Halkirk United are refusing to get carried away after hitting the North Caledonian League summit.
The Anglers are a point clear at the top of the table after an emphatic 4-0 win away to Fort William last weekend.
It was a fifth straight victory for the Caithness outfit, who are once again on their travels away to Bonar Bridge on Saturday.
With only eight matches played, manager Ewan McElroy is delighted with Halkirk’s start – but he knows there is still a long way to go.
McElroy said: “We are not going to focus on that too much.
“I think there are going to be a number of twists and turns yet, and we’ve got a difficult run that continues all the way up to Christmas.
Full time in Fort William! @FortWilliamFC 0-4 Halkirk
A big 3 points on the road for the Anglers thanks to goals from James Mackintosh x2, Sean Munro and Andrew Mackay.
Next up for the Anglers is another away tie against @bonar_fc Saturday the 18th of November 🔴⚫️
— Halkirk United FC (@HalkirkUnitedFC) November 11, 2023
“It’s a great position to be in.
“As much as we will enjoy it, we are not going to fall into any false sense of confidence at this stage.
“Momentum is everything in football, and confidence is a huge part of it.
“Away to Fort William, I don’t think many teams will be fancying that trip.
“Credit lies firmly with the boys. They have been putting in a lot of work over the weeks and it’s beginning to pay off.
“I thought the boys thoroughly deserved their win.
“Fort William is a difficult place to go, but we were relatively confident travelling down.
“We went there with a strong squad, and I think the boys knew that if they played to their strengths and put in a performance that we could come away with something.”
Bonar Bridge an improved outfit
Bonar Bridge have made big improvements since Bobby Breen took over as manager in the summer, having won just a solitary game last term.
They have already doubled that tally this season, and sit three points above bottom side Thurso.
McElroy expects a difficult encounter at Migdale, adding: “Bonar might have surprised a few people with some of their results earlier in the season.
“They have got a good setup, and they certainly have the players that can hurt the majority of the teams.
“We will certainly be going down there under no illusions it’s going to be a difficult game.
“They have not really had any emphatic defeats compared to previous years.
“I think they are a much more solid and compact outfit and they have got boys that can hurt just about any team.
“I think it’s going to be a tough game – and at this stage of the season, when injuries and suspensions creep in for all teams, I don’t think you can take any team lightly. We certainly won’t be, for sure.”
Champions Loch Ness are Halkirk’s nearest challengers at present, and Shane Carling’s men will aim to keep up the pressure when they host St Duthus.
Invergordon are also within touching distance of the top, and will face a Fort William side eager to bounce back.
Clachnacuddin reserves will look to build on an emphatic 6-1 triumph against Orkney when they make the trip to Thurso.
Orkney are in home action against Alness United, while Inverness Athletic take on Golspie Sutherland.
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