Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 27, 2006 3:47:59 GMT -5
Thurso 11 Dornoch 1 - Report from Iain Grant
Dornoch’s second chastening defeat in a row to Caithness opponents continues what has been a miserable North Caley season for them.
A year short of their centenary, they have so far conceded 57 goals in seven straight defeats.
The Sutherland men do not lack commitment to the cause but the need to rebuild an all-local side after losing just about their entire squad from last year was always going to be a tall order.
Thurso cashed in with Mark Nicol helping himself to seven goals in what turned into a rout.
His fit-again strike partner Alan Murray struck twice with Phil Makhouli and Paul McCallum also finding the target.
Heavy pre-match showers, which continued sporadically throughout the first half, gave a soft, slippery feel to Sir Georges Park.
The league match was played in good spirit with few bad fouls and no bookings.
A sprightly opening by the visitors subsided as the Vikings went on to exert a vice-like grip on proceedings.
They were particularly effective down the right flank through Lee MacDougall,
ably aided and abetted by Scott Mackay Steven and Makhouli.
Asa Sinclair was the first keeper in action as he raced out to parry a cross-cum-shot from Craig Sutherland which skidded off the wet turf.
Two early forays by MacDougall saw Ross Henderson – Dornoch’s third keeper in three games – twice make telling inteventions.
After seven minutes, Murray set up Nigel MacKenzie for a raking 25- yard shot, which was tipped over by Henderson.
From the corner, the keeper could only watch on as a messy sequence resulted in Nicol netting from close range.
Dornoch came close to the perfect response when Chris Mailley’s free-kick from the edge of the box whizzed just wide of Sinclair’s left post.
Mackay Steven, winning his first start in three matches, looked eager to impress and almost created his side’s second when an astute pass ended with Henderson rushing out to smother the ball at the feet of Nicol.
Dornoch were struggling to relieve the pressure and enjoyed a let-off on 12 minutes.
Makhouli netted after seizing on Henderson’s parry from a Nigel MacKenzie shot but Makhouli was ruled offside.
Henderson excelled with stops in quick succession from Makhouli and Nigel MacKenzie.
After 17 minutes, a probing run from Murray gave him a clear sight of goal, only for him to dither and lose possession.
But a sloppy pass by a defender was gobbled up by Makhouli who wasted no time in slotting the ball past Henderson.
The self-destruct button was pushed again three minutes later when defender Martin Mackay’s miscued pass-back was seized on by Nicol to make it 3-0.
Mailley and Makhouli went close at either end with long-range efforts before Sinclair came to his side’s rescue on 32 minutes.
Gary Austen cut out the chance for himself as he got in behind the home back three before unleashing a strong, low shot towards goal. The keeper gathered the ball at his second attempt just in time to prevent Austen netting the follow-up.
It was a rare opening for the visitors, with Henderson doing well to prevent Nicol increasing the margin.
Nicol then contrived to pass up a glorious chance when he shot wide after an inch-perfect cross-on-the-run from MacDougall.
The fourth goal came on 36 minutes with MacDougall again supplying the ammunition for Murray to convert with a 10 yard left-foot strike.
The wave of attacks towards Henderson’s goal was showing no sign of slackening and only the most hard-hearted would deny the keeper the undoubted luck he had in repelling a close-in effort from Nicol.
The ball struck his boot and looped over the bar in the first of what was a clutch of near-things up to the interval.
There was little respite after the interval with McCallum seeing a shot deflected past a post and MacDougall and Murray going close before Nichol grabbed his hat-trick on 53 minutes.
Willie Inrig provided the money pass which the striker converted from the edge of the six yard box.
Dornoch enjoyed a brief rally with Sinclair needing to be at his best to cleanly collect a magnificent 40 yard drive from Mailley before a snap shot from Jimmy Gunn just missed the target.
The mini-revival was cut short after 57 minutes when Murray ran the defence ragged before playing a perfect pass to Nichol which he dispatched into Henderson’s right-hand corner of the net.
Four minutes later, it was 7-0 when a précision cross from MacCallum on the right was met by a perfectly placed header from Nichol.
A rare moment of controversy flared up on 69 minutes when Nichol and Henderson clashed as the striker chased through ball into the Dornoch penalty area.
After they both went to the floor, Nichol reacted quicker as he rose to his feet and passed the ball into the unguarded net.
Ref Bob Gunn saw nothing amiss in the challenge and dismissed appeals that the keeper had been fouled.
After Murray fluffed a decent scoring opportunity, Dornoch got a goal back after 76 minutes.
It stemmed from Sinclair’s miskicked attempted clearance from a pass-back which gave Craig Sutherland an unmissable opportunity.
The setback seemed to steel Thurso for a late surge which saw them score three more in the closing seven minutes.
Henderson saved well from Mackay Steven shortly before a slick home attack ended with McCallum getting his second goal in two games with a sharp finish into the top left-hand corner.
Murray grabbed his second on 86 minutes with an audacious effort from 40 yards after being fed by Mackay Steven.
Two minutes from time, Nichol completed the scoring with a tap-in after good work from Makhouli.
Tomorrow, Thurso are at home to Bunillidh Thistle. The game kicks off at 3 p.m.
Thurso – Sinclair, Shearer, McCallum, Warner (Miller 59), Inrig, Makhouli, Mackay Steven, N. Mackenzie (J. MacKenzie 59), Murray, Nichol, MacDougall. Sub (unused) – Sutherland.
Dornoch – Henderson, MacLeod, M. Mackay, Gunn, D. Mackay, Austen (Ainsworth 67), Mailley, R. Mackay, MacRitchie, C. Sutherland, S. Sutherland (Moffat 67).
