Post by Brian Mackay on Nov 29, 2006 13:17:11 GMT -5
Thurso 5 Invergordon 1 - report from Iain Grant
The Vikings booked their place in the last four of the North Caley SWL Cup on the back of a supercharged second half display at the Dammies.
A high-tempo start by the Vikings which gave them an early lead fizzled out as the visitors battled back to earn the goal which had them deservedly level by the break.
But Invergordon’s challenge vanished without trace after the turnaround when Thurso bagged four without reply to comfortably qualify for a semi-final showdown with neighbours Halkirk.
They should have forged ahead within the first minute when Alan Murray’s sweeping diagonal pass found strike partner Mark Nichol unmarked with just keeper Steven Campbell to beat.
Nichol connected well enough but pushed his effort from six yards wide of the left-hand post.
Lee MacDougall was to the fore early on, scooting down the left flank and twice effortlessly going past his opposite man.
The second surge saw his cross break to Gavin Bremner who tried to be too precise with his finish from the edge of the penalty box and saw his shot comfortably grasped by Campbell.
On four minutes, Nichol was presented with another snip.
Kevin Miller created the opportunity with a long-range pass which caught Kenny MacNab dallying as his fellow defenders pushed forward.
Nichol took full advantage as he controlled the ball before sweeping it low between Campbell and his near-side post.
With Thurso sharper and sparkier in most areas of the pitch, they looked more than capable of quickly adding to their tally.
There was a minor scare for them when Alan Stone’s inswinging free-kick found the top of the crossbar after six minutes.
Invergordon’s early discomfort was exacerbated by the eighth minute booking of Scott Wilde for dissent.
Nichol was the home side’s prime goal threat, his glancing header from a MacDougall free-kick going just wide and then being thwarted by a well-executed, last-ditch block-tackle from MacNab.
Campbell made his first decent save of the day to deny Jamie Mackenzie after 19 minutes.
The second quarter saw the visiting midfield assert themselves and start to win and retain enough possession to sow the first serious seeds of doubts in the home following.
That said, their equaliser on 28 minutes was unexpected in that it stemmed from their first attempt on goal.
MacNab’s corner from the left found Alan Stone unmarked at the back post.
His powerful header crossed the line despite a brave, if desperate attempted clearance by MacDougall.
The setback stung the home troops who were unable before the interval to reproduce the pep and inventiveness that had characterised their earlier play.
The pattern was to change after the turnaround when Invergordon were to revert to their earlier punchless personas.
They showed so little in attack that it seemed they were intent on battening down the hatches to ride out the storm and take their chances in a penalty shoot-out.
Chances were to come thick and fast in front of Campbell.
Two minutes after the interval, the keeper dived smartly low to his right to divert a Nichol header, which could well have been going wide of the target.
Gavin Bremner then sent Martin Bain sprinting down the right flank with the well-weighted pass taking two defenders out of the equation.
Bain, who was to have a lively half, sent the ball across the goalmouth but
the inrushing Nichol was a split second late and unable to turn it in.
The home rearguard were almost entirely redundant in terms of their defensive duties.
They were exclusively deployed in building and occasionally joining the wave of attacks on Campbell’s goal.
After 54 minutes, a length-of-the-park build-up ended with Campbell dashing out to save before Nichol got a chance to get a shot in.
With the pressure not yielding the desired end, a degree of frustration was starting to creep in.
The lead was finally restored on 64 minutes when a clever inter-change between Nichol and Murray ended with the latter netting with a firm, low shot past Campbell.
There was a multiple let-off for Invergordon two minutes later when Mackenzie created space for himself to shoot from just inside the penalty box.
His shot ricocheted back off a defender, the same fate which befell Murray’s follow-up before MacDougall tried his luck and saw his effort blur past an upright.
MacDougall was just off-target with another effort as his side continued their relentless pursuit of the killer third goal.
It should have arrived on 70 minutes following a skilful piece of play from Nichol.
After spinning clear off his would-be marker, he seemed to have got his angles spot on, only for his shot to ping off the base of the right post and rebound across goal.
The ball fell into the path of Murray who blazed the ball wide of the unguarded goal.
Nichol should then have done better when he stooped to send a header from a corner over.
After 73 minutes, it was 3-1 in the aftermath to an unconvincing effort from Campbell to deal with a deep cross.
His flapped half-clearance was seized on by Bain who set up Mackenzie for a tap-in.
