Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 25, 2004 13:50:41 GMT -5
Thurso 12 Bunillidh Thistle 0 - Report by Iain Grant
This latest mismatch in the MSIS North Caley League adds to fears that not all 10 teams will survive the current campaign.
It remains to be seen how long Bunillidh and Tain can continue to act as the Aunt Sallies of the division.
Bunillidh and Tain have now conceded 47 and 64 goals respectively, with the pair having leaked an average of over six goals a game in the total of 18 games in which they have been involved.
With both sides having been fully stretched in recent weeks to assemble 11 players -- never mind a squad -- the worry is that they could pull the plug unless they somehow manage to turn the tide.
On Saturday, Bunillidh scraped together 13 players, only after a morning S.O.S. to Stevie Reid, player/manager of Caithness summer league outfit Swifts.
Reid answered the call to arms himself, as well as securing the services of Thurso team-mates James Mackay and Colin MacDonald.
Given the patchwork look to their side, the Helmsdale visitors could realistically expect little more than keeping it respectable against the unbeaten Vikings.
Up to three minutes from the interval, their containment job was working well.
Trailing 1-0, they went desperately close to equalising while frustration was welling up in the Thurso ranks as a succession of opportunities were scorned.
Thistle's cause was then undone by two goals in the dying throes of the half.
The setbacks proved terminal as their resistance levels waned and their play and formation became increasingly disjointed.
Their last trip to Caithness saw them on the wrong end of a 12-0 score-line in a cup-tie at Halkirk.
The fates conspired to make it a repeat horror show on Saturday though an inspired man-of-the-match-winning display from keeper Alan Bokas ensured his team did not regress further into the red.
Bokas, it has to be said, was greatly helped by some would-be finishing which ranged from the wayward to the woeful.
Striker Mark Nichol was among the red-faced brigade but it would be churlish to dwell on his misses.
His six goal haul, taking his total to 19 in nine outings, bolsters his chances of winning the league's golden boot.
Bunillidh were first to register a shot on target with Steven MacGregor's third minute attempt from long range having to be closely watched by Thurso keeper Michael Gray.
Thurso were soon exploiting gaps in the visitors' defence and Nichol should have scored after good interplay by Murray and Jamie MacKenzie on five
minutes.
Murray produced the first of what was to be a series of top-drawer saves, blocks and parries when he denied Murray on 10 minutes.
The opener came eight minutes later when Murray played in Jamie MacKenzie who drew Bokas before planting a firm shot low between the keeper and his
left-hand post.
This should have signalled the lifting of the floodgates but the Vikings' profligacy in front of goal meant that their dominance went unrewarded for just about the remainder of the half.
Nichol and Murray both missed the target with what should have been simple finishes before Bokas rose majestically to tip a Nichol free-kick over the bar.
From the corner, the keeper did well to hold a daisy-cutter struck by Kevin Warner.
After 32 minutes, Bunillidh came desperately close to bagging an equaliser when Mackay's dangerous, dipping shot had Gray diving at full stretch to hold.
Normal service resulted with Thurso creating two chances in quick succession, which were wasted by Murray and Nichol.
Gavin Bremner and Phil Makhouli were prominent in a midfield for Thurso who, despite their pressure, were under-performing.
After 40 minutes, MacKenzie put Nichol in the target zone. After his shot hit the left upright, MacDougall contrived to sky the rebound over the bar
from all of a yard in front of the gaping net.
Two minutes later, Nichol scored with his most difficult chance of the
day
when he met Makhouli's driven cross from the right with a volley using
the
outside of his right boot.
A minute later, Nichol laid off from Murray to just get in ahead of
Bokas to
tuck away the third.
Bokas prevented further damage before the interval when he pulled off a
stunning stop from a MacDougall piledriver from the edge of the box.
The keeper continued where he left off after the break, successively
thwarting goalbound efforts from Makhouli and MacKenzie, twice.
Two goals within a minute completed Nichol's hat-trick and encouraged
notions that the win would turn into a rout.
Assists by Makhouli and MacDougall provided simple finishes on 54 and
55
minutes.
It was then downhill all the way for Bunillidh, who had Graham Grant
and
John MacAulay booked.
Nichol poached his fourth after 68 minutes after a MacKenzie effort was
palmed away by Bokas.
Two minutes later, Makouli got the first of his foursome when he netted
from
close range after MacKenzie did the legwork.
Martin Bain came on to give an impressive display down the right wing
beat
with the young sub unlucky not to get his name on the score-sheet when
his
77th minute foray ended with a shot just wide.
A minute later, Bokas did well to get a hand to Makhouli's attempt to
lob
him but was unable to get to Makhouli's follow-up header.
Great work by Bain was the prelude to Nichol's fifth after 82 minutes.
A minute later, Nichol grabbed his last with Makhouli going on to bag
two
more in 84 and 88 minutes.
One-sided affairs rarely excite and this was no exception.
After an unconvincing start, Thurso went about their business in a
clinical
fashion and ended the game scoring almost at will.
It is to be hoped Bunillidh get over their second successive doing in
Caithness and recover to do themselves justice against their county
rivals
later in the season.
Thurso: Gray, A. Sutherland, Moar (Morris 73), Warner, Makhouli, R.
Sutherland, Bremner, MacKenzie (Gunn 73), MacDougall, Murray (Bain 58),
Nichol.
