Post by Brian Mackay on Feb 28, 2008 5:05:42 GMT -5
Golspie 4 Thurso 0 - report from Iain Grant
Saturday’s comprehensive defeat leaves the Vikings very little scope to drop further points in the MSIS North Caley league run-in if they are to stay in the hunt for the title.
Their fate still lies within their own hands as their remaining matches include a return with Golspie and meets with three of the other top five.
But they will have to improve markedly on Saturday’s lacklustre display which in the meantime tilts the odds in Golspie’s favour as they set out to use their games in hand to overhaul long-time leaders Inverness City.
Having had just two prior outings this year and being out of action the previous Saturday because of yet another frozen pitch was hardly the best preparation for a clash with Golspie.
Adding to the pain of a four goal defeat were injuries sustained by Nigel MacKenzie and Michael Petrie, which could see them each sidelined for at least a game.
Thurso lined up with a new-look back four, in which skipper Kevin Miller was joined by Derrick Shearer, Chris Foy and Ross Sutherland.
Not through design, it was not the best day to have to bed in the new formation.
They had a relatively comfortable introduction as chances for either side were thin on the ground throughout the first half.
The best scoring opportunities created by the Vikings were free-kicks on the edge of the penalty box.
All the efforts by Mark Nichol, Lee MacDougall and Nigel MacKenzie failed to cause many problems for keeper Neil Mackay.
The deadlock was broken a minute before the interval when Andy Keveren broke clear into the box and was taken down as he sought to round keeper Lee Allan.
Allan escaped punishment, other than being beaten by the spot-kick dispatched by John Mackay.
The defining moment of the game came 14 minutes into a second half which the visitors had begun brightly.
Sub Grant Budge got in behind the outfield defence and looked set to register a debut goal when Neil Mackay got down to pull off a brave block at the striker’s feet.
Within a minute, Golspie worked a sharp move up the right flank which was finished off by David Gray.
Keveren made it 3-0 five minutes later as Golspie got a vice-like grip on the game.
They missed further chances to score before and after Michael Turner completed the scoring when he sprung the would-be offside trap to slip the bal past Allan on 74 minutes.
Thurso manager Duncan Gray had no complaints about the result.
“We weren’t really at the races,” he observed.
“We never settled or caught up with the pace of the game.
“They missed a few chances and we were perhaps lucky not to lose by more.”
He said it is now up to the players to get the performance and the result out of the system and relaunch their title bid.
Tomorrow, both Nigel MacKenzie and Petrie are major injury doubts for the league match away to Bonar Bridge.
Jamie Mackenzie also faces a test on a back complaint though Shaun Forbes should be available.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Foy, Sutherland (Inrig 60), N. MacKenzie (Budge 43), Petrie, J. MacKenzie, Nichol, Bain, MacDougall (Davidson 65). Sub (unused) – Holmes.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
INVERNESS CITY 18 13 2 3 72 29 41
GOLSPIE 13 11 1 1 53 15 34
THURSO 13 10 1 2 60 21 31
MUIR OF ORD 14 9 3 2 51 22 30
HALKIRK UNITED 14 8 3 3 42 25 27
BALINTORE 16 6 4 6 31 31 22
INVERGORDON 19 5 4 10 29 52 19
ALNESS UNITED 16 4 2 10 23 39 14
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 15 4 2 9 26 62 14
BONAR BRIDGE 15 2 0 13 14 46 6
DORNOCH 17 2 0 15 15 74 6
Saturday’s comprehensive defeat leaves the Vikings very little scope to drop further points in the MSIS North Caley league run-in if they are to stay in the hunt for the title.
Their fate still lies within their own hands as their remaining matches include a return with Golspie and meets with three of the other top five.
But they will have to improve markedly on Saturday’s lacklustre display which in the meantime tilts the odds in Golspie’s favour as they set out to use their games in hand to overhaul long-time leaders Inverness City.
Having had just two prior outings this year and being out of action the previous Saturday because of yet another frozen pitch was hardly the best preparation for a clash with Golspie.
Adding to the pain of a four goal defeat were injuries sustained by Nigel MacKenzie and Michael Petrie, which could see them each sidelined for at least a game.
Thurso lined up with a new-look back four, in which skipper Kevin Miller was joined by Derrick Shearer, Chris Foy and Ross Sutherland.
Not through design, it was not the best day to have to bed in the new formation.
They had a relatively comfortable introduction as chances for either side were thin on the ground throughout the first half.
The best scoring opportunities created by the Vikings were free-kicks on the edge of the penalty box.
All the efforts by Mark Nichol, Lee MacDougall and Nigel MacKenzie failed to cause many problems for keeper Neil Mackay.
The deadlock was broken a minute before the interval when Andy Keveren broke clear into the box and was taken down as he sought to round keeper Lee Allan.
Allan escaped punishment, other than being beaten by the spot-kick dispatched by John Mackay.
The defining moment of the game came 14 minutes into a second half which the visitors had begun brightly.
Sub Grant Budge got in behind the outfield defence and looked set to register a debut goal when Neil Mackay got down to pull off a brave block at the striker’s feet.
Within a minute, Golspie worked a sharp move up the right flank which was finished off by David Gray.
Keveren made it 3-0 five minutes later as Golspie got a vice-like grip on the game.
They missed further chances to score before and after Michael Turner completed the scoring when he sprung the would-be offside trap to slip the bal past Allan on 74 minutes.
Thurso manager Duncan Gray had no complaints about the result.
“We weren’t really at the races,” he observed.
“We never settled or caught up with the pace of the game.
“They missed a few chances and we were perhaps lucky not to lose by more.”
He said it is now up to the players to get the performance and the result out of the system and relaunch their title bid.
Tomorrow, both Nigel MacKenzie and Petrie are major injury doubts for the league match away to Bonar Bridge.
Jamie Mackenzie also faces a test on a back complaint though Shaun Forbes should be available.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Foy, Sutherland (Inrig 60), N. MacKenzie (Budge 43), Petrie, J. MacKenzie, Nichol, Bain, MacDougall (Davidson 65). Sub (unused) – Holmes.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
INVERNESS CITY 18 13 2 3 72 29 41
GOLSPIE 13 11 1 1 53 15 34
THURSO 13 10 1 2 60 21 31
MUIR OF ORD 14 9 3 2 51 22 30
HALKIRK UNITED 14 8 3 3 42 25 27
BALINTORE 16 6 4 6 31 31 22
INVERGORDON 19 5 4 10 29 52 19
ALNESS UNITED 16 4 2 10 23 39 14
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 15 4 2 9 26 62 14
BONAR BRIDGE 15 2 0 13 14 46 6
DORNOCH 17 2 0 15 15 74 6