St Duthus boss Alan Geegan reckons his high-flying side are in perfect shape to have a crack at Football Times Cup holders Thurso this Saturday.
However, the Saints manager remains cautious over the trip to St George’s Park, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs for the victors, insisting this will be their toughest test this term.
Tain team St Duthus have begun the new campaign in impressive fashion.
They kicked off their North Caledonian League season with a pulsating, topsy-turvy 4-2 home win against Halkirk United and added another three points to their tally with 4-1 victory against Nairn County A.
NEXT MATCH #NorthCaley
As it stands, our next scheduled match is away to @ThursoFC in the quarter final of the Football Times Cup – this Saturday, September 17th.
Fingers crossed we have a game to look forward to! pic.twitter.com/KNPm7s23vz— St Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) September 12, 2022
They also cruised into the last eight of the cup thanks to a no-nonsense 5-0 rout at Alness United.
Vikings have lots of quality – Geegan
Thurso, meanwhile, set up their home tie against the Saints by beating rivals Halkirk after sharing four goals and winning a penalty shoot-out.
Michael Bremner replaced Stevie Reid as the Vikings boss last November, with the side already in last season’s final.
He delivered the silverware after a penalty shoot-out triumph against Halkirk and Geegan is sure their hosts will be ready for the challenge.
He said: “Michael’s first game in charge last season was the cup final and he got off to a great start by winning that.
“We’ve played them twice with Michael in charge and managed to beat them twice in the league, so he will be desperate to get one over us in the cup.
“I really do expect this to be the toughest test of the season so far. It always is tough when you play up at Thurso, and last season with the quality they had in their team, their league position didn’t reflect that. They will always be one of our strongest opponents.”
St Duthus scoring freely so far
After scoring 13 goals in three outings, Geegan is confident his men can outgun most teams and hailed their eye-catching start.
He said: “I can’t ask for anything more than what I’ve had with three wins from three games.
“We had to dig in against Halkirk after going 2-0 up and they pulled it back to 2-2. The momentum was with them, but we dug deep to score a couple of late goals.
“I said last season we probably had the best forward players in the league. We’ve lost one or two from the front end, but we have taken in a couple as well and we’ve hit the ground running.
“We’ve also a few younger boys who are eager to improve and desperate to get into the team. It’s keeping everyone on their toes and goals are coming from all angles – hopefully, that continues.”
Saints targeting fresh trophy success
Last season, St Duthus bowed out of the Football Times Cup at the first stage when they lost 4-0 against Halkirk.
They did, however, lift the North Caledonian Cup in April when they edged past Halkirk 1-0 in the final.
Having tasted success, the Saints boss explained the group are determined to build upon it.
He added: “Even at the start of the season, the boys were talking about the feeling of winning a trophy together.
“We have a really close-knit changing room. Hopefully, we can build on that success and progress into the semi-final.”
Our next match is on Saturday 17th September at home to St.Duthus in The Football Times Cup Quarter Final with a 1.30 p.m kick-off at The Dammies #TFC #Vikings #FTCup pic.twitter.com/wxNDb7gGN5
— Thurso Football Club (@ThursoFC) September 9, 2022
Inverness are the new league leaders
Thurso will be looking to find form in their last-eight contest after they slipped to a 3-0 defeat against rivals Halkirk on Wednesday night.
Three goals within nine first-half minutes leading up to half-time put the game to bed, with Andrew Mackay, Aidan Reid and Alan Mathieson hitting the net for the now fifth-placed Anglers.
Inverness Athletic are the new league leaders after their hard-fought 3-1 victory at Alness United.
Tonight’s @NorthCaleyFA full time result pic.twitter.com/nlmpEl3RsS
— Alness United FC (@AlnessUnitedFC) September 14, 2022
Second-half goals from Ryan MacLeod and Connel Gresham put the visitors on track, but Euan Henderson hauled Alness back into it.
Gresham netted a third goal for Inverness with six minutes remaining to seal a result which moves the Highland capital team two points clear of Loch Ness.
Golspie Sutherland – champions two years ago – made it two wins from two as they defeated Bonar Bridge 5-2.
Goals from Miller Mackay, Robbie Murray and Adam Sutherland had the hosts cruising within the first 10 minutes.
Bonar responded with a Scott MacDonald goal on 31 minutes, but Miller Mackay extended the advantage to 4-1 before the interval.
Jack Corbett’s goal six minutes into the second half offered fresh hope for Bonar Bridge, but Robbie Murray bagged a fifth for Golspie, who are joint-third with St Duthus.
FULL-TIMES – NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Alness United 1 v Inverness Ath 3
Golspie 5 v Bonar Bridge 2
Halkirk United 3 v Thurso 0#NCFA #Northcaley— North Caledonian FA (@NorthCaleyFA) September 14, 2022
Teams set sights on semi-finals
Elsewhere in the Football Times Cup quarter-finals this weekend, Invergordon host Bonar Bridge, Loch Ness welcome Nairn County A to Fortrose and Golspie Sutherland are home to Clachnacuddin A.
In the league, this Saturday, Fort William, who have the interim team of Alan Gray, Tommylee Taylor and Darren Duncan in charge, are due to take on Orkney in Alness in a 12.45pm start.
In line with sports across the country last weekend, the North Caledonian League postponed its fixtures following the death of the Queen as a mark of respect. Those matches will be rearranged.
Saturday’s fixtures, Football Times Cup quarter-finals – Invergordon v Bonar Bridge, Loch Ness v Nairn County A, Golspie Sutherland v Clach A, Thurso v St Duthus (all 1.30pm); North Caledonian League – Fort William v Orkney (12.45pm in Alness).
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