Watten ‘need to be better’ after slow start to second division campaign
Watten manager Scott Bremner wants his team to “go up the gears” and push for the promotion play-off spot after a slow start to their campaign in Caithness AFA Division Two.
The villagers have played just three league fixtures so far, and they are fourth in the seven-team division with four points.
They are at home to second-placed Thurso Pentland this Friday.
“We’ve got two games in hand, which is positive,” Bremner said. “The second division this year is so competitive, the quality has definitely risen this summer.
“We need to be better. This is a good group of lads but quite frankly we need to start winning games.
“We’re definitely in with a shout for the play-off spot but I feel we need to show a bit more quality.
“We’re trying to build something, and it’ll happen – it will click into place. I think this season it has just been a slow start, with a defeat, a win and a draw and then the cup competitions.
“We still have time, we’ve got two games in hand, and it is a good group. I just feel we need to go up the gears.
“The club has got great ideas and plans for the future and we do have a good young team. The club is in a good position.
“We just want to try and get a bit of momentum and go forward.”
Bremner was speaking after Saturday’s chastening 8-1 defeat at home to Staxigoe United in the second round of the Highland Amateur Cup. In-form Graham MacNab did most of the damage, with five goals for top-flight Staxigoe.
“We needed to have a very, very good day and they needed to have a very, very bad day – and it never quite happened,” Bremner admitted.
“I thought we started well, the first 20 minutes, but when they scored their goals we couldn’t match their quality.
“When you’ve got players like Richard Macadie and the MacNab twins [Graham and Grant] in their team, it’s an uphill battle already. The quality was just too high.
“They are definitely up there as one of the favourites to go and win it. Credit to them, I wish them all the best.”
The other scorers for Staxigoe were Dave Manson (2) and Matthew Aitkenhead, while Ryan Farquhar got a consolation goal for Watten with a great strike.
Results – Highland Amateur Cup, second round: Avoch 3, Ferry United 1; Benbecula 1, High Ormlie Hotspur 6 (Evanton); Dounby Athletic 1, Kirkwall Thorfinn 1 (AET, Dounby won 3-2 on penalties); Fortrose 2, Black Rock 1; Halkirk 1, Carloway 5 (at Culbokie); Inverness Athletic 6, Fort William Reserves 1; Kirkwall Accies 0, Thurso Acks 4; Lerwick Spurs 4, Westside 1; Maryburgh 6, North West Skye 0; Tornagrain 1, Pentland United 5 (at Culloden); Watten 1, Staxigoe United 8; Whalsay 6, Portree 0; Wick Thistle 0, Inver 1.
Highland Amateur Cup third-round draw (ties to be played on June 21): Carloway v Fortrose; East United or Barra or Stornoway Athletic v Dounby Athletic; High Ormlie Hotspur v Staxigoe United; Inver v Thurso Acks; Lerwick Spurs v Maryburgh; Pentland United v Inverness Athletic; Scalloway or Iochdar Saints or Stornoway United v Whalsay; Wick Groats or CK Interiors or Culloden v Avoch. (Three second-round ties were postponed pending appeals.)
Eain Mackintosh Cup, quarter-finals: Castletown 6, Wick Thistle 2; Halkirk 2, Keiss 1; Pentland United 3, Staxigoe United 0; High Ormlie Hotspur 6, Lybster 2 (AET).
Fixtures – Friday, June 6 – Division Two: Swifts v Halkirk; Top Joe’s v Wick Thistle; Watten v Thurso Pentland (all 7.30pm).
Saturday, June 7 – Stannergill Cup final: Castletown v Staxigoe United (at Castletown, 3pm).
Sunday, June 8 – SWF Highlands and Islands League: Orkney v Caithness (at Stromness Academy, 2.15pm).
Tuesday, June 10 – Caithness AFA Division One: Castletown v Lybster; John O’Groats v Staxigoe United; Pentland United v High Ormlie Hotspur; Wick Groats v Keiss (all 7.30pm).
Wednesday, June 11 – Division Two: Acks v Top Joe’s; Wick Thistle v Watten (both 7.30pm). Thursday, June 12 – Division Two: Thurso Pentland v Swifts (7.30pm).
CAFA standings – Division One: 1 Pentland United (played 6, points 18); 2 High Ormlie Hotspur (6, 15); 3 Wick Groats (6, 13); 4 Lybster (6, 9); 5 Staxigoe United (6, 8); 6 Castletown (6, 3); 7 John O’Groats (5, 1); 8 Keiss (5, 0).
Division Two: 1 Wick Thistle (played 4, points 12); 2 Thurso Pentland (4, 9); 3 Acks (5, 9); 4 Watten (3, 4); 5 Swifts (3, 3); 6 Top Joe’s (4, 0); 7 Halkirk (5, -2). Halkirk deducted six points for playing an ineligible player in two league fixtures.