High Ormlie Hotspur hoping to take belief from Highland Amateur Cup triumph
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Eight months on from their memorable Highland Amateur Cup triumph, High Ormlie Hotspur are gearing up for another showdown with Pentland United, the team they beat in the final – this time in the preliminary round of the 2023 competition.
The Stabbies have won the tournament a record eight times and Saturday's eagerly awaited clash at Morrison Park offers them an early opportunity to make amends for their shoot-out defeat last August in front of a crowd of around 1000 in Wick.
With the teams level at 1-1 after extra time, High Ormlie won 4-2 on penalties to lift the trophy just 10 years after the club came into existence.
High Ormlie co-manager Liam Sutherland said: “Last year's final was a great occasion. We hadn't even been past the fourth round until last year and we went the whole way.
“Games with Pentland United are always going to be really tough. They're favourites to beat most teams every week.
“We've just got to try and take that belief from last year. We've done it before – we've shown what we can do. We've just got to take that belief, carry it into this weekend, and try to pull it off again.
“There should be a fair crowd at it.”
Pentland United co-manager Michael Gray said: "I've heard people say we should have seeding, but that's the beauty of the competition – it's open for all, and everybody has got exactly the same opportunity from the outset.
“It's as tough a draw as we could get, the holders away from home. Would we have picked that if we were given the choice? Absolutely not.
“But that is what we've been dealt, so it's about ourselves now, getting a game plan and getting the players focused on the job that has to be done."
Gray played in goal for St Duthus in their North Caledonian League match against Halkirk United last weekend and he feels that the amount of games being hosted at Morrison Park – which is also used by High Ormlie Hotspur – is starting to take its toll on the playing surface.
“The park is still in reasonable condition but I think it is going to need a bit of a rest because it's starting to get pretty bare," he said. "For the longevity of that park they're going to have a long, hard think."
Ham Park in Dunnet will be the venue for Keiss v Brora Wanderers, while Watten take on Lochbroom at High Ormlie. Other Caithness clubs with preliminary ties are John O'Groats, Lybster and Swifts.
Fixtures for Saturday, April 22 – Highland Amateur Cup preliminary round, north section (3pm unless stated): High Ormlie Hotspur v Pentland United (2pm); John O'Groats v Lairg Rovers (1pm); Keiss v Brora Wanderers (at Dunnet); Lochinver v Lybster; Thurso Swifts v Golspie Stafford; Watten v Lochbroom (at High Ormlie).
Pentland United co-manager Michael Gray is sure newly promoted Castletown will be a force to be reckoned with in Caithness AFA Division One this season.
The Stabbies ran out 5-2 winners in Wednesday night's Dunnet Bay derby at Back Park, taking control in the second half after the sides were level at 1-1 at the break.
“Tom McKenna has got them well organised," Gray said. "They've got a good balance between youth and experience, so we're delighted to get the three points.
"I don't think anybody should be underestimating Castletown just because they got promoted – I think they will more than hold their own."
There were doubles for Marc Macgregor and Michael Petrie, with Sam Mackay also on target for Pentland United. Castletown's goals came from Michael Smith (penalty) and Gary Macleod.
Wick Thistle continued their good start to the campaign with a 3-0 away victory over Acks. Kyle Henderson, Scott Durrand and Gary Pullen were the scorers.
Thistle got a 2-2 draw at home to Pentland United on the opening night of the season last week. Player/manager Owen Harrold said the result proved the Jags are going in the right direction, and Gray too was keen to give them credit.
"A lot of people were considering it dropped points," he said. "We'll only know if it was dropped points at the end of the campaign.
“I think people are being a little bit disrespectful to Wick Thistle. They've got a good young side and I said before the game that it was always going to be potentially difficult.
"It's a really difficult surface to play football on and it was our first game of the season, so there were a lot of mitigating circumstances.
“I'm not all doom and gloom about it. Maybe it wasn't our best performance, I do take that on board, but I don't think it was the calamity that some people are trying to make out it was."
Caithness AFA results: Friday – Division Two: Lybster 3, Keiss 1.
Monday – Division One: High Ormlie Hotspur 1, John O’Groats 0. Division Two: Swifts 2, Watten 0.
Tuesday – Division One: Staxigoe United 0, Wick Groats 4. Division Two: Lybster 9, Thurso Pentland 1; Top Joe’s 1, Keiss 1.
Wednesday – Division One: Acks 0, Wick Thistle 3; Castletown 2, Pentland United 5.
Caithness AFA fixtures (all 6.45pm): Monday, April 24 – Division One: Staxigoe United v Wick Thistle.
Tuesday, April 25 – Division One: John O'Groats v Castletown; Pentland United v Acks; Wick Groats v High Ormlie Hotspur.
Wednesday, April 26 – Division Two: Lybster v Swifts; Thurso Pentland v Keiss; Top Joe's v Watten.
Friday, April 28 – Division One: Castletown v Acks; High Ormlie Hotspur v Wick Thistle; John O'Groats v Wick Groats; Staxigoe United v Pentland United.
