Post by Brian Mackay on Feb 13, 2008 7:41:36 GMT -5
Balintore 0 Thurso 2 - report from Iain Grant
The Vikings made a winning return to action on Saturday after enduring a barren month of weather-induced cancellations.
First half goals from Mark Nichol and Nigel MacKenzie booked their place in the last four of the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup.
It completed a hat-trick of successes over the Seaboard Park side, which is some way short of the one which stormed to the MSIS North Caley title two years ago.
They retain a core of quality experienced performers but crucially offer little threat up front, having not replaced a succession of strikers who have moved on.
That Gus MacDonald, who rattled in seven goals in their first five games, can return on Saturday after a near four month lay-off with a broken foot and still be the club’s top scorer indicates where their main problem lies.
Thurso went into the game with a new-look rearguard with Derrick Shearer and Gary Coghill slotting in beside Kevin Miller.
They will be delighted to mark their collective debut with a clean sheet.
The Vikings had keeper Lee Allan to thank for several impressive one-one-one saves but overall Balintore once again proved largely punchless in the final third.
A swirling wind which blew diagonally across the park was a constant nuisance to both sides and devalued the game as a spectacle.
While most of the early play was in the home half, it was Balintore who fashioned the first two clear chances of the afternoon.
From a Thurso corner, a livewire counter ended with defender Martin Godwin forging upfield and delivering a low shot, which Allan was happy to see flash just wide.
After 20 minutes, there was another scare for the visitors after James Skinner
worked his way clear after a sharp move down the right.
He had just Allan in his sights as he took aim and drilled a rising effort which the keeper did well to turn away.
Within 10 minutes, the Vikings finished off a busy spell with Nichol’s opener.
Nigel MacKenzie’s trickery down the right flank saw him skip inside his would-be marker before setting up Nichol just inside the left corner of the penalty box.
Keeper Ross Henderson got a hand to the striker’s right-foot drive but that failed to alter its flightpath into the far corner of the net.
Four minutes later, Thurso took a firm grip of the cup-tie when they struck again.
Lee MacDougall was prominent in the build-up though the fickle effect of the wind also played a part in Nigel MacKenzie finding himself in the clear.
He took full advantage as he zig-zagged round Henderson before side-footing into the empty net.
That took the sting out of the match with Thurso passing up two or three half-chances after the break to add to their tally.
MacDougall went the closest when he nearly caught out Henderson with a quickly-taken free-kick.
Balintore, perforce, adopted a more attack-minded formation though they did not create much more in the way of a genuine threat.
Allan again came to his side’s rescue with an impressive double stop midway through the second period.
He first palmed away a stinging effort from James Skinner before recovering to block George Stuart’s follow-up
Thurso manager Duncan Gray was happy with the display after the long enforced lay-off.
He said: “I thought we did alright for our first game back.
“Balintore may not be the side they were a few years ago but you still have to battle to get a result against them.
“It was reasonably comfortable after we got the goals and they didn’t really threaten us that much.”
He is expecting a tough challenge tomorrow when his side travels to play a double header versus Alness United.
As a result of the fixture backlog, the game counts both as a league match and the first round of the Football Times Cup.
Thurso should have much the same squad though defender /midfielder Shaun Forbes is expected to be in the travelling party.
Balintore – Henderson, S. Skinner, Godwin, John Skinner, Calderwood, Davies, James Skinner, Stuart (Smith 70), Thomson, G. Skinner, MacDonald. Sub (unused) – C. McCourt,
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Coghill, N. MacKenzie, Petrie (Foy 80), Sutherland (Inrig 65), J. MacKenzie, Nichol, Bain (Steven 75), MacDougall.
Ref – Mr G. Dalton, Nairn.
The Vikings made a winning return to action on Saturday after enduring a barren month of weather-induced cancellations.
First half goals from Mark Nichol and Nigel MacKenzie booked their place in the last four of the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup.
It completed a hat-trick of successes over the Seaboard Park side, which is some way short of the one which stormed to the MSIS North Caley title two years ago.
They retain a core of quality experienced performers but crucially offer little threat up front, having not replaced a succession of strikers who have moved on.
That Gus MacDonald, who rattled in seven goals in their first five games, can return on Saturday after a near four month lay-off with a broken foot and still be the club’s top scorer indicates where their main problem lies.
Thurso went into the game with a new-look rearguard with Derrick Shearer and Gary Coghill slotting in beside Kevin Miller.
They will be delighted to mark their collective debut with a clean sheet.
The Vikings had keeper Lee Allan to thank for several impressive one-one-one saves but overall Balintore once again proved largely punchless in the final third.
A swirling wind which blew diagonally across the park was a constant nuisance to both sides and devalued the game as a spectacle.
While most of the early play was in the home half, it was Balintore who fashioned the first two clear chances of the afternoon.
From a Thurso corner, a livewire counter ended with defender Martin Godwin forging upfield and delivering a low shot, which Allan was happy to see flash just wide.
After 20 minutes, there was another scare for the visitors after James Skinner
worked his way clear after a sharp move down the right.
He had just Allan in his sights as he took aim and drilled a rising effort which the keeper did well to turn away.
Within 10 minutes, the Vikings finished off a busy spell with Nichol’s opener.
Nigel MacKenzie’s trickery down the right flank saw him skip inside his would-be marker before setting up Nichol just inside the left corner of the penalty box.
Keeper Ross Henderson got a hand to the striker’s right-foot drive but that failed to alter its flightpath into the far corner of the net.
Four minutes later, Thurso took a firm grip of the cup-tie when they struck again.
Lee MacDougall was prominent in the build-up though the fickle effect of the wind also played a part in Nigel MacKenzie finding himself in the clear.
He took full advantage as he zig-zagged round Henderson before side-footing into the empty net.
That took the sting out of the match with Thurso passing up two or three half-chances after the break to add to their tally.
MacDougall went the closest when he nearly caught out Henderson with a quickly-taken free-kick.
Balintore, perforce, adopted a more attack-minded formation though they did not create much more in the way of a genuine threat.
Allan again came to his side’s rescue with an impressive double stop midway through the second period.
He first palmed away a stinging effort from James Skinner before recovering to block George Stuart’s follow-up
Thurso manager Duncan Gray was happy with the display after the long enforced lay-off.
He said: “I thought we did alright for our first game back.
“Balintore may not be the side they were a few years ago but you still have to battle to get a result against them.
“It was reasonably comfortable after we got the goals and they didn’t really threaten us that much.”
He is expecting a tough challenge tomorrow when his side travels to play a double header versus Alness United.
As a result of the fixture backlog, the game counts both as a league match and the first round of the Football Times Cup.
Thurso should have much the same squad though defender /midfielder Shaun Forbes is expected to be in the travelling party.
Balintore – Henderson, S. Skinner, Godwin, John Skinner, Calderwood, Davies, James Skinner, Stuart (Smith 70), Thomson, G. Skinner, MacDonald. Sub (unused) – C. McCourt,
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Coghill, N. MacKenzie, Petrie (Foy 80), Sutherland (Inrig 65), J. MacKenzie, Nichol, Bain (Steven 75), MacDougall.
Ref – Mr G. Dalton, Nairn.