Clachnacuddin aiming for top half finish in the Highland League and a North of Scotland Cup run, according to club captain Harry Nicolson
Clachnacuddin captain Harry Nicolson insists the club have the quality to finish in the top half of the Highland League this season.
The Lilywhites have had a busy summer of recruitment, bringing in experience in the Highland League and beyond through the likes of Joe Malin, Josh Meekings and Gavin Morrison.
That will raise expectations for a side who have finished in the bottom three teams on multiple occasions over the last five years.
Ahead of their 2024/25 opener away at Lossiemouth this weekend, then, Nicolson is optimistic that Clach can look much higher up the table this time around while also looking to develop on a personal level.
“I think I’m just looking to become more consistent,” the 23-year-old said.
“I want to try and set a standard for everyone in the group and be as consistent as I can. I think last season I was a bit fed up at times when results weren’t really going our way and we were missing boys through injury, but I learned that no matter what you just need to keep your standards high and be more consistent.
“For the team, the main goal is probably to finish in the top half of the league. With the players we’ve signed, and hopefully there will be a couple more to come in, I think that would be the main goal.
“We’ve got a decent run in the North of Scotland Cup as well if we can beat Strathspey, so hopefully we can get into the semi finals of that competition.”
If Clach can record a first top-half finish since 2013, it would represent a remarkable change of fortune under the stewardship of manager Conor Gethins.
The fact that players and Gethins alike have talked about getting back into the higher reaches of the table suggests that there is a new feel around Grant Street Park going into the new campaign, and Nicolson says there are already noticeable difference among the group.
“I would say we’ve got a bit more experience with the players we’ve brought in,” he reasoned.
“Meekings, Joe Malin and Gav have added a lot in training and by speaking to us.
“Playing beside Meekings is making a difference for me personally. I did have Gary Warren last year, but he got injured quite early on in the season and then left, and I think we missed him a lot last year.
“Towards the end of the season before we were doing quite well, but then it was back to me and a few of the younger lads, so we probably just missed a bit of experience.”
