December 5th 2023
FORWARD Robbie Duncanson is battling against the clock to be fit in time for this Saturday's Menzies Distribution North of Scotland Cup final, writes Graeme Macleod. The attacker is suffering from a back injury but will do everything he can to ensure he is fit enough to take his place in the starting line up for the big game. He revealed: "I have felt my left side a bit tight for a few weeks now and I should probably have given it a rest before now. I do not like to miss games, so it has just got to the stage where it has properly seized up now and the body is telling me to lay off it a wee bit." "I will have a few sessions of physio treatment this week and hopefully I will be fighting fit for Saturday. We all need to have a good week of training this week and look forward to the game." The final against Wick Academy comes only three weeks after the Caithness club were comprehensive Scottish Cup second round winners over County. "Taking that hiding off Wick was a bit of a reality check for everyone in the dressing room" revealed Duncanson. "We all knew we had to take a look at ourselves individually and as a team and pick it up ahead of the final." "We have had a decent run and were unfortunate not to win on Saturday but Inverurie is always a tough place to go, so we will take a draw there." "There have been a few changes to the starting eleven and all of the boys who have come in have been well up for it and given us something different." Wick are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Nairn, three of which have come this season with that 5-1 Scottish Cup reverse at Harmsworth Park being the latest. Assessing what he and his team mates need to do differently from that game this Saturday, Duncanson said: "We have to compete a lot better. We went into that game off the back of a bit of a tricky run and they took full advantage of that. We probably threw the towel in a bit too easily but I would like to think that with it being a cup final on Saturday, that will not happen." The 31-year-old has been handed the captain's armband in the four games since that Scottish Cup defeat and may lead the team out in the final, if he is passed fit. He stated: "Being captain does not make much difference to me personally in the way I approach the game. It does not make me shout more or anything like that – I just concentrate on doing my bit for the team and hopefully the other boys do it as well." "It has been good and is more pleasing to get a half decent run and win a few games with the armband on. The first time I had it was away at Fraserburgh and we got beat and then the second time I had it, we were away up in Wick and I was sent off!" "It is good to get a few positive results with it on. It would be nice to lead the team out into a cup final on Saturday if Mo (Michael Morrison, club captain) is not fit and that is what Les (Fridge, manager) chooses to do." Whether he is captain or not, Duncanson is thoroughly looking forward to running out in front of a bumper crowd this weekend in what will be his third North of Scotland Cup final as a County player. He added: "I am sure it will be a good occasion and hopefully there will be plenty of supporters from both sides there. It is always a good day out for the fans to any final and I am sure everyone will be looking forward to it. Hopefully we will get the right result and the bus home will be good fun for everybody but I just hope Dodo Graham remembers to turn up on Saturday and not Sunday." Graeme Macleod
