Post by Brian Mackay on Nov 1, 2007 15:57:18 GMT -5
Dornoch 2 Thurso 4 - report by Iain Grant
The Vikings were relieved to return with maximum points from a testing trip to the ancient royal burgh.
A lacklustre display against opponents full of spirit and endeavour contributed to an angst-ridden outing for Duncan Gray’s outfit.
Dornoch were boosted by going in at the interval one ahead and even after conceding three in the third quarter, they got a second goal to resurrect their hopes.
But Mark Nichol’s second of the day gave the visitors some much-needed respite to see out the remaining 15 minutes.
Thurso appeared to suffer a collective hangover from their previous week’s cup final penalty shoot-out heartache.
A handful of changes to the squad included Halkirk summer keeper Stuart MacCulloch, who stood in for the unavailable Lee Allan, and a season’s debut for defender Shaun Forbes.
The visitors spurned a couple of half-chances before Dornoch took a 20th minute lead when Scott Miller’s 25 yard free-kick deceived MacCulloch when it bobbled sharply up off the turf.
Thurso enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but struggled to reproduce the slick football that has characterised their campaign to date.
They had to wait until the hour-mark to draw level.
It was an untidy affair with Lee MacDougall’s cross appearing to scuff off a defender en route to the back of the net.
The Vikings kept up the pressure and within quarter-of-an-hour, they had raced to a 3-1 lead.
Nigel Mackenzie, one of the few Thurso players to impress, set up Nichol for a tap-in before cutting in from the right and netting with a cracking left-foot strike.
Any suggestion this would signal Dornoch’s surrender was put to bed when the hosts bagged a second with 17 minutes remaining.
Some slack defending was punished when Roddy Mackay was given a clear opening which he took full advantage of.
Within two minutes, Thurso’s advantage was restored when MacKenzie did the donkey work to allow Nichol to notch his 13th counter of the season.
Manager Gray was just happy to return with three points, which keeps the Vikings in third spot. “We did not play at all well,” he acknowledged. ”It was undoubtedly the poorest we’ve been all season.” Martin Bain added to Thurso’s growing injury list when he came off with a damaged hamstring.
The same complaint is sidelining Willie Inrig while Des MacLeod, Jamie MacKenzie and Graham Tait are all out with a variety of complaints.
None of them is likely to figure in tomorrow’s home league match versus Bonar Bridge.
MacDougall, Nigel Mackenzie and Willie Steven are also unavailable but Allan, Wayne Monkman and Chris Foy are set to return.
The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Thurso v Dornoch – MacCulloch, Gray, Miller, Reid, Bain (Munro 60), MacKenzie, Petrie, Steven (Forbes 75), Sutherland, Nichol, MacDougall.
The championship race is shaping up as one of the most competitive in years. Half-a-dozen sides, including Halkirk United and Thurso, have realistic designs on the title. Newcomers Muir of Ord may have lost too much ground to feature in the shake-up but a run of wins could put them in contention. Muir, who already have a piece of silverware in their trophy cabinet, struggled at home to work of Bonar Bridge on Saturday before winning 5-1.
They drew a blank in the first half and had to come from behind before three goals in the closing seven minutes saw them power to a 5-1 victory.
A late equaliser by Calum Mackay earned Bunillidh Thistle a 2-2 draw at Alness while Balintore and Invergordon drew 0-0.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
INVERNESS CITY 9 7 2 0 37 15 23
HALKIRK UNITED 8 6 1 1 30 15 19
THURSO 7 5 1 1 32 12 16
GOLSPIE 5 4 0 1 18 10 12
BALINTORE 9 3 3 3 16 15 12
ALNESS UNITED 9 3 1 5 14 22 10
MUIR OF ORD 6 2 2 2 17 13 8
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 8 2 2 4 15 28 8
INVERGORDON 9 2 2 5 10 28 8
DORNOCH 8 1 0 7 8 23 3
BONAR BRIDGE 6 0 0 6 3 19 0
The Vikings were relieved to return with maximum points from a testing trip to the ancient royal burgh.
