DANNY Conlon insists his Fort William side do not fear facing up to Highland League champions Buckie Thistle this weekend - but he knows the resurgent Jags will have their eyes on back-to-back titles.
Buckie secured a 6-0 win at Claggan Park in August, a result Conlon says they barely deserved.
Now, he wants to show his side can cut it against one of the best supported teams in the league.
The manager said: "Without a doubt, this weekend's game is a big test for us. All league games are a test, but Buckie Thistle are a really good side.
"We played reasonably well against them when they came here earlier in the season but we didn't take our chances.
"The scoreline didn't reflect the game. We could have scored two or three goals that day.
"However, they are the defending champions, and have won the league for two seasons in a row, and I think they will be there or thereabouts at the end of this season as well."
The manager is aware of the boiling-pot atmosphere at the Moray side's Victoria Park, where a four-figure crowd turned up to watch their Christmas Eve win over derby rivals Deveronvale.
Conlon said: "The strong crowds are the reason why Buckie can attract the better players.
"They signed arguably the league's best player in Mark Chisholm earlier this season for a large sum of money.
"That's what our players aim for, but we have been working on our own strengths ahead of the game."
He explained: "We are going to be a lot stronger than we have been recently against Buckie this weekend as far as personnel goes, and a lot of work has gone into the defensive part of the team."
"I want to build on the game at Huntly a few weeks ago, and prepare for the important game against Brora Rangers at home."
Second-bottom Fort William now have six games in hand over basement side Strathspey Thistle, and the manager was disappointed to see Friday's derby clash against Clach game fall foul of the weather.
He said : "It has been stop, start, stop, start for a few weeks now.
"We had seven or eight players back in contention for the Clach game which we were excited about, so it is testing.
"A lot of our games have been called off because of cup fixtures but now the weather is stopping them as well. It is the players who get frustrated the most because they want to play games. It is difficult because we struggle here to organise games against anyone else because of the distance.
"That is one of the biggest challenges I have faced since arriving here."
"I think the derby game would have been a good one, especially on the Friday night, with lots of supporters turning up, backing the teams.
"Not playing every week takes its toll on everyone at the club, but it is part of playing in this league."
The manager is eyeing a return to league action for Michael Gillespie, who has played only 120 minutes this season, but long-term absentees Andy Maclean, Jonathon Smith and John Campbell remain doubtful.
