Post by Brian Mackay on Sept 27, 2006 13:23:30 GMT -5
Alness United 6 Thurso 2 - report from Iain Grant
It’s back to the drawing board for Thurso after this chastening defeat on Saturday at the hands of a new-look Alness side.
The Port Services Cup quarter-final was the Vikings’ third defeat in a row and they have now shipped 17 goals in their opening five matches.
Their defence looked suspect throughout the tie with the back four never looking comfortable against a sparky home attack.
Keeper Asa Sinclair also produced his shakiest display of the campaign after taking plaudits for his displays in the two previous defeats.
A promising opening for Thurso saw them take the lead through Lee MacDougall but a sharply taken double by Andy Keveren had the home men ahead at the break.
Alness never looked back after the Gairloch-based hitman grabbed his hat-trick soon after the turnaround.
They gained confidence as the game wore on while Thurso flagged badly and ended up a well-beaten outfit.
On a balmy afternoon in a town which had just won the Britain in Bloom crown, the near full-strength visitors wilted like a rose in the desert.
A decent start for them saw Nigel Mackenzie skip down the right margin of the opposition penalty box after being released by Scott Mackay Steven.
With colleagues in prime position, Mackenzie’s cross would almost certainly have produced a goal but for a full-stretch interception from defender Kenny MacAskill.
Better was to come on eight minutes when Mark Nichol’s foraging down the right ended with his centre volleyed back across goal by Nigel Mackenzie for MacDougall to apply a crisp finish.
Keveren had by then shown his menace with a couple of efforts on goal which Sinclair dealt with comfortably enough.
Within two minutes of falling behind, Alness were level when Thurso’s rearguard was all too easily opened up by Robbie MacLeod’s set-up. Keveren raced in to slot the ball past Sinclair.
Thurso’s back four was again at sixes and sevens when Gary Calvert wastefully headed over.
In a free-flowing game, Nichol had a penalty claim turned down after he came off the worse in a tangle with Andrew Sutherland.
A spate of fouls early on by the home outfit raised the hackles of their opponents and prompted feelings of injustice that ref Gavin Dearie was failing to take a tough enough line.
This culminated in Phil Green’s 17th minute booking for a display of dissent. A minute later, Thurso were rocked when they fell behind.
Jamie Sinclair created the chance and the elusive Keveren raced in to net through the legs of the outrushing Sinclair.
There was little to choose between the sides on the general run of play in the first period.
Nichol had a half-chance on the half-hour mark when Mackay Steven’s clever pass saw the striker wrongfoot a defender and have his shot blocked by the legs of keeper Alan Elder.
In a strong finish to the half by the visitors, Nigel Mackenzie fired marginally wide; Paul MacCallum headed a corner just over; and MacDougall had a fierce drive tipped over by Elder.
Alness’s Andrew Sutherland was then cautioned for pulling back Mackay Steven.
Two minutes into the second period, Sinclair lost an aerial tussle with Keveren 12 yards out with the striker finding the angle of his attempted finish into the empty net just too tight.
Veteran centre back Keith Dingwall became the third man booked after 48 minutes for a late challenge.
Alness went 3-1 up on 51 minutes when Michael Dunnett picked out Keveren’s darting run. Keveren outstripped MacCallum before claiming his hat-trick with a superb rising shot past Sinclair.
Two minutes later, the same player was in again but this time Sinclair did well to block his effort on goal.
The keeper was quickly in action again as he spread himself well to deny Dunnett.
Having helped keep his side in the game, Sinclair was then beaten on 58 minutes when MacLeod’s would-be cross from a yard inside the left bye-line had the keeper grasping thin air as it arc-ed over him to settle in the far top corner of the net.
Thurso did pull a goal back four minutes later after Mackay Steven looked to have been downed by Sutherland just outside the box.
The defender escaped a possible second yellow but Mr Dearie awarded a penalty which Nichol duly converted.
Any hint of it sparking a comeback was dowsed two minutes later when Alness sub Steven MacGregor was allowed to have two bites of the cherry by a cataleptic defence and he lashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Thereafter, Alness created a barrowload of chances as they threatened to heap further misery on the deflated visitors.
Dunnett and Keveren went desperately close while Kevin Miller got away with what looked like a clear foul on Calvert in the Thurso penalty box.
Thurso’s only reply was when Elder had to look sharp to smother the ball on the far edge of his penalty box as Gavin Bremner sought to get on the end of Jamie Mackenzie’s astute through-ball.
Alness were not finished and made it 6-2 in the final minute when Keveren turned provider as he set up Calvert for an easy finish.
Alness manager Alan Brindle is happy how his reshaped side are settling down. He said: “When Thurso went 1-0 up, I thought the worst. “But we got back in the game and I was delighted how well we tucked away our chances. “Thurso got frustrated the longer the game went on and we ended up in control.”
Thurso manager Ross Sutherland was at a wedding on Saturday, with Jocky Begg in temporary charge.
Sutherland is keen to tighten up the defence as his side looks to end its losing run as it returns to league business in Helmsdale tomorrow. An ankle injury looks set to rule out Michael Steven but Mark Makhouli is back in the frame for the clash with Bunillidh.
Sutherland said: “The only good thing about Saturday was that it wasn’t a league game. “We really must win tomorrow if we are going to do anything in the league.”
Alness - Elder, Sutherland, Smith, MacAskill, Dingwall, Douglas (MacGregor h/t), Calvert, Macleod, Sinclair (Gair 71), Dunnett (Coutts 84), Keveren.
Thurso – Sinclair, Steven, Miller, MacCallum, Green, Bremner, Mackay Steven (Moodie 67), J. Mackenzie (Warner 83), N. Mackenzie, Nichol, MacDougall (Mackay 67).
