Inverness Caley Thistle's cup defeat to Rangers in front of a record crowd can spur players on in promotion bid, says Karen Mason
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Karen Mason says playing the top team in Scotland in front of a record crowd for women's football in Inverness has given Caley Thistle's players extra desire to push on through the leagues.
The Caley Jags were heavily beaten by Rangers in the Scottish Cup, losing 12-0, but Mason says it was still an enjoyable experience for the Inverness squad.
Part of that was because of the support given by fans in attendance – with 1031 people coming along to watch the match at the Caledonian Stadium.
That was far beyond Mason's expectations, and she says it has fuelled their ambitions to earn promotion from the Championship and play Scotland's bigger teams on a more regular basis.
"I really didn't expect that number of people – I thought we would get a couple of hundred if anything, but to have over a thousand was excellent," she reasoned.
"It shows the growth of the game in the Highlands, and a team like Rangers coming up has obviously attracted a bit more as well.
"It was great to play in front of that crowd, and play at the stadium. It was a great day out overall.
"If we keep doing well in the league we can play these big teams week in, week out, and not just in a one-off cup tie.
"That has given us a bit of fire in our bellies now to push on in the league and use that experience to do us well, and try to get into the Premier League to have these experiences more often."
It was always going to be something of a learning curve for Caley Thistle against a team filled with internationals.
Rangers had nine players with caps for their countries in the starting line-up, and brought on even more – including the Ibrox side's hat-trick hero, Rio Hardy.
Going forward, then, it has provided an example of what teams like Inverness, who had a number of teenagers on the pitch at various points throughout the match, of the level they can aspire to.
"I think it was a brilliant learning experience for them to go up against that level of player," Mason explained.
"The tempo Rangers moved the ball at – everything we anticipated, they did. Their movement was brilliant, and they showed exactly why they are the best team in Scotland right now.
"The score never mattered to us. As long as we kept going and never gave up – which I don't think we did throughout the game – it was a win.
"I'm proud of the girls, and they are proud of each other for the effort they put in.
"For our girls to go up against internationals, who are setting the way for them to look up to, some of our squad probably would have been in awe of them before we started.
"Once the game started, they got stuck in though, and for them to be able to see that and be in the game and experience that tempo and quality, I think that's only going to be a good thing for them and help them develop as individuals."
