Treble-seeking Groats play the numbers game
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WICK Groats are going for a momentous treble but boss Kevin Anderson hopes his troops can avoid the sickbay.
Having already won the Eain MacIntosh Cup this season, Groats are hoping to make it a trio of trophies by adding the CAFA Division One title and the David Allan Shield to their cabinet.
They reached the last four of the David Allan competition after a 4-1 win at Thurso Swifts and are locked in a title race with Pentland United – the team they’ll meet in Monday’s shield semi-final.
Graham MacNab (2), Ben Sinclair and Ryan Campbell struck for Groats, while Swifts replied with a goal from Lewis Fraser.
However, as the season enters the final straight, the toils of it are beginning to kick in as well as commitments made by players to their winter-time clubs.
Anderson said: “We are struggling for numbers right now.
“Both Jack Henry and Alan Hughes have returned to Wick Academy in order to play in the Highland League. Plus we have Alan Sinclair out for the rest of the season because of a torn thigh muscle.
“Not to mention that we’ve players who also play with teams in the North Caledonian League and their pre-seasons are up and running now.
“We’re hoping that those players can stay fit and avoid any injuries while training or playing any pre-season friendlies for their respective North Caledonian League teams.
“If we start getting a few players injured then our numbers really will be thin and could affect our chances in both the league title race and the shield.”
One player that Anderson is delighted to see leave is 18-year-old Brandon Sinclair. Not because he’s a dressing-room troublemaker – far from it, as the Groats gaffer explains.
“Brandon is away on holiday just now but when he gets back, he’ll be off again to take a chance of a lifetime.” Anderson said.
“Brandon has won himself a football scholarship in the United States so he’ll be out there for the rest of our season.
“We’ll miss him, but we’re hoping that something will come from that for him in the form of winning a deal with a professional club.
“He was on the books of Inverness Caley Thistle as a boy but they let him go which allowed us to gain a very good player.
“It would be great if he could get something from this scholarship as it would show other young boys who have been let go by professional clubs that it is possible to bounce back.”
Regarding Monday’s David Allan Shield semi-final, Anderson is eager to renew old acquaintances.
He continued: “Ourselves and Pentland United are getting fed up of seeing each other.
“We’ve met in the other three cup competitions played this season and now we’re meeting again in a fourth. Not to mention the title race we’re both involved in.
“But we’re the two teams who are on form and it is to be expected that we keep meeting each other. We’ve beaten them in two of the cup ties we’ve played and we’re hoping to make it three.”
