Kelso defeat can spur Northern Counties to success
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Northern Counties are looking to use their national cup exit to fuel a charge for domestic success before the end of the season.
After going out of the Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup at Kelso, Counties bounced back to form with a 131-run victory over Ross County last weekend to maintain their perfect Nosca record.
The Meeting Park outfit are potentially still in line for a treble, with two Nosca cup finals on the cards before the end of the campaign, and they can take a big step towards the league title against closest challengers Forres tomorrow afternoon.
For skipper Will Ford, though, the message has been to remember the disappointment after losing to Kelso – and make sure Counties do not feel like that again in 2022.
“The big thing at Ross County was getting over the Kelso loss, because that really hit the lads hard,” he said.
“We didn’t keep the intensity that we’ve been showing, and it slipped away from us.
“Before the Ross County game, I told everyone to remember how much we didn’t like that feeling and push for the league. It will keep us true to what we’re trying to do.
“Forres this weekend is huge. With the way it works with percentages you could say we’ve got one hand on the trophy, but all it takes is one bad day for it to be taken away from you.
“It’s still very much one game at a time. Getting points against Forres will settle our nerves, but at the same time it will make us feel like we’re doing the right things.”
The two teams have already met twice, with Counties winning on both occasions, but Ford thinks there is good and bad in familiarity.
“You can get complacent thinking you know how to get them out,” Ford reasoned.
“Everybody knowing each other in the league is great for the jovial feel to it, but it’s not always great for the competitiveness.
“People can get a bit antsy when someone they’ve known for 20 years starts hitting them all around the pitch.
“It’s a massive thing to account for at weekends, because you look at the teamsheet and think you know how to get them out.
“It doesn’t always work like that – sometimes people have an off day.”
