‘Do or die’ in race for play-off spot for Inverness Caley Thistle, says manager Karen Mason
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle Women’s match against Dryburgh Athletic on Sunday could have a big say in the Championship North promotion race, according to manager Karen Mason.
The match was a late addition to the fixture list, having originally been postponed back in August and rescheduled for this weekend, but it sees third in the league table host fourth.
Championship Cup winners Dryburgh have been right up there with Caley Thistle in trying to chase down East Fife and Montrose all season, and as the campaign enters its second half Mason says whoever claims the points on Sunday will put themselves in pole position to fight for a play-off place.
“It’s a big one in comparison to what we’re used to,” Mason said.
“It’s big for both teams for their league aspirations, so it’s do or die on Sunday.
“There will probably be a six point gap one way or the other, so whoever wins on Sunday could well be the first team to close down East Fife and challenge for that play-off spot. It’s a big one.
“After losing to East Fife and Montrose, top isn’t totally out of the question but the way performances have gone and availability is, I think second is the most realistic target.
“It’s one that we’re still hoping for and working towards trying to achieve.”
Caley Thistle come into the match at Millburn Academy in good form, having beaten Grampian 8–0 in a match that could have ended up being far more one-sided on the balance of play.
However, Mason has several players unavailable to face Dryburgh, putting Inverness in a far from ideal situation.
“We are struggling for a team unfortunately,” Mason explained.
“It’s going to be touch and go whether we get three on the bench, but that’s not the worst case scenario. There’s one Covid case, and then the rest are unavailable because of other commitments.
“When you can’t get a team that can commit to every game, it can become very difficult. Priorities are obviously quite different for some players, so that has taken them out of the equation. I should have 12 or 13, but who knows what will happen by Sunday.”