Ref – Mr R. Gunn.
Dornoch’s second chastening defeat in a row to Caithness opponents continues what has been a miserable North Caley season for them.
A year short of their centenary, they have so far conceded 57 goals in seven straight defeats.
The Sutherland men do not lack commitment to the cause but the need to rebuild an all-local side after losing just about their entire squad from last year was always going to be a tall order.
Thurso cashed in with Mark Nicol helping himself to seven goals in what turned into a rout.
His fit-again strike partner Alan Murray struck twice with Phil Makhouli and Paul McCallum also finding the target.
Heavy pre-match showers, which continued sporadically throughout the first half, gave a soft, slippery feel to Sir Georges Park.
The league match was played in good spirit with few bad fouls and no bookings.
A sprightly opening by the visitors subsided as the Vikings went on to exert a vice-like grip on proceedings.
They were particularly effective down the right flank through Lee MacDougall,
ably aided and abetted by Scott Mackay Steven and Makhouli.
Asa Sinclair was the first keeper in action as he raced out to parry a cross-cum-shot from Craig Sutherland which skidded off the wet turf.
Two early forays by MacDougall saw Ross Henderson – Dornoch’s third keeper in three games – twice make telling inteventions.
After seven minutes, Murray set up Nigel MacKenzie for a raking 25- yard shot, which was tipped over by Henderson.
From the corner, the keeper could only watch on as a messy sequence resulted in Nicol netting from close range.
Dornoch came close to the perfect response when Chris Mailley’s free-kick from the edge of the box whizzed just wide of Sinclair’s left post.
Mackay Steven, winning his first start in three matches, looked eager to impress and almost created his side’s second when an astute pass ended with Henderson rushing out to smother the ball at the feet of Nicol.
Dornoch were struggling to relieve the pressure and enjoyed a let-off on 12 minutes.
Makhouli netted after seizing on Henderson’s parry from a Nigel MacKenzie shot but Makhouli was ruled offside.
Henderson excelled with stops in quick succession from Makhouli and Nigel MacKenzie.
After 17 minutes, a probing run from Murray gave him a clear sight of goal, only for him to dither and lose possession.
But a sloppy pass by a defender was gobbled up by Makhouli who wasted no time in slotting the ball past Henderson.
The self-destruct button was pushed again three minutes later when defender Martin Mackay’s miscued pass-back was seized on by Nicol to make it 3-0.
Mailley and Makhouli went close at either end with long-range efforts before Sinclair came to his side’s rescue on 32 minutes.
Gary Austen cut out the chance for himself as he got in behind the home back three before unleashing a strong, low shot towards goal. The keeper gathered the ball at his second attempt just in time to prevent Austen netting the follow-up.
It was a rare opening for the visitors, with Henderson doing well to prevent Nicol increasing the margin.
Nicol then contrived to pass up a glorious chance when he shot wide after an inch-perfect cross-on-the-run from MacDougall.
The fourth goal came on 36 minutes with MacDougall again supplying the ammunition for Murray to convert with a 10 yard left-foot strike.
The wave of attacks towards Henderson’s goal was showing no sign of slackening and only the most hard-hearted would deny the keeper the undoubted luck he had in repelling a close-in effort from Nicol.
The ball struck his boot and looped over the bar in the first of what was a clutch of near-things up to the interval.
There was little respite after the interval with McCallum seeing a shot deflected past a post and MacDougall and Murray going close before Nichol grabbed his hat-trick on 53 minutes.
Willie Inrig provided the money pass which the striker converted from the edge of the six yard box.
Dornoch enjoyed a brief rally with Sinclair needing to be at his best to cleanly collect a magnificent 40 yard drive from Mailley before a snap shot from Jimmy Gunn just missed the target.
The mini-revival was cut short after 57 minutes when Murray ran the defence ragged before playing a perfect pass to Nichol which he dispatched into Henderson’s right-hand corner of the net.
Four minutes later, it was 7-0 when a précision cross from MacCallum on the right was met by a perfectly placed header from Nichol.
A rare moment of controversy flared up on 69 minutes when Nichol and Henderson clashed as the striker chased through ball into the Dornoch penalty area.
After they both went to the floor, Nichol reacted quicker as he rose to his feet and passed the ball into the unguarded net.
Ref Bob Gunn saw nothing amiss in the challenge and dismissed appeals that the keeper had been fouled.
After Murray fluffed a decent scoring opportunity, Dornoch got a goal back after 76 minutes.
It stemmed from Sinclair’s miskicked attempted clearance from a pass-back which gave Craig Sutherland an unmissable opportunity.
The setback seemed to steel Thurso for a late surge which saw them score three more in the closing seven minutes.
Henderson saved well from Mackay Steven shortly before a slick home attack ended with McCallum getting his second goal in two games with a sharp finish into the top left-hand corner.
Murray grabbed his second on 86 minutes with an audacious effort from 40 yards after being fed by Mackay Steven.
Two minutes from time, Nichol completed the scoring with a tap-in after good work from Makhouli.
Tomorrow, Thurso are at home to Bunillidh Thistle. The game kicks off at 3 p.m.
Thurso – Sinclair, Shearer, McCallum, Warner (Miller 59), Inrig, Makhouli, Mackay Steven, N. Mackenzie (J. MacKenzie 59), Murray, Nichol, MacDougall. Sub (unused) – Sutherland.
Dornoch – Henderson, MacLeod, M. Mackay, Gunn, D. Mackay, Austen (Ainsworth 67), Mailley, R. Mackay, MacRitchie, C. Sutherland, S. Sutherland (Moffat 67).
Ref – Mr R. Gunn.