Post by Brian Mackay on Mar 17, 2006 16:58:05 GMT -5
Invergordon 4 Thurso 3 - report by Iain Grant
This has been a difficult season for the Vikings with three managers and a large turnover of players contributing to form which has been as unsettled as the current weather.
On Saturday, just five of the 14-strong squad had featured in the previous tussle with Invergordon in Thurso towards the start of the MSIS North Caley campaign.
The latest version of their back three saw erstwhile striker Jamie MacKenzie slot in beside Shaun Forbes and Gary MacLeod.
Caretaker manager Gus Mackay’s first squad included Phil Green who had not played since the opening game of the season.
Invergordon took advantage of playing with the strong wind and slope in their favour to force the early pace.
The pressure brought them two goals in the opening 20 minutes.
On 10 minutes, the visiting defence did not deal well with an innocuous-looking cross and striker Stevie Murray was left to crack an unstoppable shot past the helpless Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair.
The home men went two up when Brian Scobbie’s shot was parried by Sinclair into the path of Scott Wilde who netted from eight yards.
Thurso’s main goal threat up until then came down the right from Martin Bain who delivered several dangerous crosses which his team-mates failed to capitalise on.
They got one back on 26 minutes when Phil Makhouli had the legs taken from him as he rounded keeper Steven Campbell.
Many refs would have produced a red card but Inverness whistler John Nicholson did not punish Invergordon beyond the award of a penalty, which Gavin Bremner tucked away.
Keith Dinwoodie made it 3-1 for Invergordon on 37 minutes after profiting from a miscued punched clearance by Sinclair.
Thurso received a tonic within 20 seconds of the start of the second half when Phil Makhouli grabbed a goal back.
But within minutes, the Vikings were caught square at the back and winger John Colquhon was allowed to wing in from the left unchallenged and slot the ball past Sinclair.
Soon after that, Thurso rejigged their formation with Mackenzie redeployed up front and Gary Coghill sent on to take his place at the back.
Within five minutes, MacKenzie passéd up three decent scoring chances.
He cut out the first two openings through his own efforts, firing one over the bar and the other past a post.
Fellow striker Alan Murray then set him up for the third from which Campbell made a good save.
Fifteen minutes from the end, Lee MacDougall came off the left flank and let fly with a right-foot shot which Campbell somehow managed to get finger-tips to prevent it rocketing into the top right-hand corner.
Within minutes of coming on, young sub Andrew Richardson had a chance to reduce the deficit.
But after the ball fell kindly to the teenager following an almighty melee in the box, he was unable to make the cleanest of connections, allowing a defender to make a block.
A minute from time, Makhouli squeezed a header in from the tightest of angles to register his sixth goal in two starts.
Caretaker boss Mackay said: “I thought we at least deserved a draw.
“Over the course of the game, we missed quite a few chances and we gave away a couple of soft goals.”
He believes the defensive gremlins are largely down to the lack of a settled formation.
Tomorrow, the Vikings travel to play Alness United who are improving fast after a season which had been blighted by long-term injuries to a string of key players.
Defenders Kevin Miller and Ian Adamson are both unlikely to be fit for Thurso in the league clash.
Invergordon -- Campbell, Pennick, Kennedy, C. Stone, Thomson, Dinwoodie, A. Stone, Wilde, Scobbie, Colquhon, Murray. Subs (all used) – Cooper, Hutchison and Mills.
Thurso – Sinclair, MacKenzie, Forbes, MacLeod (Green 60), Bain (Coghill 60), Bremner, Sutherland, MacDougall, P. Makhouli, Murray, Mackay Steven (Richardson 76).
Ref -- Mr J. Nicholson, Inverness.
David Chapman bagged a hat-trick for Alness on Saturday in their 5-2 extra-time victory at Golspie in the second round of the Jock Mackay Cup.
Donald Sutherland also struck twice with Ken Whyte getting a double for Golspie.
The two cup semis both involve local derbies with Alness travelling to meet Invergordon in the semi and Halkirk entertaining Thurso.
