We’ll be underdogs in Stannergill Cup final, says Castletown captain
Captain Danny Mackay accepts Castletown will be underdogs when they welcome Staxigoe United to Back Park on Saturday for the inaugural Stannergill Cup final.
However, the former Brora Rangers and Wick Academy defender says that if the green-and-whites can land the new trophy it will be a fitting reward for the club’s hard-working committee.
“To get to the final of the Stannergill Cup in its first year is a big achievement for us and all the club is excited – the committee and the village as a whole,” Mackay (34) said.
“The committee has put a lot of work in with the pavilion and the pitch. It’s a great set-up, and to get to the final for them is one thing – but to win it would obviously be a big reward for all those guys behind the scenes.
“Hopefully we can do something, but it’s going to be tough. We probably are underdogs, to be fair.
“We are very up and down just now. We’re a bit inconsistent – we’re either really good or we’re very poor, there’s no middle ground.”
Staxigoe won 4-0 when the sides met at Back Park in a league fixture in early May.
Mackay said: “We all know how good a team Staxigoe are. They’ve played in finals before and a lot of the boys there have played at decent levels, and they’re winning a lot of games.
“I know a lot of the players from playing with them and against them over the years. They’re a well-drilled team, and they have talented young players like Arran Bain and Matthew Aitkenhead as well as experienced heads.
“But fingers crossed we can do something.”
The new Caithness AFA knockout competition replaces the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup, which was discontinued after the 2024 final.
The Stannergill Cup is being sponsored by Dunnet Bay Distillers, the company set up by husband-and-wife duo Martin and Claire Murray. The firm will produce its own Stannergill whisky from the renovated Castletown Mill.
The final will be played at Back Park, just as the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup final was every year after that competition was inaugurated in 2011.
Mackay said: “The Colin Macleod Memorial Cup was seen as ‘the Castletown cup’ and our big day out. We did get to the final one year – against Staxigoe, funnily enough.”
Staxigoe ran out 4-0 winners that day in June 2018.
Castletown will have a couple of key players missing on Saturday. Goalkeeper Ewan Grant has gone out of his way to make himself available, though.
Grant was due to be on holiday with his partner, but he changed his plans when Castletown made it to the final.
Mackay said: “He was meant to be away on holiday, but this shows you how dedicated the man is – as soon as we won the semi-final he cancelled his holiday plans.
“I don’t think his partner was very happy, but he’s cancelled it and is going to rebook it to play in the final. Commitment like that is really good.”
Mackay has a high regard for Castletown manager Tom McKenna and his coaching methods.
“He puts a lot of thought, research and time into his teams and into his coaching,” Mackay said. “He thinks a lot about the game. It’s amateur football but he puts a lot of time and commitment into it.
“A couple of boys coming back from injury, he’ll take them on one-to-one sessions at the weekend, getting their fitness back and getting them back involved.”
The final kicks off at 3pm. It will be preceded by a veterans’ seven-a-side competition, starting at 11am, while a barbecue and licensed bar will be available from midday.
Staxigoe United, last season’s David Allan Shield winners, are five points better off than Castletown in Division One.
However, they could have seven or eight first-team regulars missing this weekend. Grant and Graham MacNab, Shaun Sinclair and the cup-tied Richard Macadie are among those who will be absent.
Player/manager Martin Banks (33) said: “We’re really struggling for players for Saturday, but fingers crossed we’ll still be good enough to beat them.
“In the last three or four games we’ve had really strong teams but this one seems to have come at the wrong weekend for us.
“I think we should still have a good enough 11, but if you go to the bench it’ll be a lot of the veterans of Staxigoe you’ll be looking at.”
Banks added: “It would be good if we could be the first name on this trophy.”
Castletown and High Ormlie Hotspur scored 12 goals between them as they progressed to the semi-finals of the Eain Mackintosh Cup this week.
Castletown twice came from behind to run out 6-2 winners against Wick Thistle at Back Park. Hotspur, the holders, missed a 90th-minute penalty and then needed extra time before eventually seeing off Lybster at home by the same scoreline.
Scott Durrand and Jamie Steven scored for Thistle but they were overpowered as Castletown’s Michael Smith hit a hat-trick, with Jack McKechnie and Kian Mackay also on target along with an own goal.
Kieran Macgregor got a hat-trick for HOHs. Their other scorers were Aaron Wilson (2) and Stuart Campbell, with Ross Steven netting twice for Lybster.
At Recreation Park, Matthew Mackay and Callum Musgrave (penalty) scored for Halkirk in a 2-1 victory over Keiss, whose goal came from Tony Miller.
Goals from Ross Allan, James McLean and Cameron Montgomery gave Pentland United a 3-0 victory over Staxigoe United at Ham Park.
It was blowing a gale at all four matches on Tuesday night, with one Castletown player commenting: “The wind was just torture.”
The semi-finals, on Friday, June 27, are Halkirk v Castletown and Pentland United v High Ormlie Hotspur.
Caithness Ladies travel to Stromness on Sunday to take on Orkney in the SWF Highlands and Islands League.
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.
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.