Ref – Mr G. Dearie, Inverness.
It’s back to the drawing board for Thurso after this chastening defeat on Saturday at the hands of a new-look Alness side.
The Port Services Cup quarter-final was the Vikings’ third defeat in a row and they have now shipped 17 goals in their opening five matches.
Their defence looked suspect throughout the tie with the back four never looking comfortable against a sparky home attack.
Keeper Asa Sinclair also produced his shakiest display of the campaign after taking plaudits for his displays in the two previous defeats.
A promising opening for Thurso saw them take the lead through Lee MacDougall but a sharply taken double by Andy Keveren had the home men ahead at the break.
Alness never looked back after the Gairloch-based hitman grabbed his hat-trick soon after the turnaround.
They gained confidence as the game wore on while Thurso flagged badly and ended up a well-beaten outfit.
On a balmy afternoon in a town which had just won the Britain in Bloom crown, the near full-strength visitors wilted like a rose in the desert.
A decent start for them saw Nigel Mackenzie skip down the right margin of the opposition penalty box after being released by Scott Mackay Steven.
With colleagues in prime position, Mackenzie’s cross would almost certainly have produced a goal but for a full-stretch interception from defender Kenny MacAskill.
Better was to come on eight minutes when Mark Nichol’s foraging down the right ended with his centre volleyed back across goal by Nigel Mackenzie for MacDougall to apply a crisp finish.
Keveren had by then shown his menace with a couple of efforts on goal which Sinclair dealt with comfortably enough.
Within two minutes of falling behind, Alness were level when Thurso’s rearguard was all too easily opened up by Robbie MacLeod’s set-up. Keveren raced in to slot the ball past Sinclair.
Thurso’s back four was again at sixes and sevens when Gary Calvert wastefully headed over.
In a free-flowing game, Nichol had a penalty claim turned down after he came off the worse in a tangle with Andrew Sutherland.
A spate of fouls early on by the home outfit raised the hackles of their opponents and prompted feelings of injustice that ref Gavin Dearie was failing to take a tough enough line.
This culminated in Phil Green’s 17th minute booking for a display of dissent. A minute later, Thurso were rocked when they fell behind.
Jamie Sinclair created the chance and the elusive Keveren raced in to net through the legs of the outrushing Sinclair.
There was little to choose between the sides on the general run of play in the first period.
Nichol had a half-chance on the half-hour mark when Mackay Steven’s clever pass saw the striker wrongfoot a defender and have his shot blocked by the legs of keeper Alan Elder.
In a strong finish to the half by the visitors, Nigel Mackenzie fired marginally wide; Paul MacCallum headed a corner just over; and MacDougall had a fierce drive tipped over by Elder.
Alness’s Andrew Sutherland was then cautioned for pulling back Mackay Steven.
Two minutes into the second period, Sinclair lost an aerial tussle with Keveren 12 yards out with the striker finding the angle of his attempted finish into the empty net just too tight.
Veteran centre back Keith Dingwall became the third man booked after 48 minutes for a late challenge.
Alness went 3-1 up on 51 minutes when Michael Dunnett picked out Keveren’s darting run. Keveren outstripped MacCallum before claiming his hat-trick with a superb rising shot past Sinclair.
Two minutes later, the same player was in again but this time Sinclair did well to block his effort on goal.
The keeper was quickly in action again as he spread himself well to deny Dunnett.
Having helped keep his side in the game, Sinclair was then beaten on 58 minutes when MacLeod’s would-be cross from a yard inside the left bye-line had the keeper grasping thin air as it arc-ed over him to settle in the far top corner of the net.
Thurso did pull a goal back four minutes later after Mackay Steven looked to have been downed by Sutherland just outside the box.
The defender escaped a possible second yellow but Mr Dearie awarded a penalty which Nichol duly converted.
Any hint of it sparking a comeback was dowsed two minutes later when Alness sub Steven MacGregor was allowed to have two bites of the cherry by a cataleptic defence and he lashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Thereafter, Alness created a barrowload of chances as they threatened to heap further misery on the deflated visitors.
Dunnett and Keveren went desperately close while Kevin Miller got away with what looked like a clear foul on Calvert in the Thurso penalty box.
Thurso’s only reply was when Elder had to look sharp to smother the ball on the far edge of his penalty box as Gavin Bremner sought to get on the end of Jamie Mackenzie’s astute through-ball.
Alness were not finished and made it 6-2 in the final minute when Keveren turned provider as he set up Calvert for an easy finish.
Alness manager Alan Brindle is happy how his reshaped side are settling down. He said: “When Thurso went 1-0 up, I thought the worst. “But we got back in the game and I was delighted how well we tucked away our chances. “Thurso got frustrated the longer the game went on and we ended up in control.”
Thurso manager Ross Sutherland was at a wedding on Saturday, with Jocky Begg in temporary charge.
Sutherland is keen to tighten up the defence as his side looks to end its losing run as it returns to league business in Helmsdale tomorrow. An ankle injury looks set to rule out Michael Steven but Mark Makhouli is back in the frame for the clash with Bunillidh.
Sutherland said: “The only good thing about Saturday was that it wasn’t a league game. “We really must win tomorrow if we are going to do anything in the league.”
Alness - Elder, Sutherland, Smith, MacAskill, Dingwall, Douglas (MacGregor h/t), Calvert, Macleod, Sinclair (Gair 71), Dunnett (Coutts 84), Keveren.
Thurso – Sinclair, Steven, Miller, MacCallum, Green, Bremner, Mackay Steven (Moodie 67), J. Mackenzie (Warner 83), N. Mackenzie, Nichol, MacDougall (Mackay 67).
Ref – Mr G. Dearie, Inverness.