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Alness braced for improved Bonar Bridge in North Caledonian League opener


By Alasdair Fraser

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ALNESS United manager Robert MacCormack has dismissed suggestions his team are second division title favourites this season.

Alness United home kit has been donated by Balmore Distillery. In the picture are from left manager Robert MacCormack, Richard Woods of Dalmore distillery and Alness United club chairman Tommy Regan.
Alness United home kit has been donated by Balmore Distillery. In the picture are from left manager Robert MacCormack, Richard Woods of Dalmore distillery and Alness United club chairman Tommy Regan.

Loch Ness FC counterpart Shane Carling this week singled out the Easter Ross side, returning after a year’s absence from the North Caledonian League, as the biggest threat to his own club’s ambitions.

MacCormack, though, insists the newly carved-up second tier division is packed with decent sides.

He reckons Loch Ness and Inverness will be powerful foes, while Nairn County’s young side offer a huge threat with their “hunger and energy”, as well as an ability to mobilise first team Highland League players.

Preparing for his team’s much-anticipated return to senior action this weekend away to Bonar Bridge, the Alness manager said: “We beat Loch Ness in a friendly a couple of weeks back, but we know they will be strong.

“Shane can say we’re favourites all he likes! Loch Ness will be decent, as will Inverness and our first opponents Bonar Bridge.

“Scourie have obviously just come into the league and they’re an unknown quantity. They suffered a bad result on Saturday, but I’m sure they’ll bounce back.

“We’ll go out looking for three points in every game. That’s all we can do.

“Bonar Bridge came into the league last season, and struggled a bit but they have a new manager, Rob Mitchell, who I believe has improved them vastly.

“We certainly won’t take them lightly. We’re just going to go into each game with the same mentality and look to win every game we play.”

As for Nairn County under-20’s potential, MacCormack will be wary.

“Nairn will have a lot of young guys with energy and, obviously, if they perform well in the reserves they know they can get a chance in the first team,” he said. “That’s a huge incentive for those players. They’ll be young and hungry.

“At the league AGM, Nairn did say they had their own squad, but within the rules they can dip into the first team squad.

“If they do, we will just have to raise our game that wee bit more.”


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