Greens face ‘massive test’ in bottom versus top clash with Aberdeenshire
The Greens’ unbeaten home record in the North Conference of Caley 1 will face its sternest test with the visit of Aberdeenshire this weekend.
The city side’s impressive season continued with a 58-38 eclipse of Caley 1 Midlands Conference leaders Perthshire in the second round of the National Shield in their latest outing.
That came on the back of five wins out of six in the North Conference, which they top.
The Greens go into Saturday’s game at the foot of the pile, three points behind second-bottom North Police.
Cameron Boyd is sanguine about his team’s current position and, while not making light of the task ahead, does not believe he will be the first Caithness coach to oversee a relegation.
“The big ‘R’ word is hanging in the air a bit,” he said. “But at the start of the season we didn’t think we would be relegated and I still don’t think that will happen.”
A positive feature of their run-in is that Saturday is the first of four home matches, with Highland Seconds their only outstanding away assignment.
“It’s going to be a massive test,” Boyd said. “Shire are a very good team who have played together for a long time, and success for them is winning the conference and getting promoted.
“They will be confident, but it’s up to us to put a spoke in their wheels this weekend.”
The Greens can also take heart from the 24-16 victory in last year’s fixture.
Boyd will be able to field a squad similar to the one that lost out 36-31 to Blairgowrie in the National Shield in their last outing.
Winger Grant Mackay misses out as he was concussed in that match, while Duncan Mackay is unavailable.
Centre Max Kennedy returns but the game may well come too early for the return of Scott Webster and Charlie Quinn, recovering from shoulder and leg injuries respectively.
Kick-off is 2pm.
Caithness Seconds were idle again on Saturday after Fraserburgh could not raise a side for their scheduled visit to Millbank. The fixture has been rearranged for December 21, with the north-east side docked four penalty points.
The Yellows, meanwhile, are due to host Peterhead at Millbank on Saturday at 2pm on the pitch adjoining the 1st XV match.
The weather scuppered the scheduled women’s Caley North 2 clash in Thurso between Caithness Krakens and Orkney Dragons on Saturday, with the Pentland Firth ferry service being cancelled. The match is now likely to go ahead in mid-January.
