Swifts are aiming high as top two win in Caithness second division
Automatic promotion is a realistic goal for Swifts this season, according to manager Stevie Reid.
The Thurso side remain in second place in Caithness AFA Division Two, five points behind Lybster, after both teams won on Monday.
Swifts left it late before securing a 2-0 victory at Watten, while Lybster cruised to a 9-0 away win against Thurso Pentland.
Reid sees no reason why Swifts can't make up ground on the leaders.
"If it's still there mathematically, you've got to tell the boys that's the aim. We'll just have to take it as it comes and see what happens," he said.
"We've still got to play Lybster but they're a good side as well.
"I thought we were really unlucky last time we played them [a 3-1 home defeat last month] – there wasn't a lot in it and Bobby Gunn proved the difference.
"If it's there, we'll aim for that. We just have to take whatever comes our way."
Swifts secured a play-off spot last summer, only to lose out to Wick Thistle.
On Monday night it took them until 78 minutes to make the breakthrough when the lively Ebisine Ambakederemo fired a shot off the underside of the crossbar and Eaden Ross was on hand to confidently knock it into the net.
Three minutes later Ambakederemo added the second when he got on the end of a low ball across the face of goal and turned it in at the back post.
"Every time we play Watten we struggle, I don't know what it is," Reid said. "In the final third the pass was getting forced.
"I don't want them ball-carrying the whole time, which they ended up doing. They sort of dropped down and started carrying the ball too much instead of just touch and pass, touch and pass.
"It'll come, but I knew it would be a struggle here tonight. They drew with Keiss last week so I knew it would be hard.
"I think there was a stonewall penalty for us in the first 15 minutes [a possible handball]. I think if we had scored early it would have opened up.
"We might have settled then a wee bit and it might have changed their game plan, which was to hit us on the break."
Reid is pleased with the progress being made by Ambakederemo. "He is getting better and better – he is so quick," the manager said.
Meanwhile, Swifts have brought in Don Swanson from Castletown.
Reid said: "I'm delighted to have him and I think he'll get better the more games he plays."
Watten manager Ben Leonard said: "We were missing a wee bit going forward – the final ball wasn't there.
"We actually played pretty well but the heads went down after we lost the first goal."
Watten were only recently able to return to their own ground after a fire in the changing rooms at the village park last October. They had to play all their games away from home while work was carried out.
"It has been a bit of a shambles this season, not being at home," Leonard said. "For the best part of the season we've not been here as obviously we need the facilities for getting changed.
"But I have no complaints. The boys are playing well – we're just struggling to get results and struggling to hit the back of the net."
There is no doubt that Watten have become a tougher team to beat, though.
"We're getting better and we're getting a lot of boys in," Leonard said. "It's a bit more competitive. It's good to see and it's good for the village too."
At the Dammies there were hat-tricks for Lybster pair Lewis Mackillop and Steven Budge, while Bobby Gunn got a double. The other goal came from Gary Swanson.
Pentland are still looking for their first point of the campaign.
Alan Ferrier, Tony Miller and Alan Steven scored for Keiss in a 3-1 home win against Top Joe's. Bruin Gunn was on target for the Thurso outfit.
Results – Archer Shield: Orkney 2, Caithness 1.
SWF Highlands and Islands League: Clachnacuddin Women 1, Caithness Ladies 8.
Caithness AFA Division Two: Keiss 3, Top Joe's 1; Thurso Pentland 0, Lybster 9; Watten 0, Swifts 2.
Fixtures – Tuesday, June 20 – Eain Mackintosh Cup, quarter-finals: High Ormlie Hotspur v Castletown; Wick Groats v Staxigoe United (both 7.15pm).
Wednesday, June 21 – Eain Mackintosh Cup, quarter-finals: Acks v Keiss; Wick Thistle v Pentland United (both 7.15pm).
Saturday, June 24 – Highland Amateur Cup, third round: Back v Avoch; Carloway v Golspie Stafford (in Ullapool); Clachnacuddin Reserves v Inver; Harris v Lerwick Celtic (in Maryburgh); Lerwick Spurs v High Ormlie Hotspur (in Kirkwall); Mallaig v Loch Ness; Stromness Athletic v Staxigoe United; Wick Groats v Fortrose and Rosemarkie Union.
Sunday, June 25 – SWF Highlands and Islands League Cup, semi-final: Caithness v Sutherland (Castletown, 2pm).