Post by Brian Mackay on Apr 6, 2006 10:59:27 GMT -5
Halkirk United 2 Thurso 1 - report from Iain Grant
United toughed out a derby win on Tuesday evening to book their place in the final of the Jock Mackay Cup.
They will line up against Alness United in Balintore aiming to add to their early season PCT Cup triumph.
The second semi went ahead at the third time of asking after heavy rain had inundated Recreation Park and meant it was unfit to stage the fixture on either of the previous two Saturdays.
The pitch was surprisingly firm and light sleet showers mercifully fizzled out though there was a spell midway through the second half when the light level fell dramatically.
Agreement had been reached that the tie would go straight to penalties were the teams to finish level after 90 minutes.
A shoot-out looked a good bet for much of the game with the goal-less stalemate only broken by Michael Bremner’s opportunist strike midway through the second half.
That is the way it stayed until goals in the dying minutes by Halkirk’s young sub Scott Manson and Thurso’s late replacement Gary MacLeod.
Halkirk survived an early blitz from the town side who were protecting an unbeaten record in cup ties versus their county neighbours.
Their first attack was launched after a stray pass from home defender Graham MacDonald resulted in Phil Makhouli darting down the left flank and delivering a high, dipping cross which Sean Henderson did well to pluck out of the sky.
After five minutes, Lee MacDougall’s cross from wide-out picked out Jamie Mackenzie whose stinging, close-in shot produced a reaction stop from Henderson.
Halkirk defender Colin Sinclair then stooped to meet an inswinging corner from MacDougall with his clearing header whizzing inches past the left upright.
A minute later, the Halkirk defence were still at sixes and sevens as MacKenzie teed up Martin Bain whose rocket shot from the edge of the box brought another excellent stop from Henderson.
The home side were relieved to escape this spell unscathed and proceeded to almost take the lead from their first attack after 14 minutes.
Good foraging by Stevie Reid unsettled the visiting back three and created a glorious opening for Chris Sutherland whose raking effort from 20 yards veered a fraction past the right post.
Thurso’s stand-in keeper Brian Mackay then took two attempts to deal with Reid’s follow-up to his own free-kick after it came back off a defender.
Neither midfield was able to claim supremacy with the flow of the game regularly interrupted by miscued passes and players caught in possession.
Michael Bremner blazed a half-chance wide before Thurso again went close with the best move of the half.
Gavin Bremner’s clever release to MacDougall saw the latter cross early to the unmarked Alan Murray at the back post.
He wasted the inviting chance with a mistimed header which comfortably cleared the cross-bar.
This sparked a decent spell for Thurso with MacKenzie and Bain particularly prominent.
MacKenzie lost his bearings as he back-headed a Gavin Bremner free-kick wide in 37 minutes.
Three minutes from the interval, Alan Murray then played a delicious one-two with Bain with the striker unable to find the finish, skewing his shot wide of both the onrushing Henderson and the keeper’s right-hand post.
The half-time introduction of Gordie MacDonald and Martin Murray added pep to United’s attacking ambitions.
MacDonald impressed with some nifty early touches while Martin Murray provided more of a threat than the under-performing John Farquhar who he replaced.
The game was evenly poised though Halkirk were to gradually turn the screw as the second half wore on.
After 52 minutes, Makhouli and Scott Mackay Steven combined to produce a chance for MacDougall in the centre of the penalty box but he blazed his shot over.
Five minutes later, Chris Sutherland sprung the offside trap to race in from the right. With just Mackay in his sights, he rushed a shot wide of the near post.
The spell of Halkirk pressure was broken after 62 minutes when they conceded a free-kick wide out right of their penalty box.
MacDougall took it quickly to Alan Murray who netted from close in.
The Halkirk defenders were however not the only ones unprepared. Ref Colin MacLeod was in the midst of lecturing Graham MacDonald for his block on Mackay Steven, which led to the foul.
Mr MacLeod ordered a retake with MacDougall this time opting for a full-fledged shot.
It struck Michael Bremner about the midriff and while it may then have made contact with an arm, it could in no way be viewed as deliberate.
MacDougall was booked after venting his spleen at what he viewed as a double injustice.
Thurso’s grievance was magnified a minute later when a snap attack saw them fall behind.
