Caley Thistle Women face a stern Championship North test on Sunday when perfect starters Montrose visit Inverness.
The Angus team won their opening two matches, 5-0 against Stonehaven and 9-1 against Buchan, before Covid caused their weekend game against Dundee West to be postponed.
After two weeks out of action, Caley Thistle returned to the fold to post a fine 5-0 win at Buchan on Sunday, which was the ideal response to their 2-1 opening day defeat at East Fife.
New signing Charlotte Arrowsmith bagged a second half double, after Tina Kelly scored her first ICT goal direct from a corner, while Hannah Gordon and Kayleigh Mackenzie were also on the scoresheet.
Manager Karen Mason was satisfied to get off and running with a victory at Buchan but feels there is far more to come from her players.
She said: “It was a decent enough result, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the performance. It got us three points, which was the main thing we got from it.
“I think there was a wee bit of rustiness and that is no surprise after a two-week lay-off. We were 2-0 up at half-time and we wanted to get the clean sheet. It was good to then get another three goals in the second half, which was promising.
“We had to work hard to get our clean sheet, but it’s three points and hopefully we can build from there.
“Charlotte, who had been on trial with us for a couple of weeks, only signed on Friday then she made an instant impact with two goals, which was a highlight on Sunday. We have been really impressed with her.
“She came off the bench and scored twice in a short space of time and then Kayleigh got the fifth one to round it off and made the score a bit more reflective of the performance.”
Montrose rampant in pre-season
Now ready for their first home match of the campaign at Inverness Royal Academy, Mason is sure Montrose will be tough opponents in Sunday’s 2.30pm showdown.
She added: “We played Montrose in pre-season and took a 5-0 hiding from them. It wasn’t our finest hour, but we know what they’re capable of.
“It will be a tough one, for sure. We need everyone firing on all cylinders to be able to compete with them.
“Montrose had a game called off last weekend due to Covid, so they are the same as us, having just played twice so far.”
Lauren Donald, Megan McCarthy and Emily Twaddle are unavailable, while Lorna Macrae will be monitored as she recovers from an ankle injury.
After Sunday, the Caley Jags shift their focus to the Championship Cup on September 19, when they will lock horns with Championship South visitors Falkirk, whose 7-1 defeat by Renfrew Ladies leaves them mid-table.
Ten-goal derby thriller in cup semi
It was a dramatic Sunday in the Highlands and Islands League Cup semi-finals as Clach and Sutherland reached the final.
In a pulsating derby at Inverness Royal Academy, Clach and Caley Thistle’s development sides drew 3-3 after 90 minutes and 5-5 at the end of extra-time.
It all boiled down to the penalty shoot-out,and the Lilywhites won it 4-3 to reach the final.
It was a much simpler affair for Sutherland as they cruised to a 10-1 semi-final success against Caithness.
This Sunday, in the Highlands and Islands League, it’s second against first as Buckie Ladies get the chance to leapfrog Caley Thistle’s development team should they be victorious.
Clach will move second if they see off lowly visitors Kirkwall City and Buckie lose, while Brora Rangers host Nairn St Ninians and Sutherland are home to Orkney. All matches start at 2pm.
