Fort’s fitness shines through in a rain-lashed friendly
THE WEATHER was anything but friendly for this pre-season encounter against Scottish Amateur League side Campeltown Pupils on a wind and rain-lashed pitch at Lochaber High School on Saturday.
Fort’s pre-season fitness training clearly paid dividends, with players able to comfortably cope with both a 90-minute pre-match fitness session and then a match in which they were battered by the elements.
At the final whistle, the 2-2 draw was a fair result for the efforts put in by both sets of players in conditions that could only be described as horrendous.
Although the visitors were the first to open the scoring in the first half, it was Fort that went into the half-time interval in the lead after two goals from centre/ midfielder Danny Highet.
Fort manager Ali Smith paid tribute to both teams and said the improved fitness levels of his players had played a major role in the team’s performance.
‘It was a really even game and both teams played well con- sidering the adverse weather conditions,’ he said.
Being pre-season, both sides used a number of substitutes and there was some good football on show, although the worsening weather pretty much killed off the game in the second half.
‘The game gave us a really good chance to see some of our players in action before the season kicks off, with some of our younger players getting a run out,’ added Smith.
‘ We were really pleased with the performance by the boys and it also let us see some of the progress made on the training ground.
‘Considering we did a 90-minute fitness session before the game, and then the players had to endure such rotten weather conditions, it was clear the fantastic fitness levels were a major factor in the performance.’
Smith added that the game also provided opportunities for the coaching staff to note any areas needing improvement before the season starts.