MORTON Women's boss Gary Forbes has issued a rallying cry to the whole of Inverclyde to make the most of the occasion as his side prepare to host their first SWF Championship match at Cappielow.
Ton welcome Hutchison Vale to Sinclair Street in only their second ever tie at the stadium this weekend.
Forbes has challenged his side to make sure that they capture the hearts and minds of what could be a new and bigger following.
With Dougie Imrie’s men's side out of action this weekend, the tie presents ample opportunity for Cappielow regulars to get their weekly football fix.
Forbes reckons that anyone considering coming down to the game will be in for a thoroughly entertaining afternoon.
Both Ton and Vale narrowly lost out on the opening day to Glasgow Women and Inverness respectively – but Forbes believes that his team will rise to the occasion in front of what he hopes is a bumper crowd.
He told the Tele: “I think the more fans we can get within Cappielow on Sunday afternoon the better - not just for the girls but for the game itself.
"Let's come and celebrate the fact that the club have taken ownership of the women’s team, which I think that is an occasion within itself.
“But it’s up to us to go and deliver on that occasion now as well.
"As much as it’s an occasion off the pitch I think that the girls will be really keen to go and put a performance on off the pitch too, to really try and get these supporters potentially follow them week in week out.
“It’ll be a good game. I think in the Championship this season that every game will be competitive because everyone can beat anyone on their day.
“I think that they conceded really late on against Inverness to lose out on the opening day too which will have been disappointing for them, so we expect a really tough challenge from them.
“We’re expecting Hutchison Vale to come where with a plan and their own ideas, but it’s a game that we need to be striving to pick up points in.”
Forbes says that things will only continue to improve after such a positive showing in his side’s opening day defeat to Glasgow Women and Girls.
With limited time spent as a group since his arrival at the club last month, he says that his side are making great strides in a short space of time.
“I think it’s really important to be aware that that was only the third game that the group have had together since I’ve come in," he said.
“I’d come back to the club after pre-season had started, we’d had a pre-season friendly cancelled at short notice as well.
“That’s such a positive, that we went and competed for long spells of the game, we put Glasgow under pressure, it was by no means a backs to the wall performance from ourselves.
“There was loads of positive to take and things like the style of play will become second nature over time.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here