Year-on-year improvement is the aim for John O’Groats
John O’Groats are striving for year-on-year improvement in the hope that they can develop into title challengers in seasons to come, according to captain and co-manager Stuart Sinclair.
The 36-year-old was speaking after Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat to Wick Groats at the Upper Bignold Park in Caithness AFA Division One.
“Mistakes cost us,” Sinclair admitted after the home side secured all three points with goals from Korbyn Cameron, Conor Farquhar and Jonah Martens. “If we can cut the mistakes out, I think things are nearly there.
“Unfortunately we’ve not got the points to show for it but there have only been a couple of games that we’ve really deserved to get beaten. Most of the other games we’ve been there or thereabouts.
“We probably should have beaten Wick Groats in our last game against them, we maybe should have beaten the Stabbs, but we have no points to show for two big performances. Tonight we were deservedly beaten.
“We’re wanting to keep progressing, year after year, getting a wee bit better. We’ve now got a lovely pitch, we’re trying to build a team that players want to play for, to improve year on year.
“This last 10 years we seem to have lost a good player each year and not managed to then progress. We’ve had a few tough seasons but the boys have stuck together and we’ve stayed in the first division.
“But it’s quite difficult then to play your youth because every game is under pressure, every game is tight, it’s a struggle to get them on, and they deserve to get a game.”
Sinclair, who first turned out for John O’Groats as a teenager, added: “We want to be a team that’s fighting for the league again. When we’re fighting against the teams that are going for the league, it gives you a bit of hope.
“This year we’ve had a big squad and it has been difficult in its own way to keep everybody happy, getting games, but hopefully it’s going to pay off at the end of the season and we’re not going to be sitting there scratching together a team.
“We’re trying to keep moving in the right direction. What has cost us games is giving the ball away, but the last thing that I want to do is put players under pressure. I want to allow them to have a bit of freedom, allow them to be creative, and if they give the ball away sometimes that’s just part of it, but hopefully that will stop.
“We’ve got a good team there, and now we’ve got a mix of youth and older players.”
Results – Highland Amateur Cup, quarter-finals: High Ormlie Hotspur 3, Black Rock Rovers 1; Pentland United 2, Ness 1; Sleat and Strath 2, Avoch 3; Stornoway Athletic 4, Helmsdale United 0.
Steven Cup, quarter-finals, second leg: Keiss 1, Watten 0 (Keiss win 4-3 on aggregate); Swifts 0, Halkirk 3 (Halkirk win 4-1 on aggregate); Top Joe’s 2, Acks 3 (Acks win 5-3 on aggregate).
CAFA Division One: Lybster 2, Castletown 2; Wick Groats 3, John O’Groats 0.
Fixtures – Wednesday, July 17 – CAFA Division One: Pentland United v Staxigoe United; Wick Thistle v High Ormlie Hotspur (both 7.30pm).
Thursday, July 18 – Steven Cup, semi-final, first leg: Acks v Pentland (7.15pm).
Friday, July 19 – Steven Cup, semi-final, first leg: Halkirk v Keiss (7.15pm).
Saturday, July 20 – Archer Shield: Caithness v Orkney (Castletown, 2pm).
Tuesday, July 23 – CAFA Division One: High Ormlie Hotspur v Wick Groats; John O’Groats v Castletown; Lybster v Pentland United; Staxigoe United v Wick Thistle (all 7.15pm).
Wednesday, July 24 – Steven Cup, semi-finals, second leg: Keiss v Halkirk; Pentland v Acks (both 7pm).
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