prog ftfinal - Flipbook - Page 7
as a player?
“We’re looking to
bring the cup home
on Saturday and then
build on that.
“There are a lot of
things happening. We
have a new pitch coming next season, so it’s
all there for the boys
and for us as coaches
to lay these foundations on Saturday.
“Hopefully we can
do that, and further
success will come in
the future.”
The immediate buildup to the final has not
been without challenges.
Martin Mainland,
Grant Innes and Ryan
MacLeod will all miss
the match through injury, and Athletic have
not played in either of
the last two weekends.
Last week’s clash with
Orkney was calledoff due to cancelled
ferries, while the Appin
Sports Football Times
Cup final was originally due to be played
two weeks ago before
being postponed.
To top it all off,
because of the rearrangement, the final
will now be played at
the home of Athletic’s
opponents, Dalmore
Park in Alness.
“It’s not ideal – last
Saturday was out of
our hands, it was a bit
of a strange one with
the ferry being broken
down,” Ross added.
“With the way the
weather was the week
before, it wasn’t a
shock when the cup
final got cancelled on
the Thursday.
“Since then it has
been about keeping
the boys moving and
refocusing in training.
We’ve been indoor at
the Highland Football
Academy, so the boys
have got minutes in
their legs.
“We feel we’re in
quite a good place
going into the final this
Saturday.
“It’s a beautiful surface, and I’ve played
at other teams’ home
grounds in cup finals
before – you just have
to turn that into a positive.
“We’ve trained well
and we’re fully focused,
so we’re looking forward to it.”
Inverness Athletic are looking to break their duck with a first ever trophy win since
their formation in 2016.
Picture: Scott MacDonald