A minute later, Campbell did rather better in getting down to stop Nichol’s
swerving 25 yard free-kick which looked like squeezing just inside the right upright.
Six minutes later, MacNab appeared to take the feet away from Nichol in the penalty box as he ran in on goal but ref Willie Sinclair turned a deaf ear to the chorus of appeals.
The Invergordon dam was by now well and truly holed and Thurso underlined their superiority with two goals in the last eight minutes.
Mackenzie looked a good yard or two offside when he somewhat sheepishly bagged his second from a Nichol assist.
Two minutes later, a powerful header from Graeme Reid was helped on by Mackenzie to allow Nichol to grab his second and his side’s fifth of the day.
A late outbreak of indiscipline by the visitors was marked by yellow cards shown to Mark Smith and Robert Cooper.
Thurso player/ manager Ross Sutherland was happy with the overall display.
“We started really well but then maybe we started to think it was too easy and players started to run with the ball instead of moving it on.
“They came back at us but we got it back after half-time when I thought we played pretty well and got a few goals which should give out strikers a bit of confidence.”
Michael Steven and Stuart Sinclair are set to return to the squad for tomorrow’s crunch league match, away to unbeaten leaders Golspie.
On the downside, skipper Bremner is at a wedding while Nigel Mackenzie’s expected return last Saturday was stymied by a nasty injury he sustained at a training stint.
Mackenzie’s torn thigh muscle left him on crutches and he could be struggling to return this season.
Sutherland is in no doubt about the importance of tomorrow’s tussle.
“It really is a do-or-die match for us as far as our league season is concerned.
“All the other clubs will also be looking for us to do them a favour to take points off Golspie.”
The Sutherland side are aiming to notch up their ninth straight league success.
Thurso – Sinclair, Miller (Tait 88), Makhouli, Reid, Inrig, Bremner, Bain (Petrie 82), Mackenzie, Nichol, Murray, MacDougall. Sub (unused) – Sutherland.
Invergordon – Campbell, MacNab, Mitchell, C. Stone, Cooper, Smith, Macleod, Dinwoodie, Wilde (McCormack 80), A. Stone (Fraser 80). MacDonald (Lamont h/t). Sub (unused) – Morgan.
Ref – Mr W. Sinclair, Canisbay.
The Vikings booked their place in the last four of the North Caley SWL Cup on the back of a supercharged second half display at the Dammies.
A high-tempo start by the Vikings which gave them an early lead fizzled out as the visitors battled back to earn the goal which had them deservedly level by the break.
But Invergordon’s challenge vanished without trace after the turnaround when Thurso bagged four without reply to comfortably qualify for a semi-final showdown with neighbours Halkirk.
They should have forged ahead within the first minute when Alan Murray’s sweeping diagonal pass found strike partner Mark Nichol unmarked with just keeper Steven Campbell to beat.
Nichol connected well enough but pushed his effort from six yards wide of the left-hand post.
Lee MacDougall was to the fore early on, scooting down the left flank and twice effortlessly going past his opposite man.
The second surge saw his cross break to Gavin Bremner who tried to be too precise with his finish from the edge of the penalty box and saw his shot comfortably grasped by Campbell.
On four minutes, Nichol was presented with another snip.
Kevin Miller created the opportunity with a long-range pass which caught Kenny MacNab dallying as his fellow defenders pushed forward.
Nichol took full advantage as he controlled the ball before sweeping it low between Campbell and his near-side post.
With Thurso sharper and sparkier in most areas of the pitch, they looked more than capable of quickly adding to their tally.
There was a minor scare for them when Alan Stone’s inswinging free-kick found the top of the crossbar after six minutes.
Invergordon’s early discomfort was exacerbated by the eighth minute booking of Scott Wilde for dissent.
Nichol was the home side’s prime goal threat, his glancing header from a MacDougall free-kick going just wide and then being thwarted by a well-executed, last-ditch block-tackle from MacNab.
Campbell made his first decent save of the day to deny Jamie Mackenzie after 19 minutes.
The second quarter saw the visiting midfield assert themselves and start to win and retain enough possession to sow the first serious seeds of doubts in the home following.
That said, their equaliser on 28 minutes was unexpected in that it stemmed from their first attempt on goal.
MacNab’s corner from the left found Alan Stone unmarked at the back post.
His powerful header crossed the line despite a brave, if desperate attempted clearance by MacDougall.
