Caithness United fall to defeat in Inverness
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Caithness Under-16’s were defeated 5–2 in a challenge match against Balloan Thistle U16s at Bught Park in Inverness.
Joshua Hughes and George Ewing scored the goals for Caithness.
But it wasn’t enough to beat Balloan who have proven to be one of the strongest teams in the league this season.
Coach Alan Kennedy was philosophical afterwards saying that he was relatively content with how the Caithness squad had performed, particularly in the second third of the match.
But he conceded that there are areas for improvement which his team have to work on,
He said: “We have a tendency to start slow in games, possibly due to bus legs.
“But after we had a frank chat with the boys and changed formation after the first third, we definitely saw a marked improvement.
“Although we didn’t score as many of the opportunities that we created as we’d of liked, we saw a different side to the boys in long periods of the game.
“They certainly showed grit and determination, competing well with their opponents all over the park, whilst the effort put in by most was extremely impressive. Balloan, who are obviously a good side, provided a great test for us, and I suppose, bar a couple of what I’d regard as ‘ugly goals’ from our perspective, we may have scraped a draw.
“However, they deserved the win by being more clinical in front of goal, and in there lies a lesson to our front men.”
Kennedy says despite the defeat, the younger players in the squad showed their quality on the pitch.
“We were impressed with our younger contingent today too, as they showed a great attitude and looked comfortable playing at this level, which bodes well for next season.
“A big thanks must go out to Balloan coaches Martin Fitzgerald and Grant Munro for agreeing to play us in the middle of a busy schedule, and we wish them well for the rest of their season.”
