Krakens buoyed as they prepare for Shetland trip
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Caithness Krakens and Shetland are on course to lock horns for the first time on Saturday.
The Caley North Women's Region League clash in Lerwick will be their first meeting since the Thurso-based side joined the national league set-up last year.
Mike Flavell's squad are still looking to earn their first victory of the campaign.
They went into last Saturday's home tie against Inverness Craig Dunain after shipping 146 points from three hefty defeats.
But they travel buoyed by a much-improved display at Millbank which saw them go down 44-34 to a well-drilled city side.
"It was a great game of rugby," coach Mike Flavell said. "It was pretty even and it was a huge improvement on the previous week."
A sluggish start saw Craig Dunain run in three tries without reply in the opening 20 minutes.
Fears that the Krakens were facing another demoralising defeat proved groundless as they battled back to trail by four tries to three at the break.
Flavell said: "We seemed to switch through the gears and start playing through the phases and keeping hold of the ball."
The second half was closely contested, though the visitors were never headed as they secured their fourth win on the bounce to stay top of the table.
Try-scorers for the Krakens were Shauna Malcolm (2), Lauren Gunn, Stephanie Craig, Megan Douglas and Emily Flavell. Douglas added two conversions.
Flavell is hoping Ellie Anderson and Susie Smith will be added to the squad for the marathon haul to Shetland.
They head off on Friday to fly from Inverness and return late on Sunday afternoon.
Other games in the league saw Peterhead trounce neighbours Fraserburgh 62-0 and Orkney Dragons go down 27-7 at home to Aberdeenshire Quines.
Caithness men's 2nd XV meanwhile face Turriff at home on Saturday in Caley North 3. It kicks off at 3pm.
It follows the inaugural staging of the Come Ashore Cup in which Caithness Evergreens take on Orkney Vikings.
The over-35s clash is in memory of former player Alexander Mill, who died suddenly in April last year.
The charity match at Millbank kicks off at 2pm.