A searching pass from Reid found Michael Bremner roving down the undefended inside left channel.
As Mackay came out, he dinked a chip over the keeper whose merest of touches failed to prevent the ball going the line.
Mackenzie was booked shortly afterwards as the Thurso cause looked increasingly hopeless.
They saw plenty of the ball but posed little further menace at the business end.
After 78 minutes, Henderson was required to dash out to make a smother save as Alan Murray sought to get on the end of Bain’s through ball.
Two minutes from time, Halkirk scored the killer second.
It was created by a glorious pass from Alan Farquhar to Manson whose speculative, angled shot rifled across Mackay to find the left-hand bottom corner of the net.
A minute later, the deficit was cut when good work from MacKenzie set up MacLeod who netted from just inside the box.
United -- Henderson, Sinclair, Munro, Florence, Graham MacDonald, Davidson (Gordie MacDonald h/t), Sutherland (Manson 77), A. Farquhar, Bremner, Farquhar (Murray h/t), Reid. Sub (unused) -- MacGill.
Thurso – Mackay, Coghill, Green, Forbes, Bain (MacLeod 79), Bremner, Mackay Steven (Sutherland 71), Makhouli (Miller 79), MacKenzie, Murray, MacDougall.
Ref -- Mr C. MacLeod, Castletown.
Thurso caretaker manager Gus Mackay was disappointed his side had failed to sustain their early momentum.
He said: “We had a bright start but then lost our way a bit as we failed to keep the ball and Halkirk came more and more into it.
“It was a game where the first goal was always going to be crucial.”
United manager Ian MacDonald was relieved his side recovered after surviving a torrid start to the match.
After seeing their league challenge thwarted, he is hungry for more cup success.
Alness overcame Invergordon in the other semi on Saturday when extra-time strikes from Kevin Keith and Stevie McCallum proved decisive after a goal-less 90 minutes.
Tomorrow, both Caithness sides are away in the second round of the last competition of the MSIS North Caley season, the Football Times Cup.
Thurso are at Bonar Bridge while Halkirk are at Dornoch.
Invergordon meanwhile have an early chance for revenge against Alness with the other tie pairing Balintore and Golspie.
United toughed out a derby win on Tuesday evening to book their place in the final of the Jock Mackay Cup.
They will line up against Alness United in Balintore aiming to add to their early season PCT Cup triumph.
The second semi went ahead at the third time of asking after heavy rain had inundated Recreation Park and meant it was unfit to stage the fixture on either of the previous two Saturdays.
The pitch was surprisingly firm and light sleet showers mercifully fizzled out though there was a spell midway through the second half when the light level fell dramatically.
Agreement had been reached that the tie would go straight to penalties were the teams to finish level after 90 minutes.
A shoot-out looked a good bet for much of the game with the goal-less stalemate only broken by Michael Bremner’s opportunist strike midway through the second half.
That is the way it stayed until goals in the dying minutes by Halkirk’s young sub Scott Manson and Thurso’s late replacement Gary MacLeod.
Halkirk survived an early blitz from the town side who were protecting an unbeaten record in cup ties versus their county neighbours.
Their first attack was launched after a stray pass from home defender Graham MacDonald resulted in Phil Makhouli darting down the left flank and delivering a high, dipping cross which Sean Henderson did well to pluck out of the sky.
After five minutes, Lee MacDougall’s cross from wide-out picked out Jamie Mackenzie whose stinging, close-in shot produced a reaction stop from Henderson.
Halkirk defender Colin Sinclair then stooped to meet an inswinging corner from MacDougall with his clearing header whizzing inches past the left upright.
A minute later, the Halkirk defence were still at sixes and sevens as MacKenzie teed up Martin Bain whose rocket shot from the edge of the box brought another excellent stop from Henderson.
The home side were relieved to escape this spell unscathed and proceeded to almost take the lead from their first attack after 14 minutes.
Good foraging by Stevie Reid unsettled the visiting back three and created a glorious opening for Chris Sutherland whose raking effort from 20 yards veered a fraction past the right post.
Thurso’s stand-in keeper Brian Mackay then took two attempts to deal with Reid’s follow-up to his own free-kick after it came back off a defender.
