Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 14, 2009 10:24:22 GMT -5
Thurso 6 V Golspie Sutherland 1 - report by Iain Grant
The Vikings produced their best display of the season on Saturday to put PSG North Caley League holders to the sword at the Dammies on Saturday.
The win was built on the traditional virtues of craft and graft as Stevie Reid’s men came up with the perfect antidote to their previous week’s cup defeat to neighbours Halkirk United.
The Sutherland visitors had a collective off-day, looking a shadow of last year’s near invincibles in the league.
With the season less than a third of the way through, they have already dropped more points.
Golspie have had something of a makeover though on the evidence of Saturday, they will have to go some to feature in this year’s title race.
Much was expected of 38-year-old ex-pro Alex Bone and his strike partner, Pole Kystoff Mikula but the pair hardly had a sniff at goal between them on Saturday.
Lee MacDougall’s glorious free-kick start got Thurso off to a riproaring start and they would have been hard-done to if Aaron Smith’s headed equaliser on 40 minutes had the sides level at the break.
Wayne Monkman however restored the lead with the last action of the first half.
Golspie enjoyed their best spell in the third quarter but conceded again through Jamie MacKenzie.
As the visitors wilted, the Vikings turned the screw with further counters from Mark Nichol, Sean Munro and Nigel MacKenzie.
MacDougall’s setpieces regularly unsettled Golspie’s central Defence, which throughout looked unconvincing.
The newly converted left-back hit the jackpot after two minutes when his left-footed free-kick from the right edge of the penalty box curled past the wall and over the flummoxed keeper Stevie Campbell.
Thurso were working hard when they did not have the ball while their attacks had variety and invention.
On 12 minutes, a quick-fire interchange between Nichol and Jamie Mackenzie carved out a clear opening for Nigel MacKenzie who was unable to find the target from 12 yards.
Nichol then had a goal-bound effort blocked by Jodie Thomson before Monkman almost played in the unmarked Jamie MacKenzie.
Golspie threatened on 23 minutes when Stuart Thomson headed a corner across the goal-line only for play to be halted for Mikula’s foul on keeper Michael Gray.
Nichol looked set to cash on a classic piece of hold-up play by Jamie MacKenzie when the striker was put clear on goal on 24 minutes.
Campbell saved the day for his side when he managed to get a glove-tip to the ball to send it wide of the right upright.
Four minutes later, Monkman was unable to control a close-in header from Martin Sutherland’s long-range free-kick.
Golspie’s discomfort with the way the game was going was mirrored in yellow cards shown to Bone and Thomson for dissent.
Jamie MacKenzie was desperately unlucky on 32 minutes to see his dipping strike beat Campbell only to clatter off the face of the crossbar.
After riding their luck, Golspie proceeded to grab an equaliser when Smith was left unattended to nod home Ken Whyte’s cross.
Thurso’s spirits were restored when Monkman got on the end of a MacDougall free-kick to put his side 2-1 up.
The visitors enjoyed a busy start to the second half and Gray did well to prevent Bone toe-poking the ball home from close range on 56 minutes.
Two minutes later, the Vikings stretched their lead thanks to a solo effort from Jamie MacKenzie.
The team goal of the game came on 66 minutes when Gary MacGregor’s slide-rule aerial pass was touched on by Monkman to Nichol who steered a shot wide of Campbell from the edge of the box.
Jamie Mackenzie missed a sitter before his side went 5-1 up on 78 minutes when Sean Stewart and Monkman combined before Munro beat Campbell on his near post.
The victory was rounded off in the last minute when Munro teed up Nigel MacKenzie to net with a raking drive from 20 yards.
The result and the manner of its achievement delighted Vikings boss Stevie Reid.
“I was looking for a reaction from the defeat to Halkirk and the response was plain to see,” he said.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better start with Lee’s screamer and I thought we were unlucky not to get one or two more before they equalised when we gave them a free header at the back post.
“We kept our shape well and continued to play some good football in the second half and got our reward.”
Reid has problems in defence for tomorrow’s trip to Balintore with centre-backs Grant Steven and Stuart Sinclair both on holiday.
The manager is hoping to bring in one or two new faces as the Vikings seek to retain top spot in what is a very competitive league.
Thurso – Gray, Sutherland (Stewart 73), Petrie (Munro 74), Sinclair (Bremner 83), Steven, MacGregor, N. MacKenzie Monkman, Nichol, N. MacKenzie, MacDougall.
Golspie – Campbell, Smith, D. Kennedy, Stone, S. Thomson, Sutherland, Whyte, G. MacLeod (J. MacLeod 44), Bone, Mikula (MacAskill 78), J. Thomson. Sub (unused) – M. Kennedy.
