Aberdeenshire’s challenge to complete campaign with impressive winning streak

NATIONAL 2

Aberdeenshire coach Alex Duncan has challenged his players to go the rest of the season unbeaten.

Shire have not played since January 21, a 31-20 defeat at Peebles, but with seven games remaining of the season Duncan wants his sixth- placed side to finish the season with a flourish.

He said: “We still fancy ourselves against the top two, Cartha Queen’s Park and Kelso, who have to come up here, and we believe if we can put our best team out we can win both games.

“They have strong and consistent squads but our target is to go the rest of the season unbeaten.

“We have a couple of games which we can hopefully do well in and get some momentum going before we face them.

“I don’t know how far winning all seven games would take us in this division and what the top two do in their matches before coming to Wood side is out of our hands, but we are focused on ending thec ampaign on a high note.”

Duncan is frustrated at the stop-start nature of the club season in recent weeks due to a combination of the weather and the six nations championship and the challenges it brings to the part-time game.

He said: “We’re looking forward to getting a game against Ardrossan at Woodside tomorrow and, with conditions almost tropical for Aberdeen in February, it should be a nice day for rugby.

“But we will then be idle again next week due to the internationals and it is tough on clubs.

“I fully understand how tough it is for the club administrators who are trying to get money in through their bars, to the coaches who become frustrated at players drifting away while others don’t enjoy sitting kicking their heels at the weekend.

“We all just have to get on with it, but this time of year in particular is so stuttered and it can be hard to keep momentum.”

Shire will join the rest of the country in focusing on the fortunes of Vern Cotter and the national team next weekend at Murrayfield but Duncan wants to go into the international break with a good performance and a win tomorrow.

He said: “We played Ardrossan at their place earlier in the season and, for a team second bottom, they like to play a lot of rugby and it was a highscoring game.

“We won 43-17, which was pleasing, and I’m expecting another game with a lot of tries this weekend.

“We’ve got a strong team, all our backs are available and we’re aiming to take the maximum five points.”

“We believe if we can put our best team out we can win both games”