Caithness Ladies aiming to get Highlands and Islands title challenge back on track
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Manager Fiona Angus says Caithness Ladies will be looking to get their Highlands and Islands League title challenge back on track after suffering their first league defeat of the season.
Caithness lost 6-1 to leaders Buckie in Thurso on Sunday to fall three points behind top spot in fourth place.
The hosts suffered a nightmare first half when they went 5-1 down, with Carly Erridge's goal the only Caithness highlight of the first 45 minutes.
The team improved in the second half, conceding only once after the break, but Angus acknowledged the damage had already been done.
"Due to injury and Covid we had around seven players missing," she said. "Even though some players have come back into the squad from injury, they are not at their best yet.
"We didn't have our normal team in place. We made changes at half-time and that stabilised the defence, and it was a more level second half. But our players worked hard and kept going."
Caithness return to action on Sunday when they take on Sutherland at Couper Park in Helmsdale.
Sarah Mackintosh and Donna Majilton are set to return to boost the team.
Angus is expecting her team to be a tighter unit at the back – but she also praised the youth in the squad, saying the club has a bright future.
"This season, our aim is to create a stable team," she said. "We have a lot of young players who are under 18 years old.
"We want to give them match experience, build them as players and help them move forward and make them the future of the club.
"It is about them challenging for a place in the first team, and they are doing really well this season doing that."
Sutherland won the Highlands and Islands League Cup last season but have had a poor start to their campaign, having lost two of their three matches so far.
Despite their opponents having only one league win this campaign, Angus is still aware of the quality Sutherland possess.
But she is confident Caithness are good enough to return home with all three points.
"Sutherland are a strong team and it will be a competitive game," Angus said. "But we believe we can win there on Sunday and you have to believe that you can win any game.
"We will have some players back and be in a better position defensively."
