thought to smack it and hit the ball as hard as I could.
“When I saw it going into the bottom corner, it was some feeling. I can’t describe it. The celebrations showed what it meant to everyone. And it meant a lot to me too.
“All the fans ran on the park. What a feeling it was making that many people happy.”
When Loudon eventually re-emerged from the crowds of dancing, jubilant Brechin fans, there remained four minutes on the clock. There was still time for a Buckie revival.
But striker Grady McGrath would add a second deep into stoppage time and that was when the weight of pressure lifted and the achievement quickly started to sink in.
“I asked the referee and he said there was four minutes plus added left,” Loudon explained.
“That was the longest four minutes of my entire life, honestly. I must have asked the ref how long was left about 10 times in those four minutes. It just felt like forever.
“When the second goal went in, there was the relief that we had done it and we were able to relax a wee bit.
“This was what we had been working for all season. We had been focused on winning the title and had not been getting ahead of ourselves.
“Everyone was absolutely buzzing in the changing room and enjoying the moment. We enjoyed it and are now looking forward to the playoffs.”
Title celebrations were had, of course, but the attention of Brechin and Loudon quickly turns to the SPFL Pyramid play-off semi-final against Lowland League winners Spartans. Whoever comes out on top over two legs will book a ticket to the final against the team finishing bottom of League Two.
Loudon said: “I’ve played against Spartans before when I was at Jeanfield and we played them at the start of this season. So we know what they are about.
“They have won the Lowland League. So it is definitely not going to be easy and they know what they are doing.
“The aim for the club is to get back into League Two and that is what we’ve all signed up to do as a team. That is where the club belongs.”
On a personal level, Loudon harbours great determination to play the beautiful game at the highest level possible.
“There are points in your career when you are not playing but I have stuck at it with Brechin because it is a great place to be,” he smiled. “And it has paid off.
“I knew when I signed for Brechin that it was the right thing for me. What happened on Saturday gives me self-belief. I can believe that I am a good player.”
