They are an inspiration: Caithness Ladies will learn from cup final loss
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Head coach Tom McKenna says Caithness Ladies can be proud of their achievements after getting to the final of the Scottish Women’s Football Highlands and Islands League Cup.
The Castletown-based team's first appearance in a final ended in a 3-1 defeat to Buckie at Station Park in Nairn on Sunday, but McKenna believes the squad will learn from the experience.
He felt the occasion got the better of the Caithness players in the first half but described them as "an inspiration" to work with.
Caithness took the lead through an own goal by Buckie's Lorna Young.
However, the league champions and cup holders turned it round by half-time with strikes from Rheo Laurenson and Lori Lappin, and Emily McAuslan added their third to complete a "double double".
As well as receiving the League Cup, Buckie were presented with the SWF Highlands and Islands League trophy.
“In the first half we just didn't turn up," McKenna said. "As much as we went 1-0 ahead, I think the occasion got to them.
"Normally they're a team that are quite composed and relaxed and they play with confidence. In the first half they were kicking the ball everywhere, they were rushing everything, they were panicking, there was no composure whatsoever.
“The second half was a bit more evenly contested. There was more composure and they played a better standard of football.
“We've got to learn from it. If we can gain experience from it then as a club, as a team and as an individual it'll make you stronger and better.
“At the end of the day you've got to hold your hands up sometimes and the better team won on the day. We've got to give them credit – they were stronger than us. They were a better footballing team and they had the experience needed for the big occasion.
“It's a benchmark for all the other teams to try and work hard to get to that level.”
The target now for Caithness is to hold on to third place in the SWF Highlands and Islands League.
"We've come so far in a short period of time as a group," McKenna said.
“They can still be really proud of their achievements and we're still going to try to fight for third place.
“I'm sad for the lassies. They've worked damned hard. They have been training three or four times a week and they're committed to that.
“They've really invested in it and hopefully with all the work we're doing at the moment, we'll see the benefits of that in the long term.
“I think each and every one of them will have learned a lot from it."
McKenna, who was head of youth at Clyde before moving to Caithness and had almost two-and-a-half years in charge at Wick Academy in the Highland League, added: "I've probably never invested so much emotionally in a team as I have with the ladies.
"They are an inspiration, and I don't think they get the recognition they deserve. Women's football is growing massively.
“We travelled all the way down to Nairn and the support the lassies got was unbelievable. We had just as many supporters as Buckie. There must have been a couple of hundred people from Caithness that came down and supported the ladies, and I know the ladies are really appreciative of that.
“The SWF put on a fantastic day. It was done professionally and we couldn't ask for any more from them, as much as we disputed the distance we were travelling."
McKenna reckoned one Caithness player deserved special praise.
“One person really stood out – Sophie Kinghorn," the head coach said. "She was by far the player of the match – a 42-year-old woman and she plays every game as though it's her last game.
"She was different class. To perform the way she performed, and to run the way she ran, it was testament to how much she really wanted it.”
Coach Matty McMillan was standing in for Buckie boss Laura Duncan.
He said: "We had a slow start, we were a bit hesitant, and Caithness took advantage of that.
"After Rheo scored we smelled blood and it was a huge boost getting two quick goals before half-time.
"After Emily's goal Caithness got a bit of a second wind so we went to a 4-5-1 for the last 20 minutes to try and close things down and see out the game. Caithness created a lot of chances but couldn't get behind our back line.
"There was a lot of heart and soul out there from the team, they dug deep and played for each other.
"Having the experience of playing in and winning the final last year was a big help, as was winning the league in the run-up to the final."
