Mason pleased to see determination from Inverness Caledonian Thistle
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HEAD coach Karen Mason was impressed with the character Caley Thistle Women showed to come back from an early penalty to beat Dunfermline 4-1.
It could prove to be a crucial win in the race for second, with the Pars still to face champions Aberdeen twice in their last two games.
Inverness can potentially runners-up in SWF Division One with a win in their last match against Buchan.
After going behind after just five minutes to a questionable penalty, Caley Thistle rallied to equalise with a spot kick of their own.
And ICT went on to win 4-1 thanks to goals from Natalie Bodiam, Kayleigh Mackenzie, Jodie Malcolm and Alex Andrews.
Heads could easily have dropped after the early setback, but Mason says there was a determination to come back and get all three points.
“It was a bit of a shock to go down, but I’m glad with the way the girls responded to it,” she said.
“Everyone knew what that game meant to us, if we got the three points it would set us up for that last game against Buchan.
“Everyone was 100 per cent up for it, they all worked their socks off from start to finish.
“They didn’t let that faze them at all, and they bounced back straight away, which was really good.”
Mason has at times wanted more consistent performances, with a tendency to have dominant bursts that tail off in matches.
But what was clear to see in the win last Sunday was the work ethic and team spirit among the group.
That is something that has never been lacking, and it has helped keep Inverness in the mix near the top of the SWFL Division One North league table.
“We never give up,
which is a good thing,” Mason said.
“No matter how the performance is going, they still dig in and try to get the best outcome possible.
“The whole group togetherness is something different that we’ve definitely got together this year.
“That shows throughout the whole squad, every single one of them has played a part in that.
“That has been a really positive sign too.”
Mason will take her team to Maud to wrap up the campaign against Buchan on Sunday, October 27.
Caley Thistle won 4-1 when the sides met in Inverness back in March, so should be confident going into their last match of 2019.
Only forward Leanne Calder is definitely out at this stage with a knee injury picked up two weeks ago.
