Loch Ness manager Shane Carling hopes to kick-start a successful new era when the club plays its first home game in Fortrose against St Duthus on Saturday.
The previously Inverness-based club have opted to relocate to King George V Park in the Black Isle after struggling to find a home venue in the city following their departure from Canal Park at the end of last season.
Carling aims to make the most of the club’s new setting this weekend, and he said: “We are not going to get anything in Inverness, unless it’s Bught Park, which is no use for this level of football.
Our next match will be be our first home game at our new park in Fortrose. We will be hosting @StDuthusFC at King George V park on Saturday. #FORZALOCHNESS pic.twitter.com/5FkC0CrdQM
— Loch Ness Football Club (@LochNessFC) September 22, 2021
“What the people in Fortrose have done in four weeks is more than anyone has done in Inverness to help us get a park, which we’ve been looking to do for over a year-and-half.
“We are just looking for a bit of help as a semi-professional team. It’s a great setup at Fortrose and I’m delighted with it.
“It’s just nice to have a park that, although it’s not ours, but we can call it our own when we are on it.”
Loch Ness have made a bright start to the North Caledonian League campaign, although their run of three successive opening wins was brought to an end by last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Invergordon.
With his side just a point behind leaders Halkirk United, Carling is pleased with the progress his side is making in their second season in the North Caledonian League ranks.
Carling, who is without leading scorer Phil MacDonald, but welcomes back Ryan Ingram from suspension, added: “We have started off well, winning the first three games before going away to Invergordon, which is one of the toughest places we are going to go to.
“I felt we were the better team on the day, but we just didn’t put the ball in the net.
“I told the players not to let it get them down, we have nine points from 12 in the first four games, which I would have taken at the start of the season.”
Halkirk will look to maintain their leading position when they host Alness United, having leapfrogged Loch Ness into top spot with a 4-0 win over Bonar Bridge last week.
Invergordon are four points adrift of the summit, having played two games less than Halkirk, however, they will aim to keep intact their 100% start to the campaign when they travel to Bonar Bridge.
Golspie Sutherland will return to league action after suffering a 3-0 Scottish Cup defeat to Civil Service Strollers last weekend, with their trip to Orkney just their second league fixture this term.
In this weekend’s other fixture, Thurso will aim to kick on after recording their first win of the season over Alness last weekend, with Steven Reid’s side making the trip to bottom side Inverness Athletic.
