Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 11, 2007 14:31:05 GMT -5
Thurso 5 V Golspie 0 - report by Iain Grant
The Vikings romped to victory in Saturday’s Port Services Cup semi-final at Sir Georges Park.
A second half hat-trick from Des MacLeod, sandwiched between strikes from Wayne Monkman and Martin Bain, did the damage.
While Golspie had a couple of decent openings, they returned relieved not to have succumbed to a heftier reverse.
Fresh from their Scottish Cup first round victory the previous week, the Sutherland combine were expected to present a potent challenge.
But from the outset, they gave every impression of a side going through the motions, with their play lacking energy and imagination.
Only after conceding a second shortly after the interval did they spark into life, twice coming close to scoring and threatening to make the tie a genuine contest.
That said, they faced a Thurso side firing on all cylinders and who produced their best display of the campaign.
In what was to prove an aberration in the pattern of the first period, Golspie came desperately close to taking a second minute.
Nigel MacKenzie was caught in possession in his own half, resulting in Donald Sutherland getting a free run down the inside left channel.
Home keeper Lee Allan’s fingertip save from Sutherland’s sweetly struck 25 yarder was made all the more impressive by the wicked deflection it took off a defender.
Soon, play was concentrated in the Golspie half. Nigel MacKenzie’s fifth minute free-kick was diverted into the path of Mark Nichol who spurned the opportunity by snatching an angled effort wide of the far post. Two minutes later, Monkman passed up a better chance when he headed past from Nigel MacKenzie’s pinpoint cross.
Golspie were living on scraps though Andy Keveren was not far away with a free-kick after 12 minutes.
The Vikings continued to impress and it was a surprise they had to wait until the 22nd minute before taking the lead. Nichol beat a man on the left touchline before delivering a steepling cross to the far post. Monkman stole a yard on his marker and displayed bravery in stooping between the upright and a flailing boot to net with a firm header.
Jamie MacKenzie was at the heart of the home side’s patient build-ups with Golspie coming under regular attack down the flanks as well as through the centre.
A foray down the right almost paid off with a second goal when a neat inter-change between Monkman and Nigel MacKenzie resulted in the latter’s cross being nicked off the inrushing Nichol by Golspie’s Colin MacLeod.
After 31 minutes, Graeme Reid’s long-range punt found Monkman whose powerful header would have counted but for a marvellous full-stretch parry by keeper Alan Bokas.
Five minutes later, Nichol set up Des MacLeod who could not finesse his shot wide of Bokas.
The half ended with a fizzing effort from Nigel MacKenzie which cleared the bar and no more.
Ref John Nicolson had shown indulgence in not booking Golspie pair Blair Duncan and Michael Dunnett for reckless tackles.
That his patience had run out was reflected in the bookings he dished out soon after the interval to Thurso’s Kevin Miller and Golspie’s John Mackay.
Thurso went two up after 49 minutes when Monkman released Nichol down the right wing and his powerful, low drive across goal was touched in by Des MacLeod.
The setback belatedly galvanised Golspie who enjoyed a decent spell when they were unlucky not to get a goal back.
On 54 minutes, Allan’s run into no man’s lead invited Aaron Smith to lob the keeper whose bacon was saved by a goal-line clearance from Miller.
There was another close thing on the home goal on 61 minutes when Keveren’s free-kick smacked back off the inside of the left post.
In between these efforts, an incisive move from Thurso culminated in Nichol’s centre being met with a thunderous 18 yard volley from Des MacLeod which flew a couple of feet over the bar, with Bokas rooted to the spot.
Nichol then dragged a good opportunity wide before Bokas spread himself well to block Nigel MacKenzie’s shot after the latter’s dart into the penalty box.
Des MacLeod and Nigel MacKenzie went close before their side bagged the killer third goal on 68 minutes.
New signing Brian Gray’s centre was met by a firm header from Jamie MacKenzie.
Bokas showed great agility in getting a hand to the ball but was helpless to prevent Des MacLeod drilling in the rebound.
The latter’s third, seven minutes later, was something of a carbon copy though this time Bokas should have held Monkman’s header from a corner. Again, Des MacLeod was on hand to convert.
It was a blot on an otherwise faultless display by the Golspie keeper who went on to pull off breath-taking stops to deny Des MacLeod and Monkman.
Nichol’s run of bad luck in front of goal continued when his 82nd minute header from Nigel MacKenzie’s assist thumped off the meat of the crossbar. Two minutes later, Allan emulated his rival’s heroics when he somehow managed to tip wide a vicious effort from Keveren.
The victory was wrapped up two minutes from time when the two MacKenzies did the legwork for sub Bain to crack an unstoppable shot from 12 yards in off the underside of the bar.
Thurso – Allan, Gray, Reid, Miller, Sutherland (Petrie 78), J. MacKenzie, N. MacKenzie, Monkman, MacLeod (Bain 76), Nichol, L. MacDougall (Foy 80).
Golspie – Bokas, A. Sutherland, Duncan, J. Smith, MacLeod, Mackay (D. MacDonald 86), A. Smith (Dinwoodie 64), Dunnett, Keveren, D. Sutherland, Turner. Sub (unused) – S. Sutherland.
