St Duthus manager Alan Geegan reckons inner belief will be vital as they seek to lift the Football Times Cup against Invergordon on Saturday.
The Saints – who are North Caledonian Cup holders – will lock horns with the current North Caley League champions in a high-stakes derby at King George V Park, Golspie, at 3.30pm.
Geegan’s team from Tain are in fine fettle, despite a shock 7-0 league loss against Alness and a 2-2 draw against Orkney stalling their progress in terms of results at least.
However, the boss insists the mood remains high, with the squad having risen to the high targets he set when taking charge just over a year ago.
He said: “The majority of the squad were involved in April when we won the North Caledonian Cup final against Halkirk and still have the feeling from that and we have a couple of additions who are excited for it.
“There’s a great incentive to win another trophy.
“When I took over, there maybe wasn’t too much expectation.
The Football Times cup final between @InvergordonFC and @StDuthusFC is to be held at King George V Park, Golspie, 12th November with a 3.30 kick off. Many thanks to Golspie Sutherland for hosting the final. Refreshments and a programme available. £5 entry at the gate #NCFA #FTCup pic.twitter.com/eiBiadKdPL
— North Caledonian FA (@NorthCaleyFA) October 30, 2022
“However, I set my stall out early on about what I wanted to achieve. When I came in we were second bottom, but we finished fifth in the end and got our hands on the cup.
“It gave everyone at the club a shot in the arm in terms of their own ability. I always believe in them as long as they believe in themselves. If they put the required work ethic in, they won’t be far away in games.
“We took a bad one against Alness, but we were unlucky against Orkney when we were down to the bare bones.
“We were 2-0 up with a few minutes to go and we conceded two late goals, but in terms of the performance, work rate and effort, we couldn’t fault the boys.”
Saints must be at their best – boss
League champions Invergordon have been gradually climbing the league table, now sitting in third spot, and Geegan expects a tight contest.
He added: “Invergordon are the current champions for a reason. They have a strong squad and I know the majority of their players by playing against them or watching them in the summer.
GOAL CLIPS #NorthCaley
Jake Lockett netted twice in our 2-2 draw with Orkney yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Lf6m8AMsy7— St Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) October 30, 2022
“They are a strong outfit – and we will need to be at our best if we want to be successful. I expect a close, hard game.”
Saints have five-goal striker Jake Lockett cup-tied, having played for Invergordon in the opening round of the competition. They should be otherwise full-strength.
Red-hot Invergordon can improve
Invergordon manager Gary Campbell, meanwhile, is determined to see his side win their ninth successive fixture to land another piece of silverware.
They’re hitting the net with regularity and have not lost since Loch Ness got the better of them in a 3-1 defeat at the start of September.
Campbell is happy with the progress, but is sure there’s more to come from his side.
He said: “We’ve had good results, but we can still improve, because we haven’t played consistently well right throughout some games.
“Being unbeaten for eight games counts for nothing when it comes to a cup final.
“We had a bad start to the season, so that’s still in our minds.
“This is a nice break, to get away from league duty. A cup final is always something to look forward to – it will be a good occasion for the boys.”
Campbell has eyes on the prize
And Campbell, whose side have scored 14 goals overall in their last three games, against Clachnacuddin A, Thurso, then Bonar Bridge, isn’t interesting in being simply finalists.
He said: “There’s no point reaching a final unless you can go in to win it.
“We’re no different from anyone else – we want to win any competition we’re in. We want to get over this hurdle and make sure we win the next trophy.
“But St Duthus seem to do well in cup competitions and they’re a strong side.
“It’s a local derby and I’d expect a tight game. We will need to play really well to beat them, as is the case every week in the league.”
Golspie can close in on Loch Ness
In the North Caledonian League on Saturday, with frontrunners Loch Ness idle, Golspie Sutherland can move to within two points of the leaders if they win at mid-table Alness United.
A win for fifth-placed Inverness Athletic at home to Thurso would see them overtake cup finalists Invergordon and St Duthus, while Fort William travel to basement opponents Bonar Bridge after an agreed venue switch.
Halkirk United and visitors Orkney, locked on 15 points, will be looking to rise, while the A sides of Clachnacuddin and Nairn County meet as they seek to pull further away from Bonar Bridge. Nairn hold a four-point advantage over the Lilywhites, who have three games in hand.
NOTE – One of this weekend's league fixtures has switched around so Bonar Bridge will now entertain Fort William at Migdale #NCFA #NorthCaley pic.twitter.com/KylPe2Suwr
— North Caledonian FA (@NorthCaleyFA) November 8, 2022
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