Ref – Mr B. Gunn.
The Vikings produced their best display of the season on Saturday to put PSG North Caley League holders to the sword at the Dammies on Saturday.
The win was built on the traditional virtues of craft and graft as Stevie Reid’s men came up with the perfect antidote to their previous week’s cup defeat to neighbours Halkirk United.
The Sutherland visitors had a collective off-day, looking a shadow of last year’s near invincibles in the league.
With the season less than a third of the way through, they have already dropped more points.
Golspie have had something of a makeover though on the evidence of Saturday, they will have to go some to feature in this year’s title race.
Much was expected of 38-year-old ex-pro Alex Bone and his strike partner, Pole Kystoff Mikula but the pair hardly had a sniff at goal between them on Saturday.
Lee MacDougall’s glorious free-kick start got Thurso off to a riproaring start and they would have been hard-done to if Aaron Smith’s headed equaliser on 40 minutes had the sides level at the break.
Wayne Monkman however restored the lead with the last action of the first half.
Golspie enjoyed their best spell in the third quarter but conceded again through Jamie MacKenzie.
As the visitors wilted, the Vikings turned the screw with further counters from Mark Nichol, Sean Munro and Nigel MacKenzie.
MacDougall’s setpieces regularly unsettled Golspie’s central Defence, which throughout looked unconvincing.
The newly converted left-back hit the jackpot after two minutes when his left-footed free-kick from the right edge of the penalty box curled past the wall and over the flummoxed keeper Stevie Campbell.
Thurso were working hard when they did not have the ball while their attacks had variety and invention.
On 12 minutes, a quick-fire interchange between Nichol and Jamie Mackenzie carved out a clear opening for Nigel MacKenzie who was unable to find the target from 12 yards.
Nichol then had a goal-bound effort blocked by Jodie Thomson before Monkman almost played in the unmarked Jamie MacKenzie.
Golspie threatened on 23 minutes when Stuart Thomson headed a corner across the goal-line only for play to be halted for Mikula’s foul on keeper Michael Gray.
Nichol looked set to cash on a classic piece of hold-up play by Jamie MacKenzie when the striker was put clear on goal on 24 minutes.
Campbell saved the day for his side when he managed to get a glove-tip to the ball to send it wide of the right upright.
Four minutes later, Monkman was unable to control a close-in header from Martin Sutherland’s long-range free-kick.
Golspie’s discomfort with the way the game was going was mirrored in yellow cards shown to Bone and Thomson for dissent.
Jamie MacKenzie was desperately unlucky on 32 minutes to see his dipping strike beat Campbell only to clatter off the face of the crossbar.
After riding their luck, Golspie proceeded to grab an equaliser when Smith was left unattended to nod home Ken Whyte’s cross.
Thurso’s spirits were restored when Monkman got on the end of a MacDougall free-kick to put his side 2-1 up.
The visitors enjoyed a busy start to the second half and Gray did well to prevent Bone toe-poking the ball home from close range on 56 minutes.
Two minutes later, the Vikings stretched their lead thanks to a solo effort from Jamie MacKenzie.
The team goal of the game came on 66 minutes when Gary MacGregor’s slide-rule aerial pass was touched on by Monkman to Nichol who steered a shot wide of Campbell from the edge of the box.
Jamie Mackenzie missed a sitter before his side went 5-1 up on 78 minutes when Sean Stewart and Monkman combined before Munro beat Campbell on his near post.
The victory was rounded off in the last minute when Munro teed up Nigel MacKenzie to net with a raking drive from 20 yards.
The result and the manner of its achievement delighted Vikings boss Stevie Reid.
“I was looking for a reaction from the defeat to Halkirk and the response was plain to see,” he said.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better start with Lee’s screamer and I thought we were unlucky not to get one or two more before they equalised when we gave them a free header at the back post.
“We kept our shape well and continued to play some good football in the second half and got our reward.”
Reid has problems in defence for tomorrow’s trip to Balintore with centre-backs Grant Steven and Stuart Sinclair both on holiday.
The manager is hoping to bring in one or two new faces as the Vikings seek to retain top spot in what is a very competitive league.
Thurso – Gray, Sutherland (Stewart 73), Petrie (Munro 74), Sinclair (Bremner 83), Steven, MacGregor, N. MacKenzie Monkman, Nichol, N. MacKenzie, MacDougall.
Golspie – Campbell, Smith, D. Kennedy, Stone, S. Thomson, Sutherland, Whyte, G. MacLeod (J. MacLeod 44), Bone, Mikula (MacAskill 78), J. Thomson. Sub (unused) – M. Kennedy.
Ref – Mr B. Gunn.