| Catch-a-Match: The curse of T in the Park! |
|
|
It is the first weekend of pre-season fixtures with eight sides in action in official friendlies while another three take part in bounce matches behind closed doors. It is the weekend where ‘T in the Park' pops up throughout the team news much to the frustrations of various managers. Both Wick Academy and Formartine United are in action in early kick offs with the Scorries welcoming an Orkney Select side to Harmsworth Park at midday while the North Lodgers visit Rothie Rovers at 2.00 pm. All other games kick off at 3.00 pm. Arbroath is the destination for Cove Rangers while Buckie Thistle also travel outside the Highland League region by visiting Forfar Athletic. Clachnacuddin host Elgin City at Grant Street, another former Highland League club in Peterhead visit Keith while Strathspey Thistle officially opener their renovated ground with a visit from another club that has flown the SHFL nest in Ross County. Lossiemouth, Turriff United and Forres Mechanics take part in behind-closed-doors fixtures. We will have videprinter updates available to HFLi subcribers throughout the afternoon and log onto http://www.highlandleague.net/ in the evening for a full summary of the action as well as the usual Match Reports. A full rundown of the Previews is below. Wick Academy v Orkney AFA Select (kick off 12.00 pm) Wick Academy play their first match of the close season as they welcome a Select side from Orkney to Harmsworth Park in an early kick off with this match due to start at midday. The Scorries played the same opponents away from home last summer and were defeated 2-0 but will be looking for their own home advantage to reap dividends as they aim to start the pre-season on a positive note. Co-manager Richard Hughes said: "We have a few boys missing, especially at centre half. We have got a 16-man squad though and we will just have to adjust one or two into the central the defensive positions. The guys that are available are up and ready for it. "This week has gone well because we have had most of the boys back at training. We have had a bit of disruption with the weddings of Craig Shearer and Gary Manson on the same weekend and then David Cowie gets married at the end of the month but no disrespect to those boys. We have also had Sam Mackay and Gary Weir just getting back from holiday so we are only now starting to get the whole squad together. "We have had most of them there at various times and they have been going a good pre-season at places like the beach. It is just a matter of getting them used to the ball again." Wick have a clutch of defensive worries ahead of this friendly with Andrew Macleod and Michael Stephen away and Alec Lamb working and although Gary Manson and Alan Farquhar are also both away at the moment, it is hoped they will be back in time to feature. Midfielder David Cowie is another who is away while Craig Shearer is on honeymoon. However, Bryan McKiddie is now fully fit after missing a chunk of last season because of a shoulder injury. Rothie Rovers v Formartine United (kick off: 2.00 pm) These two sides met in a pre-season bounce match this time last summer ahead of Formartine United's first ever Highland League season. The fixture is repeated again with the amateur outfit providing John Gardiner's men with their first game of the summer. United were thumping 5-0 winners 12 months ago as they started the preparations for a campaign that saw them finish the season in the top six in the table. A repeat would go down a treat for Gardiner's men in this one and the North Lodge boss said: "Training has been going really well. Everyone has been doing really well and I am really pleased with them all. It is just the first game but it is a nice wee game to get started with. We are not looking for anything great - we are just looking to get into our rhythm again and get our passing and shooting going again." Young attackers Marc Young and Fraser Tait are both unavailable for this one as they are at T in the Park several other players may miss out due to not being back from holidays in time. Therefore Gardiner is likely to draft in players from the club's youth setup to bolster his pool. Arbroath v Cove Rangers (kick off 3.00 pm) Cove Rangers saw their Highland League crown wrested away from them by Buckie Thistle in Jerry O'Driscoll and Kevin Tindal's first season in charge of the Toonsers. They begin their quest towards winning it back with a pre-season friendly away at Tindal's former club Arbroath. The Rainbow Taxis Park club have seen a handful of players move on including Neil Cruickshank, Clark Bain and Barrie Stephen but have also snapped up Stephen Jaffrey and Daniel Park to bolster their ranks. Looking ahead to their first game of the summer, Tindal said: "We have about five or six boys missing for this game and then it is the same for the next few weeks as well but every team is in the same boat at this stage of the season. That is just part and parcel of being