Management thoughts on the Scottish Challenge Cup Semi Final

Posted on Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Mike says –

“Tomorrow we welcome our old friend Raleigh Gowrie and his team from Stirling University to the Academy for the first time on competitive duty. Ever the football purest, Raleigh and his charges are well placed to get promotion to the Premier League and I’m sure he and his team will look on tomorrow from two angles. First it will be a light relief, a distraction from the stress of trying to win a league and secondly it gives the Stirling players a chance to gauge themselves against one of the better Premier sides. 

Don’t be fooled however into thinking that our opposition will see this as a day trip to the capital. Raleigh may be steeped in traditions of the passing game and playing football in the correct manner but believe me as a player and as a coach he’s a winner and that will be translated into the endeavour shown by his team. Stirling are a good team with good players and an outstanding coach so we couldn’t ask for a harder game to win and progress to the final of our premier domestic cup competition.

How will Sam and I motivate our players? How will we get them up for the game and remind the how hard they will have to push themselves to come out on top? A bit of negative and a bit of positive is the answer.

In the first semi of the season another title chasing First Division side put paid to our chances of reaching the final of the East of Scotland “Image Printers” Cup. We didn’t play badly that day but our inability to turn our good football into goals and two wonder strikes from Aaron Somerville saw the Vale edge us 2-1. Reminding the boys of that day in December will help concentrate their minds as to the size of the task in front of them.

On a positive note Sam and I will remind them of their achievements so far this season. Our guys must take confidence from the performances they have been turning in and the goals they have scored. As long as they match the opposition for commitment they shouldn’t fear any side at our level.

For the first time in weeks we have a full squad to pick from and Sam and I will pick a side to play the way we want to approach tomorrows game. Like Stirling we pride ourselves on ball retention and passing but there’s  game to win and that must be our first objective.

We scored 6 goals last Saturday in our away win at Heriot-Watt while Stirling scored 10 goals away to Peebles. That’s 16 goals between us so tomorrow has “goal fest” written all over it, or 0-0 and extra time more like.

Seriously, we are all looking forward to watching a great game of football played in the right spirit. Is there anything better you can do with your Saturday afternoon?”

Mike