Post by Brian Mackay on Feb 6, 2006 7:43:27 GMT -5
Thurso 2 Balintore 3 - report by Iain Grant
Thurso crashed to their third MSIS North Caley defeat in a row in a bad-tempered tussle at the Dammies on Saturday.
Three players were red-carded as ref David Anderson struggled to defuse a powderkeg atmosphere which infected the 90 minutes.
Balintore started strongly and punished uncertain defending by racing to a 3-0 lead within 20 minutes.
The Vikings showed character in mounting a gutsy comeback with Lee MacDougall getting one back shortly before the turnaround.
Sub Gary MacLeod grabbed another with 16 minutes left to set up a nail-biting finale.
Thurso’s Gary Coghill and, Michael MacKenzie, of Balintore, were sent off in the closing minutes as the visitors held on for a victory which takes them back to the top of the league.
From the outset, the Easter Ross men displayed a determination and aggression which too often became confrontational.
Mr Anderson may regret not taking firmer action early on when a series of niggly off-the-ball incidents and fouls went unpunished.
That raised the ante for players on both teams with the ever-more charged environment leading to the almost inevitable run of bookings and sending-offs in the later stages.
The Vikings will feel hard-done by but their nightmare start left them with too much to do.
As in the two previous defeats, unconvincing clearances and a tendency to allow attackers too much room proved fatal to their cause.
That said, all three Balintore scores were all smartly taken by a side whose sights are firmly trained on the title.
Thurso’s line-up included Jamie MacKenzie, newly re-signed from Wick Academy, while Asa Sinclair resumed in goal.
Early wobbles in the home defence saw Ian Adamson miskicking for a corner and Sinclair fortunate that his unconvincing punch from the resultant centre went unpunished.
The visitors kept up the momentum and after two minutes opened their account.
James Skinner seized on an errant clearance with his accurate angled drive from the left of the penalty spearing past Sinclair.
Balintore’s strong start continued with Sinclair doing well to nip the ball away from the advancing Calum MacDonald
After a shaky opening, the Vikings started to apply some concerted pressure of their own.
Balintore keeper Eddie Shearer did well to field a looping cross Mark Makhouli and then block a stinging Jamie MacKenzie shot from just outside the penalty box.
Thurso continued to struggle to deal with Balintore’s common ploy of pumping long balls for their frontmen to run on to.
While not particularly pretty, it proved effective. Michael MacKenzie almost profited from on such attack before his side doubled their advantage after 13 minutes.
This time, the danger stemmed from a throw-in which resulted in a messy ping-pong sequence in the goalmouth.
The ball rolled out to MacKenzie whose despatch from 20 yards produced a flailing attempt by Sinclair but the keeper could have had little sight of the shot
which flew through a forest of bodies into the back of the net.
James Skinner was the first to benefit from the laissez faire approach of Mr Anderson when the ref let him off with a reprimand for two fouls in quick succession on Gavin Bremner.
It was the visitors who continued to call the shots with James Skinner going close with a 25 yard drive which Sinclair did well to pouch on the wet, skiddy surface.
Balintore established a three goal cushion after 20 minutes when another abortive clearance from a corner needlessly conceded possession and ended with Calum MacDonald giving Sinclair no chance with a cracking finish.
The game was marred by petty feuds with Alan MacBean escaping official censure for his persistent harassment of Jamie MacKenzie, with the latter showing commendable restraint.
Mr Anderson kept his cards to himself until 34 minutes when he yellow-carded Coghill for a trip on James Skinner.
After 39 minutes, Thurso got the goal which their equality on the run of the play, if not the chances created, deserved. MacDougall was the architect and executioner.
His corner saw Shearer scrabble the ball clear under pressure from Jamie Mackenzie.
It fell for Phil Makhouli who played in MacDougall who crafted a shot from 18 yards which flashed in between the keeper and his left-hand post.
Four minutes later, Sinclair avoided further damage for his side when he came out bravely to pull off a smother save at the feet of Michael MacKenzie.
Balintore were seldom seen as an attacking force in the second half as they concentrated their resources on retaining their two goal advantage.
Martyn Cook, pushed into an attacking role, twice featured in exchanges soon after the turnaround.
