Post by Brian Mackay on Mar 12, 2008 11:57:14 GMT -5
Thurso 2 Inverness City 1 - report by Iain Grant
A last-ditch save by home keeper Lee Allan allowed the Vikings to take all three points from this vital MSIS North Caley League tussle at the Dammies.
A draw would have probably scuppered both sides’ aspirations of claiming the title, which is developing into a straight fight between Golspie and Thurso.
Allan’s dramatic late intervention to thwart Keith Mason followed an incident-packed match in which three players got their marching orders.
Logic was turned on its head after City kicked off the second half with a one goal and two man deficit following red cards shown to Paul Beaton and Graham Stewart.
Far from manning the barricades, they went on to show by far the greater threat in a third quarter when they created more than enough chances to go in front.
The home side dominated before the interval but were found seriously
wanting in their attempts to exploit their numerical advantage.
Mark Nichol’s second goal on 65 minutes restored their lead but, bafflingly, it was only after Kevin Miller’s dismissal shortly afterwards for a second yellow card that the Vikings noticeably improved.
The game went ahead after a morning inspection and a merciful let-up in a prolonged downpour.
Thurso belied their recent lack of active service with a high-tempo start in which their first two raids could easily have produced a breakthrough.
Lee MacDougall’s inviting first minute cross was headed on by Nichol to Nigel MacKenzie whose netbound angled drive was diverted past by David Beaton’s block.
Within a minute, Martin Bain broke clear down the right flank and had his
cutback intercepted by Mark MacLennan who was mightily relieved to see his full-stretch intervention creep a foot past the left upright.
Bain was soon threatening again as an out-of-sorts City struggled to get into the game.
After 11 minutes, MacDougall’s inswinging free-kick fell to the unmarked Nichol on the penalty spot but the striker over-reached and the chance was lost.
MacKenzie was next to try his luck with a fizzing strike from the edge of the box which was again deflected wide off an outfield defender.
The wide man then cut inside his marker and manufactured a 30 yard lob which wrong-footed keeper Michael Kerr and drifted just over the junction of the bar and the right post.
After 21 minutes, one in a series of Thurso corners looked to have hit the jackpot when Michael Petrie beat Kerr with an improvised overhead kick from close in.
City’s goal however remained intact as the ball was bundled off the line.
The first flashpoint came on 27 minutes when Thurso’s Gary Coghill and Paul Beaton contested a high ball.
Coghill won the aerial duel for the ball but was injured in the process and ref Willie Sinclair had no hesitation in red-carding the City man for the rogue use of an elbow.
The subsequent reshuffle left Stuart Pearce as the visitor’s sole frontman.
He gave Allan his first real work of the day after 35 minutes with a looping cross which the keeper did well to take under pressure.
The Vikings took the lead three minutes from the break after an incident which led to City’s second red-carding.
Bain zig-zagged his way into the box where his attempt was parried by Kerr.
The loose ball was seized on by Nichol whose measured would-be finish from six yards produced a follow-up save from Stewart.
Ref Sinclair had no option but to send off the midfielder, who had just returned to the action after treatment for a head knock.
Nichol made no mistake from the spot, netting just inside Kerr’s left post.
The visitors made light of that double whammie as they valiantly sought to
revitalise their faltering title challenge.
After the interval, it looked like the home outfit were the one which was numerically challenged.
They failed to stretch City, instead persisting in one-dimensional attacks which were comfortably repelled.
The visitors were also starting to cause serious problems for the Vikings, particularly down the left side.
Within a minute of the restart, Pearce whipped in a wind-assisted corner which flashed perilously across the face of the goal.
Three minutes later, the same player combined with the lively Gary Miller to
force his way into the penalty box but undid the sparky build-up with a cross which was easily gathered by Allan.
City’s equaliser on 50 minutes followed a horror-show spell of defending.
After several sliced clearances and misplaced passes, Pearce looked to have been baulked by Derrick Shearer in the box.
Ref Sinclair saw nothing amiss in that duel but seconds later he pointed to the spot for Miller’s challenge on Colin Mason.
Miller was booked before Pearce lined up the spot-kick.
Allan guessed the correct way to make a block but Pearce was first to the rebound which he sent high into the net.
At this juncture, bookies would have given short odds on the visitors going on to win.
Their cause was almost undone by an ugly miscue from Kerr on 58 minutes
when City’s last line of defence rushed a clearance wide of his left post.
Petrie was the closest attacker but in his eagerness to profit, he inadvertently
defused the danger when he fouled backtracking defender David Beaton.
After 63 minutes, Allan was almost punished for his only error of the game when he lost an aerial battle as he sought to gather a free-kick pumped into the middle of his area.
Jamie Fraser’s back-header looped over the keeper and crept just wide of the right upright.
Allan did better in his next call to arms when he raced out smartly to make a smother save at the feet of an opponent on the edge of his penalty box.
A busy spell then saw Kerr distinguish himself when he managed to get a hand to a raking effort from MacKenzie.
What proved the winner came from the resultant corner with Nichol rising to
convert MacDougall’s delivery for his 30th goal of the season.
Thurso’s cause was hit four minutes later when skipper Miller was shown a second yellow card following a set-to with an opponent in the City penalty box.
