Avoch set sail for the Western Isles on Saturday for a mouth-watering Highland Amateur Cup quarter-final tie against Ness at Fivepenny.
Six-time winners Avoch face a mammoth 18-hour day trip which see them catch the Saturday morning ferry from Ullapool and return via Uig.
A reminder of Saturday's matches and kick-off times. any questions then contact Bob Gunn #HAC pic.twitter.com/V54bW5uEyW
— Highland Amateur Cup (@highlandamcup) July 11, 2022
Avoch manager Martyn MacAllister says his players are looking forward to the trip, but added: “We are expecting a tough match against Ness, they are flying at the moment.
“There are no easy games at this stage of the competition. We will give it everything we’ve got, hopefully it will be enough to get us into the semi-finals.”
Avoch will be missing a quartet of players – Scott Houston is on honeymoon, Kyle MacLean is at a stag do, Mattie Grant is injured, while Paul Smith is working.
However, Mark Gair, who played in the second round, is back for this one.
Ness, who have won the cup four times, will also be missing a number of key players. Innes Morrison is offshore, while Cailean MacLeod, Colin MacLeod, Angus MacLennan and Calum Smith are on holiday.
— Golspie Stafford FC (@GolspieStafford) July 8, 2022
Hotspur crew jet back for cup-tie
High Ormlie Hotspur, who are appearing in their first-ever quarter-final, have been boosted by the news defenders Aidan Reid and Euan MacGregor along with assistant manager Liam Sutherland, are cutting short their holiday in Ibiza to fly back in time for the tie against Golspie Stafford.
Stafford, who reached the final in 2010, will be without three key players. Adam Sutherland and Blair Duncan are unavailable, while James MacRae is injured.
Record eight-time winners Pentland United face Stromness Athletic in
Orkney.
United manager Michael Gray will be without Michael Steven and Connor
Trueman, who are on holiday, and the injured Shaun Forbes.
Can IRN upset cup holders?
The other quarter-final tie between Inverness Premier League side IRN
Security and cup holders and four-time winners Wick Groats has been
switched to Ardersier.
IRN, who will be looking to cause an upset, welcome back Stefan
MacRitchie, while forward Alan Fraser returns from injury. However,
Graeme Stewart is cup tied and Martin Duncan also misses out.
Groats boss Kevin Anderson hopes to have Jonah Martens and Sandy Sutherland available again.
Saturday’s Highland Amateur Cup quarter-final ties – Stromness
Athletic v Pentland United ( noon); Golspie Stafford v High Ormlie
Hotspur (3pm); Ness v Avoch (2.30pm); IRN Security v Wick Groats (3pm,
at Ardersier).
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