He was just wide with a shot before being the main outlet for a counter which ended when his cross was snaffled by Shearer.
After 52 minutes, Thurso were just denied when Jamie MacKenzie released Martin Bain who was balked out at the last minute by Ally Mackenzie at the expense of a corner.
Three minutes later, Lee MacDougall was involved in a flare-up which ended with Balintore’s Norman Bain being red-carded for raising a hand to the Thurso man as he walked away.
The unsavoury antics continued unabated and on the hour-mark Garry Coghill was cautioned in the aftermath to another spat involving MacBean.
The next near thing came on 72 minutes when MacDougall had an opening but was dispossessed as he tried to round Shearer.
Two minutes later, the deficit was cut to one goal when Coghill and Bain linked well with the latter’s shot parried into the path of sub Gary MacLeod who prodded home from close in.
Balintore’s goal was threatened again with Shaun Forbes firing just past the post before Jamie MacKenzie miskicked after being set up by MacDougall.
Bain then had a goal-bound effort diverted for a corner as Balintore desperately sought to hang on to their lead.
Thurso’s momentum was interrupted by the 82th minute sending off Coghill for a second booking.
Their last chance came and went two minutes later when a promising attack from the right flank ended when MacDougall’s shot being beaten away by MacBean.
Two minutes from the end, the combative Michael MacKenzie was sent off after throwing a punch at Forbes.
The forward went on to argue the toss with Mr Anderson before taking off his shirt and angrily hurling it into his side’s dug-out.
There, he got involved in a shouting match and had to be restrained before watching what remained off the match from behind the barrier.
It was an appropriate ugly ending to a match which will unfortunately be better remembered for its petty feuding than its quality of football.
Thurso: Sinclair, Coghill, Forbes, M. Makhouli (MacLeod 62), Adamson, Cook (Mackay Steven 62), Bain, Bremner, MacKenzie, P. Makhouli (Sutherland 83), MacDougall.
Balintore: Shearer, C. MacDonald (Stainke 53), A. MacDonald, John Skinner, MacBean, Bain, James Skinner, Ford, Dance (Mackay 75), Farquhar, MacKenzie. Sub (unused) – Cowie.
Ref: Mr D. Anderson, Melvich.
Thurso crashed to their third MSIS North Caley defeat in a row in a bad-tempered tussle at the Dammies on Saturday.
Three players were red-carded as ref David Anderson struggled to defuse a powderkeg atmosphere which infected the 90 minutes.
Balintore started strongly and punished uncertain defending by racing to a 3-0 lead within 20 minutes.
The Vikings showed character in mounting a gutsy comeback with Lee MacDougall getting one back shortly before the turnaround.
Sub Gary MacLeod grabbed another with 16 minutes left to set up a nail-biting finale.
Thurso’s Gary Coghill and, Michael MacKenzie, of Balintore, were sent off in the closing minutes as the visitors held on for a victory which takes them back to the top of the league.
From the outset, the Easter Ross men displayed a determination and aggression which too often became confrontational.
Mr Anderson may regret not taking firmer action early on when a series of niggly off-the-ball incidents and fouls went unpunished.
That raised the ante for players on both teams with the ever-more charged environment leading to the almost inevitable run of bookings and sending-offs in the later stages.
The Vikings will feel hard-done by but their nightmare start left them with too much to do.
As in the two previous defeats, unconvincing clearances and a tendency to allow attackers too much room proved fatal to their cause.
That said, all three Balintore scores were all smartly taken by a side whose sights are firmly trained on the title.
Thurso’s line-up included Jamie MacKenzie, newly re-signed from Wick Academy, while Asa Sinclair resumed in goal.
Early wobbles in the home defence saw Ian Adamson miskicking for a corner and Sinclair fortunate that his unconvincing punch from the resultant centre went unpunished.
The visitors kept up the momentum and after two minutes opened their account.
James Skinner seized on an errant clearance with his accurate angled drive from the left of the penalty spearing past Sinclair.
Balintore’s strong start continued with Sinclair doing well to nip the ball away from the advancing Calum MacDonald
After a shaky opening, the Vikings started to apply some concerted pressure of their own.
Balintore keeper Eddie Shearer did well to field a looping cross Mark Makhouli and then block a stinging Jamie MacKenzie shot from just outside the penalty box.