Neither midfield was able to claim supremacy with the flow of the game regularly interrupted by miscued passes and players caught in possession.
Michael Bremner blazed a half-chance wide before Thurso again went close with the best move of the half.
Gavin Bremner’s clever release to MacDougall saw the latter cross early to the unmarked Alan Murray at the back post.
He wasted the inviting chance with a mistimed header which comfortably cleared the cross-bar.
This sparked a decent spell for Thurso with MacKenzie and Bain particularly prominent.
MacKenzie lost his bearings as he back-headed a Gavin Bremner free-kick wide in 37 minutes.
Three minutes from the interval, Alan Murray then played a delicious one-two with Bain with the striker unable to find the finish, skewing his shot wide of both the onrushing Henderson and the keeper’s right-hand post.
The half-time introduction of Gordie MacDonald and Martin Murray added pep to United’s attacking ambitions.
MacDonald impressed with some nifty early touches while Martin Murray provided more of a threat than the under-performing John Farquhar who he replaced.
The game was evenly poised though Halkirk were to gradually turn the screw as the second half wore on.
After 52 minutes, Makhouli and Scott Mackay Steven combined to produce a chance for MacDougall in the centre of the penalty box but he blazed his shot over.
Five minutes later, Chris Sutherland sprung the offside trap to race in from the right. With just Mackay in his sights, he rushed a shot wide of the near post.
The spell of Halkirk pressure was broken after 62 minutes when they conceded a free-kick wide out right of their penalty box.
MacDougall took it quickly to Alan Murray who netted from close in.
The Halkirk defenders were however not the only ones unprepared. Ref Colin MacLeod was in the midst of lecturing Graham MacDonald for his block on Mackay Steven, which led to the foul.
Mr MacLeod ordered a retake with MacDougall this time opting for a full-fledged shot.
It struck Michael Bremner about the midriff and while it may then have made contact with an arm, it could in no way be viewed as deliberate.
MacDougall was booked after venting his spleen at what he viewed as a double injustice.
Thurso’s grievance was magnified a minute later when a snap attack saw them fall behind.
A searching pass from Reid found Michael Bremner roving down the undefended inside left channel.
As Mackay came out, he dinked a chip over the keeper whose merest of touches failed to prevent the ball going the line.
Mackenzie was booked shortly afterwards as the Thurso cause looked increasingly hopeless.
They saw plenty of the ball but posed little further menace at the business end.
After 78 minutes, Henderson was required to dash out to make a smother save as Alan Murray sought to get on the end of Bain’s through ball.
Two minutes from time, Halkirk scored the killer second.
It was created by a glorious pass from Alan Farquhar to Manson whose speculative, angled shot rifled across Mackay to find the left-hand bottom corner of the net.
A minute later, the deficit was cut when good work from MacKenzie set up MacLeod who netted from just inside the box.
United -- Henderson, Sinclair, Munro, Florence, Graham MacDonald, Davidson (Gordie MacDonald h/t), Sutherland (Manson 77), A. Farquhar, Bremner, Farquhar (Murray h/t), Reid. Sub (unused) -- MacGill.
Thurso – Mackay, Coghill, Green, Forbes, Bain (MacLeod 79), Bremner, Mackay Steven (Sutherland 71), Makhouli (Miller 79), MacKenzie, Murray, MacDougall.
Ref -- Mr C. MacLeod, Castletown.
Thurso caretaker manager Gus Mackay was disappointed his side had failed to sustain their early momentum.
He said: “We had a bright start but then lost our way a bit as we failed to keep the ball and Halkirk came more and more into it.
“It was a game where the first goal was always going to be crucial.”
United manager Ian MacDonald was relieved his side recovered after surviving a torrid start to the match.
After seeing their league challenge thwarted, he is hungry for more cup success.
Alness overcame Invergordon in the other semi on Saturday when extra-time strikes from Kevin Keith and Stevie McCallum proved decisive after a goal-less 90 minutes.
Tomorrow, both Caithness sides are away in the second round of the last competition of the MSIS North Caley season, the Football Times Cup.
Thurso are at Bonar Bridge while Halkirk are at Dornoch.
Invergordon meanwhile have an early chance for revenge against Alness with the other tie pairing Balintore and Golspie.