Ref -- Mr C. MacLeod, Castletown.
This latest mismatch in the MSIS North Caley League adds to fears that not all 10 teams will survive the current campaign.
It remains to be seen how long Bunillidh and Tain can continue to act as the Aunt Sallies of the division.
Bunillidh and Tain have now conceded 47 and 64 goals respectively, with the pair having leaked an average of over six goals a game in the total of 18 games in which they have been involved.
With both sides having been fully stretched in recent weeks to assemble 11 players -- never mind a squad -- the worry is that they could pull the plug unless they somehow manage to turn the tide.
On Saturday, Bunillidh scraped together 13 players, only after a morning S.O.S. to Stevie Reid, player/manager of Caithness summer league outfit Swifts.
Reid answered the call to arms himself, as well as securing the services of Thurso team-mates James Mackay and Colin MacDonald.
Given the patchwork look to their side, the Helmsdale visitors could realistically expect little more than keeping it respectable against the unbeaten Vikings.
Up to three minutes from the interval, their containment job was working well.
Trailing 1-0, they went desperately close to equalising while frustration was welling up in the Thurso ranks as a succession of opportunities were scorned.
Thistle's cause was then undone by two goals in the dying throes of the half.
The setbacks proved terminal as their resistance levels waned and their play and formation became increasingly disjointed.
Their last trip to Caithness saw them on the wrong end of a 12-0 score-line in a cup-tie at Halkirk.
The fates conspired to make it a repeat horror show on Saturday though an inspired man-of-the-match-winning display from keeper Alan Bokas ensured his team did not regress further into the red.
Bokas, it has to be said, was greatly helped by some would-be finishing which ranged from the wayward to the woeful.
Striker Mark Nichol was among the red-faced brigade but it would be churlish to dwell on his misses.
His six goal haul, taking his total to 19 in nine outings, bolsters his chances of winning the league's golden boot.
Bunillidh were first to register a shot on target with Steven MacGregor's third minute attempt from long range having to be closely watched by Thurso keeper Michael Gray.
Thurso were soon exploiting gaps in the visitors' defence and Nichol should have scored after good interplay by Murray and Jamie MacKenzie on five
minutes.
Murray produced the first of what was to be a series of top-drawer saves, blocks and parries when he denied Murray on 10 minutes.
The opener came eight minutes later when Murray played in Jamie MacKenzie who drew Bokas before planting a firm shot low between the keeper and his
left-hand post.
This should have signalled the lifting of the floodgates but the Vikings' profligacy in front of goal meant that their dominance went unrewarded for just about the remainder of the half.
Nichol and Murray both missed the target with what should have been simple finishes before Bokas rose majestically to tip a Nichol free-kick over the bar.
From the corner, the keeper did well to hold a daisy-cutter struck by Kevin Warner.
After 32 minutes, Bunillidh came desperately close to bagging an equaliser when Mackay's dangerous, dipping shot had Gray diving at full stretch to hold.
Normal service resulted with Thurso creating two chances in quick succession, which were wasted by Murray and Nichol.
Gavin Bremner and Phil Makhouli were prominent in a midfield for Thurso who, despite their pressure, were under-performing.
After 40 minutes, MacKenzie put Nichol in the target zone. After his shot hit the left upright, MacDougall contrived to sky the rebound over the bar
from all of a yard in front of the gaping net.
Two minutes later, Nichol scored with his most difficult chance of the
day
when he met Makhouli's driven cross from the right with a volley using
the
outside of his right boot.
A minute later, Nichol laid off from Murray to just get in ahead of
Bokas to
tuck away the third.
Bokas prevented further damage before the interval when he pulled off a
stunning stop from a MacDougall piledriver from the edge of the box.
The keeper continued where he left off after the break, successively
thwarting goalbound efforts from Makhouli and MacKenzie, twice.
Two goals within a minute completed Nichol's hat-trick and encouraged
notions that the win would turn into a rout.
Assists by Makhouli and MacDougall provided simple finishes on 54 and
55
minutes.
It was then downhill all the way for Bunillidh, who had Graham Grant
and
John MacAulay booked.
Nichol poached his fourth after 68 minutes after a MacKenzie effort was
palmed away by Bokas.
Two minutes later, Makouli got the first of his foursome when he netted
from
close range after MacKenzie did the legwork.
Martin Bain came on to give an impressive display down the right wing
beat
with the young sub unlucky not to get his name on the score-sheet when
his
77th minute foray ended with a shot just wide.
A minute later, Bokas did well to get a hand to Makhouli's attempt to
lob
him but was unable to get to Makhouli's follow-up header.
Great work by Bain was the prelude to Nichol's fifth after 82 minutes.
A minute later, Nichol grabbed his last with Makhouli going on to bag
two
more in 84 and 88 minutes.
One-sided affairs rarely excite and this was no exception.
After an unconvincing start, Thurso went about their business in a
clinical
fashion and ended the game scoring almost at will.
It is to be hoped Bunillidh get over their second successive doing in
Caithness and recover to do themselves justice against their county
rivals
later in the season.
Thurso: Gray, A. Sutherland, Moar (Morris 73), Warner, Makhouli, R.
Sutherland, Bremner, MacKenzie (Gunn 73), MacDougall, Murray (Bain 58),
Nichol.
Ref -- Mr C. MacLeod, Castletown.