a part time club. Everybody gets their holidays at different times and we just have to accept that. Some places are a wee bit more flexible and that is just a part of the game at this level nowadays." The Toonsers will make the trip without Murray McCulloch, Jamie Buchan, Richie Livingstone and Danny Milne as all four players are still away on holiday but new arrivals Stephen Jaffrey, Daniel Park and Alan Redford are all set to feature in Cove colours for the first time. Clachnacuddin v Elgin City (kick off: 3.00 pm) Both Clachnacuddin and Elgin City were defeated in their opening pre-season fixture on Wednesday evening and they continue their preparations for their respective league campaigns against one another in this friendly match at Grant Street Park. The Lilywhites had an energy-sapping run out against full time outfit Ross County in a match that would have done their players' fitness the world of good while Elgin were dumped 3-1 at Highland League champions Buckie Thistle. Ahead of their first home pre-season game, Clach manager Iain Polworth said: "I still have close connections at Elgin. Their chairman Graeme Tatters and manager Ross Jack are good friends of mine and I will certainly relish them coming to the Clach Park. It is really good for me and I am looking forward to it and I hope the Clach fans are looking forward to it. Before, Elgin went out of the Highland League, it was a big game when Clach played them and everybody always looked forward to it. "They are Scottish League opponents now so it is a chance for them to test themselves against players that are playing at a higher level than ourselves so it will be a good work out." The Lilywhites are without several players because of T in the Park with Stuart Leslie, Paul Smith and Kyle Maclean as they are all unavailable while Scott Davidson and Gordon Morrison are on the injury list. However, Martin Sanderson and Steven MacDonald return to the squad and Polworth will give run outs to a couple of trialists. Forfar Athletic v Buckie Thistle (kick off: 3.00 pm) Buckie Thistle go in search of their second SFL scalp of the summer when they go to Forfar Athletic for their next pre-season game having defeated Elgin City at Victoria Park on Wednesday night. It is a step up in standard for the Jags this time though with Forfar having won promotion to Division Two through the playoffs last season but the Buckie players will take confidence from the convincing nature of their success in midweek. Boss Gregg Carrol is refusing to read too much into that result though as he said: "We were really pleased with how things went in midweek and the boys did really well. We are hoping to continue that on but it will be a difficult task against a good Forfar side. They got beat 2-1 by Motherwell on Thursday so it will be hard for us going down there but we are looking forward to it and seeing how we will shape up against a team like that. It will be a good game for our fitness as well." The Jags are without Brian Bell as he is at a wedding having made his debut for the club in midweek. However, both Donnie and Hamish Munro are back in the fold but Robbie Brown is on honeymoon and Ian Murray is away. Keith v Peterhead (kick off: 3.00 pm) Peterhead have already played Highland League clubs Inverurie Locos and Huntly. They now make it a trio in the space of five with a visit to Keith as boss Darren Still prepares for his first full season at the helm. Still spent the second half of last season assessing his squad and has now started to put his own stamp on the pool as he looks to improve upon last year's eighth place finish and put together a solid title challenge. Still said: "We are all looking forward to getting back up to Keith and getting the boots back on. We have done a bit of work over the last three weeks and you can see at training that it is now time for games. We have programme coming up where we have six friendlies over the next few weeks which will hopefully prepare us for the season ahead. "The guys have come back well but being the manager of a part time team, it is frustrating that you get some players back from holiday and then another few go. You then get more back but some more then go off. That is just what you have to put up with at part time level and I don't think we have had the whole squad together at all yet. It will be the same on Saturday." The Maroons are without brothers Sean and Cammy Keith, Wayne Mackay, Dean Donaldson, Jonny Watt and Craig Phillips for this game as all six players are away either on holiday or at T in the Park. Still will beef up his ranks with players from the club's successful under-19s squad. Trialist Jonathan Smith is also away for the weekend but is close to agreeing terms to join the club. Strathspey Thistle v Ross County (kick off: 3.00 pm) The new stand at Seafield Park is officially opened with the visit of Ross County. The Jags only completed the work in time to take their place in the Highland League at the start of last