Thurso continued to struggle to deal with Balintore’s common ploy of pumping long balls for their frontmen to run on to.
While not particularly pretty, it proved effective. Michael MacKenzie almost profited from on such attack before his side doubled their advantage after 13 minutes.
This time, the danger stemmed from a throw-in which resulted in a messy ping-pong sequence in the goalmouth.
The ball rolled out to MacKenzie whose despatch from 20 yards produced a flailing attempt by Sinclair but the keeper could have had little sight of the shot
which flew through a forest of bodies into the back of the net.
James Skinner was the first to benefit from the laissez faire approach of Mr Anderson when the ref let him off with a reprimand for two fouls in quick succession on Gavin Bremner.
It was the visitors who continued to call the shots with James Skinner going close with a 25 yard drive which Sinclair did well to pouch on the wet, skiddy surface.
Balintore established a three goal cushion after 20 minutes when another abortive clearance from a corner needlessly conceded possession and ended with Calum MacDonald giving Sinclair no chance with a cracking finish.
The game was marred by petty feuds with Alan MacBean escaping official censure for his persistent harassment of Jamie MacKenzie, with the latter showing commendable restraint.
Mr Anderson kept his cards to himself until 34 minutes when he yellow-carded Coghill for a trip on James Skinner.
After 39 minutes, Thurso got the goal which their equality on the run of the play, if not the chances created, deserved. MacDougall was the architect and executioner.
His corner saw Shearer scrabble the ball clear under pressure from Jamie Mackenzie.
It fell for Phil Makhouli who played in MacDougall who crafted a shot from 18 yards which flashed in between the keeper and his left-hand post.
Four minutes later, Sinclair avoided further damage for his side when he came out bravely to pull off a smother save at the feet of Michael MacKenzie.
Balintore were seldom seen as an attacking force in the second half as they concentrated their resources on retaining their two goal advantage.
Martyn Cook, pushed into an attacking role, twice featured in exchanges soon after the turnaround.
He was just wide with a shot before being the main outlet for a counter which ended when his cross was snaffled by Shearer.
After 52 minutes, Thurso were just denied when Jamie MacKenzie released Martin Bain who was balked out at the last minute by Ally Mackenzie at the expense of a corner.
Three minutes later, Lee MacDougall was involved in a flare-up which ended with Balintore’s Norman Bain being red-carded for raising a hand to the Thurso man as he walked away.
The unsavoury antics continued unabated and on the hour-mark Garry Coghill was cautioned in the aftermath to another spat involving MacBean.
The next near thing came on 72 minutes when MacDougall had an opening but was dispossessed as he tried to round Shearer.
Two minutes later, the deficit was cut to one goal when Coghill and Bain linked well with the latter’s shot parried into the path of sub Gary MacLeod who prodded home from close in.
Balintore’s goal was threatened again with Shaun Forbes firing just past the post before Jamie MacKenzie miskicked after being set up by MacDougall.
Bain then had a goal-bound effort diverted for a corner as Balintore desperately sought to hang on to their lead.
Thurso’s momentum was interrupted by the 82th minute sending off Coghill for a second booking.
Their last chance came and went two minutes later when a promising attack from the right flank ended when MacDougall’s shot being beaten away by MacBean.
Two minutes from the end, the combative Michael MacKenzie was sent off after throwing a punch at Forbes.
The forward went on to argue the toss with Mr Anderson before taking off his shirt and angrily hurling it into his side’s dug-out.
There, he got involved in a shouting match and had to be restrained before watching what remained off the match from behind the barrier.
It was an appropriate ugly ending to a match which will unfortunately be better remembered for its petty feuding than its quality of football.
Thurso: Sinclair, Coghill, Forbes, M. Makhouli (MacLeod 62), Adamson, Cook (Mackay Steven 62), Bain, Bremner, MacKenzie, P. Makhouli (Sutherland 83), MacDougall.
Balintore: Shearer, C. MacDonald (Stainke 53), A. MacDonald, John Skinner, MacBean, Bain, James Skinner, Ford, Dance (Mackay 75), Farquhar, MacKenzie. Sub (unused) – Cowie.
Ref: Mr D. Anderson, Melvich.