A lacklustre display against opponents full of spirit and endeavour contributed to an angst-ridden outing for Duncan Gray’s outfit.
Dornoch were boosted by going in at the interval one ahead and even after conceding three in the third quarter, they got a second goal to resurrect their hopes.
But Mark Nichol’s second of the day gave the visitors some much-needed respite to see out the remaining 15 minutes.
Thurso appeared to suffer a collective hangover from their previous week’s cup final penalty shoot-out heartache.
A handful of changes to the squad included Halkirk summer keeper Stuart MacCulloch, who stood in for the unavailable Lee Allan, and a season’s debut for defender Shaun Forbes.
The visitors spurned a couple of half-chances before Dornoch took a 20th minute lead when Scott Miller’s 25 yard free-kick deceived MacCulloch when it bobbled sharply up off the turf.
Thurso enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but struggled to reproduce the slick football that has characterised their campaign to date.
They had to wait until the hour-mark to draw level.
It was an untidy affair with Lee MacDougall’s cross appearing to scuff off a defender en route to the back of the net.
The Vikings kept up the pressure and within quarter-of-an-hour, they had raced to a 3-1 lead.
Nigel Mackenzie, one of the few Thurso players to impress, set up Nichol for a tap-in before cutting in from the right and netting with a cracking left-foot strike.
Any suggestion this would signal Dornoch’s surrender was put to bed when the hosts bagged a second with 17 minutes remaining.
Some slack defending was punished when Roddy Mackay was given a clear opening which he took full advantage of.
Within two minutes, Thurso’s advantage was restored when MacKenzie did the donkey work to allow Nichol to notch his 13th counter of the season.
Manager Gray was just happy to return with three points, which keeps the Vikings in third spot. “We did not play at all well,” he acknowledged. ”It was undoubtedly the poorest we’ve been all season.” Martin Bain added to Thurso’s growing injury list when he came off with a damaged hamstring.
The same complaint is sidelining Willie Inrig while Des MacLeod, Jamie MacKenzie and Graham Tait are all out with a variety of complaints.
None of them is likely to figure in tomorrow’s home league match versus Bonar Bridge.
MacDougall, Nigel Mackenzie and Willie Steven are also unavailable but Allan, Wayne Monkman and Chris Foy are set to return.
The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Thurso v Dornoch – MacCulloch, Gray, Miller, Reid, Bain (Munro 60), MacKenzie, Petrie, Steven (Forbes 75), Sutherland, Nichol, MacDougall.
The championship race is shaping up as one of the most competitive in years. Half-a-dozen sides, including Halkirk United and Thurso, have realistic designs on the title. Newcomers Muir of Ord may have lost too much ground to feature in the shake-up but a run of wins could put them in contention. Muir, who already have a piece of silverware in their trophy cabinet, struggled at home to work of Bonar Bridge on Saturday before winning 5-1.
They drew a blank in the first half and had to come from behind before three goals in the closing seven minutes saw them power to a 5-1 victory.
A late equaliser by Calum Mackay earned Bunillidh Thistle a 2-2 draw at Alness while Balintore and Invergordon drew 0-0.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
INVERNESS CITY 9 7 2 0 37 15 23
HALKIRK UNITED 8 6 1 1 30 15 19
THURSO 7 5 1 1 32 12 16
GOLSPIE 5 4 0 1 18 10 12
BALINTORE 9 3 3 3 16 15 12
ALNESS UNITED 9 3 1 5 14 22 10
MUIR OF ORD 6 2 2 2 17 13 8
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 8 2 2 4 15 28 8
INVERGORDON 9 2 2 5 10 28 8
DORNOCH 8 1 0 7 8 23 3
BONAR BRIDGE 6 0 0 6 3 19 0