Ref – Mr J. Nicolson, Inverness.
The Vikings romped to victory in Saturday’s Port Services Cup semi-final at Sir Georges Park.
A second half hat-trick from Des MacLeod, sandwiched between strikes from Wayne Monkman and Martin Bain, did the damage.
While Golspie had a couple of decent openings, they returned relieved not to have succumbed to a heftier reverse.
Fresh from their Scottish Cup first round victory the previous week, the Sutherland combine were expected to present a potent challenge.
But from the outset, they gave every impression of a side going through the motions, with their play lacking energy and imagination.
Only after conceding a second shortly after the interval did they spark into life, twice coming close to scoring and threatening to make the tie a genuine contest.
That said, they faced a Thurso side firing on all cylinders and who produced their best display of the campaign.
In what was to prove an aberration in the pattern of the first period, Golspie came desperately close to taking a second minute.
Nigel MacKenzie was caught in possession in his own half, resulting in Donald Sutherland getting a free run down the inside left channel.
Home keeper Lee Allan’s fingertip save from Sutherland’s sweetly struck 25 yarder was made all the more impressive by the wicked deflection it took off a defender.
Soon, play was concentrated in the Golspie half. Nigel MacKenzie’s fifth minute free-kick was diverted into the path of Mark Nichol who spurned the opportunity by snatching an angled effort wide of the far post. Two minutes later, Monkman passed up a better chance when he headed past from Nigel MacKenzie’s pinpoint cross.
Golspie were living on scraps though Andy Keveren was not far away with a free-kick after 12 minutes.
The Vikings continued to impress and it was a surprise they had to wait until the 22nd minute before taking the lead. Nichol beat a man on the left touchline before delivering a steepling cross to the far post. Monkman stole a yard on his marker and displayed bravery in stooping between the upright and a flailing boot to net with a firm header.
Jamie MacKenzie was at the heart of the home side’s patient build-ups with Golspie coming under regular attack down the flanks as well as through the centre.
A foray down the right almost paid off with a second goal when a neat inter-change between Monkman and Nigel MacKenzie resulted in the latter’s cross being nicked off the inrushing Nichol by Golspie’s Colin MacLeod.
After 31 minutes, Graeme Reid’s long-range punt found Monkman whose powerful header would have counted but for a marvellous full-stretch parry by keeper Alan Bokas.
Five minutes later, Nichol set up Des MacLeod who could not finesse his shot wide of Bokas.
The half ended with a fizzing effort from Nigel MacKenzie which cleared the bar and no more.
Ref John Nicolson had shown indulgence in not booking Golspie pair Blair Duncan and Michael Dunnett for reckless tackles.
That his patience had run out was reflected in the bookings he dished out soon after the interval to Thurso’s Kevin Miller and Golspie’s John Mackay.
Thurso went two up after 49 minutes when Monkman released Nichol down the right wing and his powerful, low drive across goal was touched in by Des MacLeod.
The setback belatedly galvanised Golspie who enjoyed a decent spell when they were unlucky not to get a goal back.
On 54 minutes, Allan’s run into no man’s lead invited Aaron Smith to lob the keeper whose bacon was saved by a goal-line clearance from Miller.
There was another close thing on the home goal on 61 minutes when Keveren’s free-kick smacked back off the inside of the left post.
In between these efforts, an incisive move from Thurso culminated in Nichol’s centre being met with a thunderous 18 yard volley from Des MacLeod which flew a couple of feet over the bar, with Bokas rooted to the spot.
Nichol then dragged a good opportunity wide before Bokas spread himself well to block Nigel MacKenzie’s shot after the latter’s dart into the penalty box.
Des MacLeod and Nigel MacKenzie went close before their side bagged the killer third goal on 68 minutes.
New signing Brian Gray’s centre was met by a firm header from Jamie MacKenzie.
Bokas showed great agility in getting a hand to the ball but was helpless to prevent Des MacLeod drilling in the rebound.
The latter’s third, seven minutes later, was something of a carbon copy though this time Bokas should have held Monkman’s header from a corner. Again, Des MacLeod was on hand to convert.
It was a blot on an otherwise faultless display by the Golspie keeper who went on to pull off breath-taking stops to deny Des MacLeod and Monkman.
Nichol’s run of bad luck in front of goal continued when his 82nd minute header from Nigel MacKenzie’s assist thumped off the meat of the crossbar. Two minutes later, Allan emulated his rival’s heroics when he somehow managed to tip wide a vicious effort from Keveren.
The victory was wrapped up two minutes from time when the two MacKenzies did the legwork for sub Bain to crack an unstoppable shot from 12 yards in off the underside of the bar.
Thurso – Allan, Gray, Reid, Miller, Sutherland (Petrie 78), J. MacKenzie, N. MacKenzie, Monkman, MacLeod (Bain 76), Nichol, L. MacDougall (Foy 80).
Golspie – Bokas, A. Sutherland, Duncan, J. Smith, MacLeod, Mackay (D. MacDonald 86), A. Smith (Dinwoodie 64), Dunnett, Keveren, D. Sutherland, Turner. Sub (unused) – S. Sutherland.
Ref – Mr J. Nicolson, Inverness.