The setback stung the home troops who were unable before the interval to reproduce the pep and inventiveness that had characterised their earlier play.
The pattern was to change after the turnaround when Invergordon were to revert to their earlier punchless personas.
They showed so little in attack that it seemed they were intent on battening down the hatches to ride out the storm and take their chances in a penalty shoot-out.
Chances were to come thick and fast in front of Campbell.
Two minutes after the interval, the keeper dived smartly low to his right to divert a Nichol header, which could well have been going wide of the target.
Gavin Bremner then sent Martin Bain sprinting down the right flank with the well-weighted pass taking two defenders out of the equation.
Bain, who was to have a lively half, sent the ball across the goalmouth but
the inrushing Nichol was a split second late and unable to turn it in.
The home rearguard were almost entirely redundant in terms of their defensive duties.
They were exclusively deployed in building and occasionally joining the wave of attacks on Campbell’s goal.
After 54 minutes, a length-of-the-park build-up ended with Campbell dashing out to save before Nichol got a chance to get a shot in.
With the pressure not yielding the desired end, a degree of frustration was starting to creep in.
The lead was finally restored on 64 minutes when a clever inter-change between Nichol and Murray ended with the latter netting with a firm, low shot past Campbell.
There was a multiple let-off for Invergordon two minutes later when Mackenzie created space for himself to shoot from just inside the penalty box.
His shot ricocheted back off a defender, the same fate which befell Murray’s follow-up before MacDougall tried his luck and saw his effort blur past an upright.
MacDougall was just off-target with another effort as his side continued their relentless pursuit of the killer third goal.
It should have arrived on 70 minutes following a skilful piece of play from Nichol.
After spinning clear off his would-be marker, he seemed to have got his angles spot on, only for his shot to ping off the base of the right post and rebound across goal.
The ball fell into the path of Murray who blazed the ball wide of the unguarded goal.
Nichol should then have done better when he stooped to send a header from a corner over.
After 73 minutes, it was 3-1 in the aftermath to an unconvincing effort from Campbell to deal with a deep cross.
His flapped half-clearance was seized on by Bain who set up Mackenzie for a tap-in.
A minute later, Campbell did rather better in getting down to stop Nichol’s
swerving 25 yard free-kick which looked like squeezing just inside the right upright.
Six minutes later, MacNab appeared to take the feet away from Nichol in the penalty box as he ran in on goal but ref Willie Sinclair turned a deaf ear to the chorus of appeals.
The Invergordon dam was by now well and truly holed and Thurso underlined their superiority with two goals in the last eight minutes.
Mackenzie looked a good yard or two offside when he somewhat sheepishly bagged his second from a Nichol assist.
Two minutes later, a powerful header from Graeme Reid was helped on by Mackenzie to allow Nichol to grab his second and his side’s fifth of the day.
A late outbreak of indiscipline by the visitors was marked by yellow cards shown to Mark Smith and Robert Cooper.
Thurso player/ manager Ross Sutherland was happy with the overall display.
“We started really well but then maybe we started to think it was too easy and players started to run with the ball instead of moving it on.
“They came back at us but we got it back after half-time when I thought we played pretty well and got a few goals which should give out strikers a bit of confidence.”
Michael Steven and Stuart Sinclair are set to return to the squad for tomorrow’s crunch league match, away to unbeaten leaders Golspie.
On the downside, skipper Bremner is at a wedding while Nigel Mackenzie’s expected return last Saturday was stymied by a nasty injury he sustained at a training stint.
Mackenzie’s torn thigh muscle left him on crutches and he could be struggling to return this season.
Sutherland is in no doubt about the importance of tomorrow’s tussle.
“It really is a do-or-die match for us as far as our league season is concerned.
“All the other clubs will also be looking for us to do them a favour to take points off Golspie.”
The Sutherland side are aiming to notch up their ninth straight league success.
Thurso – Sinclair, Miller (Tait 88), Makhouli, Reid, Inrig, Bremner, Bain (Petrie 82), Mackenzie, Nichol, Murray, MacDougall. Sub (unused) – Sutherland.
Invergordon – Campbell, MacNab, Mitchell, C. Stone, Cooper, Smith, Macleod, Dinwoodie, Wilde (McCormack 80), A. Stone (Fraser 80). MacDonald (Lamont h/t). Sub (unused) – Morgan.
Ref – Mr W. Sinclair, Canisbay.