season and were therefore unable to fit in ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Jags warmed up for the big game with a bounce match against amateur outfit Nethy Bridge where they hit double figures to ensure the belief will be flooding back to the players after their disappointing bottom place finish last season. Boss Donly McLeod said: "It will be a tough one for us but we have to start somewhere. I don't know far ahead of us they are but I would imagine they will come into the game ahead of us in their preparations. It is good of them to come up though and I would imagine they are taking their full squad up with them. "We are all looking forward to it and it will be a good challenge for the boys to play against a team like that. It is often you get the chance to play against a team like Ross County and I'd hope that there will be a good crowd there for the game. We have to go out there and do our best and make sure we can compete. It is a big day for the club." Strathspey will go into the match without goalkeepers Chris Bowles and Gordon MacDonald because of holidays and a shoulder injury respectively. That means recent signing Willie Ridgers will take the gloves. Meanwhile, defender Darren Jarvie is also out injured while Scott Hendry is another who misses out because of holidays. There are also two bounce matches involving Highland League clubs tomorrow. Lossiemouth start their preparations for the new season with a home match at Grant Park which will give their players a run out for the first time this summer. Manager Charlie Charlesworth said: "Pre-Season training has gone fine - it normally does - although we had to change it around slightly from the format I usually take due to it being slightly shorter this year. The lads generally look fitter from the off and that's due primarily down to them and their attitude but they also know what is expected at this level too. "It's never without its problems though. Stu Strathdee hurt his foot during the early stages and hasn't been involved much which is a shame because I know he wanted to get all the pre-season under his belt. We are hoping he can step things up this weekend. "The usual holidays during this time have an effect and that little event down the road always raises its head... T in the Park! Bagley has also been able to put in some work this pre-season and I am hoping he will come on song if we take it slowly with him. "What has been very noticeable this season already is the sign of continuity from last season. The squad has a more familiar feel about it this year with the obvious additions but it feels like we are working at last with a first class squad. "I found the training last night hilarious. The lads really were in good spirits. We have a couple of jokers in the pack and it really does make the sessions a lot more tolerable when you're being put through your paces. We had a mixed training session last Tuesday which was a great workout for both squads. From my side of the fence, I was very impressed with the tempo and passing aspect of our game for the first hour. "We have another mixed training session tomorrow which will test the fitness somewhat on the open expanses of Grant Park but all we are looking for is good possession of the ball, willingness to support and to work hard at creating opportunities and denying the opposition." The Coasters have goalkeeper Darren McConnachie and midfielders Jamie Bagley and Kevin Grant unavailable as they are away at T in the Park. Meanwhile, Kevin Flett is on honeymoon, Nikki Smith has work commitments and Chris Stuart is out with a back injury. Charlesworth will recruit a few trialists to bolster his ranks for this one. Forres Mechanics have been embarking on a rigorous week of fixtures and have already played two bounce games in three days. They have another away from home this coming Saturday to make it three run outs in just over half a week. The Can Cans still have long term injury absentees Gary Youngson and Ricky Wardrop ruled out and with the intense schedule, boss Charlie Rowley is expected to rotate his squad for this one. Trialist Gary Tweedie bagged a brace on Thursday evening and he is expected to get another chance to impress the Mechanics management. Turriff United are another side who are behind-closed-doors in a bounce match as they warm up for their first official pre-season friendly game with Peterhead on Tuesday evening. New signings Steven Coutts, Mark Cowie, Cammy Bowden, Craig Dorrat and Michael Ewen will all be aiming to impress sufficiently to ensure they make their Haughs bow in midweek. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Latest News
Popular
- Match Summaries Jul 31st 10: Five-star Cove set the early pace
- Fixtures 10/11: Festive derbies are back with Buckie title defence starting against Clach
- Match Reports Aug 7th 2010: Favourites Falter
- Duncan: We were undermined and had to go
- Match Summaries Aug 14th 10: Lossie top the pile / Cove fight back again