Saturday’s scheduled league match between Bonar Bridge and Balintore was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
This has been a difficult season for the Vikings with three managers and a large turnover of players contributing to form which has been as unsettled as the current weather.
On Saturday, just five of the 14-strong squad had featured in the previous tussle with Invergordon in Thurso towards the start of the MSIS North Caley campaign.
The latest version of their back three saw erstwhile striker Jamie MacKenzie slot in beside Shaun Forbes and Gary MacLeod.
Caretaker manager Gus Mackay’s first squad included Phil Green who had not played since the opening game of the season.
Invergordon took advantage of playing with the strong wind and slope in their favour to force the early pace.
The pressure brought them two goals in the opening 20 minutes.
On 10 minutes, the visiting defence did not deal well with an innocuous-looking cross and striker Stevie Murray was left to crack an unstoppable shot past the helpless Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair.
The home men went two up when Brian Scobbie’s shot was parried by Sinclair into the path of Scott Wilde who netted from eight yards.
Thurso’s main goal threat up until then came down the right from Martin Bain who delivered several dangerous crosses which his team-mates failed to capitalise on.
They got one back on 26 minutes when Phil Makhouli had the legs taken from him as he rounded keeper Steven Campbell.
Many refs would have produced a red card but Inverness whistler John Nicholson did not punish Invergordon beyond the award of a penalty, which Gavin Bremner tucked away.
Keith Dinwoodie made it 3-1 for Invergordon on 37 minutes after profiting from a miscued punched clearance by Sinclair.
Thurso received a tonic within 20 seconds of the start of the second half when Phil Makhouli grabbed a goal back.
But within minutes, the Vikings were caught square at the back and winger John Colquhon was allowed to wing in from the left unchallenged and slot the ball past Sinclair.
Soon after that, Thurso rejigged their formation with Mackenzie redeployed up front and Gary Coghill sent on to take his place at the back.
Within five minutes, MacKenzie passéd up three decent scoring chances.
He cut out the first two openings through his own efforts, firing one over the bar and the other past a post.
Fellow striker Alan Murray then set him up for the third from which Campbell made a good save.
Fifteen minutes from the end, Lee MacDougall came off the left flank and let fly with a right-foot shot which Campbell somehow managed to get finger-tips to prevent it rocketing into the top right-hand corner.
Within minutes of coming on, young sub Andrew Richardson had a chance to reduce the deficit.
But after the ball fell kindly to the teenager following an almighty melee in the box, he was unable to make the cleanest of connections, allowing a defender to make a block.
A minute from time, Makhouli squeezed a header in from the tightest of angles to register his sixth goal in two starts.
Caretaker boss Mackay said: “I thought we at least deserved a draw.
“Over the course of the game, we missed quite a few chances and we gave away a couple of soft goals.”
He believes the defensive gremlins are largely down to the lack of a settled formation.
Tomorrow, the Vikings travel to play Alness United who are improving fast after a season which had been blighted by long-term injuries to a string of key players.
Defenders Kevin Miller and Ian Adamson are both unlikely to be fit for Thurso in the league clash.
Invergordon -- Campbell, Pennick, Kennedy, C. Stone, Thomson, Dinwoodie, A. Stone, Wilde, Scobbie, Colquhon, Murray. Subs (all used) – Cooper, Hutchison and Mills.
Thurso – Sinclair, MacKenzie, Forbes, MacLeod (Green 60), Bain (Coghill 60), Bremner, Sutherland, MacDougall, P. Makhouli, Murray, Mackay Steven (Richardson 76).
Ref -- Mr J. Nicholson, Inverness.
David Chapman bagged a hat-trick for Alness on Saturday in their 5-2 extra-time victory at Golspie in the second round of the Jock Mackay Cup.
Donald Sutherland also struck twice with Ken Whyte getting a double for Golspie.
The two cup semis both involve local derbies with Alness travelling to meet Invergordon in the semi and Halkirk entertaining Thurso.
Saturday’s scheduled league match between Bonar Bridge and Balintore was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.