Caley Thistle Women manager Karen Mason hopes to end 2023’s league action on a positive note when her side play their final SWF Championship game of the year on Sunday.
The Caley Jags host Greenock Morton in their final league match of the calendar year, having enjoyed an impressive first half to the Championship season.
Ahead of the Morton clash, Caley Thistle sit second in the table with 21 points – six behind leaders Rossvale and two clear of third-played Ayr United.
And although Mason wishes there was not such a lengthy wait until a return to league action, she has urged her side to keep up the momentum when they host Morton, having beaten Hutchison Vale 11-0 last weekend.
She said: “Our main aim against Hutchison Vale was to go out and try to close the gap with goal difference with the teams around us.
“We didn’t slip up and went out and got the job done. It was a good performance.
“It sounds quite surreal to say this is our last game of the year already when it’s only November. It’s quite a substantial break, so it is really important that we make sure we finish this part of the season well and keep building on what we’ve done so far.
“We have had a few slip ups this season, but the difference this year has been we haven’t taken our foot off the gas and have been much more consistent.
“We want to hold on to second place this weekend and make sure we’ve got something to keep fighting for when the league starts again in 2024.”
Long break from league action awaits north clubs
Inverness still have two cup fixtures to contest – the SWF Championship and League One Cup quarter-final next week and a Scottish Cup third round clash with SWPL leaders Rangers on January 7 – before they return to league action on January 21.
However, Mason does find it frustrating her side will have to wait two months to get back to their main priority.
She added: “Leaving it so long is not fair on any team. I don’t think any team would want to be idle for that long.
“You have got players that are fit and well, and when things are going well on the pitch then a long break like this is frustrating for sure.
“I don’t think we’ve had a long break like this over Christmas before.
“As important as Christmas is and something we look forward to, we commit to the football season all year round, so I don’t think there needs to be such a big gap between games.”
Sixth-placed Westdyke play their final Championship game of 2023 on Sunday when they host Hutchison Vale, who sit bottom with no points on the board.
It is also the final weekend in the SWFL North before the Christmas break, and the fixtures are: Inverurie Locos v Buchan, Grampian v Elgin City, Stonehaven v Dryburgh, and Huntly v Westdyke Thistle.
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