Caley Thistle in huge Scottish Cup test
KAREN Mason wants Inverness Caledonian Thistle women to draw invaluable experience from Sunday’s huge Scottish Cup fourth round match at Motherwell.
Win or lose, the Caley Thistle head coach believes the formidable fourth round test against the Premiership outfit will be a rich learning experience for players and coaches alike.
Motherwell’s ladies won the SWPL 2 last season and have quickly set about establishing themselves in the top-flight, with three wins and three draws from 12 matches so far taking them sixth.
For Caley Thistle, currently two leagues below and sitting fifth in the SWFL North Division One table, victory would amount to a major giant-killing act.
Head coach Mason admitted: “Motherwell away on Sunday is going to be really tough.
“If we get anything out of the weekend, we will be doing really well.
“But it will just be good to go and compete with a club at that level and see what standard they are playing at, and what we need to aspire to do to improve our own team.
She added: “Coaches and players alike can learn from matches like these.
“So we are looking forward to it.”
“Motherwell won the SWPL 2 last season and are very much holding their own in sixth place in the top league, so it won’t be easy game.
“But we want to make sure we go down there and do all we can to give a good account of ourselves.”
Mason praised a threadbare Inverness Caledonian Thistle securing the fourth round glamour tie by beating Edinburgh’s Hutchison Vale 5-0 in the capital on Saturday
In terrible conditions, the SWPL 2 hosts were no match for the team from a league below.
Alex Andrews claimed a double, while Jodie Malcolm, Lisa Mackenzie and Leanne Calder were also on target.
Mason said it was terrific victory for her side.
She said: “It was a decent win for us, with a bare bones squad against a team from a higher division.”