The setback seemed to stiffen the Vikings’ resolve and they looked to be seeing the game out comfortably until a late City resurgence.
Seven minutes from time, Keith Mason sprung the offside trap and was presented with a straight run-in on goal.
After striding into the box, he took aim and dispatched a low shot which would have found the left corner of the net but for a marvellous reaction save from Allan.
Kevin Fraser then had a free-kick scrambled clear before Thurso manufactured the last two chances of the game in its death throes.
Derek Munro set up fellow sub Kyle Ross whose angled shot whistled just wide before MacDougall’s dangerous cross was gathered at the second attempt by Kerr, with Ross waiting to pounce.
City’s crime count was completed by bookings for Pearce and Keith Mason.
A win from this scrappy affair keeps Thurso’s title hopes alive but manager Duncan Gray realises that these will not last long without a marked improvement in their form.
“We got the result we wanted – that is about the only good thing you could day about,” reflected the manager.
“Unless we improve, our challenge will disappear.”
He believed that the game might have taken on a different feel had his side managed to convert one of their early chances.
Tomorrow, they head for Alness for a rescheduled double header in which league points and a place in the second round of the Football Times Cup.
Alness are an unpredictable outfit and will have been heartened by their most recent outing – a 1-1 draw with the strong-going Muir of Ord.
Miller is suspended for the visitors though Ross Sutherland and Willie Steven are expected to return to the squad.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Tait, Coghill, Petrie, MacKenzie, Inrig (Forbes 68), Nichol (Ross 88), Bain (Munro 74), MacDougall .
Inverness – Kerr, D. Beaton, Graham, MacLennan (Mapplebeck 73), J. Fraser (Irvine 89), Stewart, C. Mason, K. Mason, Pearce (K. Fraser 80), Miller, P. Beaton. Subs (unused) – Clark and Murdoch.
Ref – Mr W. Sinclair.
A last-ditch save by home keeper Lee Allan allowed the Vikings to take all three points from this vital MSIS North Caley League tussle at the Dammies.
A draw would have probably scuppered both sides’ aspirations of claiming the title, which is developing into a straight fight between Golspie and Thurso.
Allan’s dramatic late intervention to thwart Keith Mason followed an incident-packed match in which three players got their marching orders.
Logic was turned on its head after City kicked off the second half with a one goal and two man deficit following red cards shown to Paul Beaton and Graham Stewart.
Far from manning the barricades, they went on to show by far the greater threat in a third quarter when they created more than enough chances to go in front.
The home side dominated before the interval but were found seriously
wanting in their attempts to exploit their numerical advantage.
Mark Nichol’s second goal on 65 minutes restored their lead but, bafflingly, it was only after Kevin Miller’s dismissal shortly afterwards for a second yellow card that the Vikings noticeably improved.
The game went ahead after a morning inspection and a merciful let-up in a prolonged downpour.
Thurso belied their recent lack of active service with a high-tempo start in which their first two raids could easily have produced a breakthrough.
Lee MacDougall’s inviting first minute cross was headed on by Nichol to Nigel MacKenzie whose netbound angled drive was diverted past by David Beaton’s block.
Within a minute, Martin Bain broke clear down the right flank and had his
cutback intercepted by Mark MacLennan who was mightily relieved to see his full-stretch intervention creep a foot past the left upright.
Bain was soon threatening again as an out-of-sorts City struggled to get into the game.
After 11 minutes, MacDougall’s inswinging free-kick fell to the unmarked Nichol on the penalty spot but the striker over-reached and the chance was lost.
MacKenzie was next to try his luck with a fizzing strike from the edge of the box which was again deflected wide off an outfield defender.
The wide man then cut inside his marker and manufactured a 30 yard lob which wrong-footed keeper Michael Kerr and drifted just over the junction of the bar and the right post.
After 21 minutes, one in a series of Thurso corners looked to have hit the jackpot when Michael Petrie beat Kerr with an improvised overhead kick from close in.
City’s goal however remained intact as the ball was bundled off the line.
The first flashpoint came on 27 minutes when Thurso’s Gary Coghill and Paul Beaton contested a high ball.
Coghill won the aerial duel for the ball but was injured in the process and ref Willie Sinclair had no hesitation in red-carding the City man for the rogue use of an elbow.
The subsequent reshuffle left Stuart Pearce as the visitor’s sole frontman.
He gave Allan his first real work of the day after 35 minutes with a looping cross which the keeper did well to take under pressure.
The Vikings took the lead three minutes from the break after an incident which led to City’s second red-carding.
Bain zig-zagged his way into the box where his attempt was parried by Kerr.
The loose ball was seized on by Nichol whose measured would-be finish from six yards produced a follow-up save from Stewart.
Ref Sinclair had no option but to send off the midfielder, who had just returned to the action after treatment for a head knock.
Nichol made no mistake from the spot, netting just inside Kerr’s left post.
The visitors made light of that double whammie as they valiantly sought to
revitalise their faltering title challenge.
After the interval, it looked like the home outfit were the one which was numerically challenged.
They failed to stretch City, instead persisting in one-dimensional attacks which were comfortably repelled.
The visitors were also starting to cause serious problems for the Vikings, particularly down the left side.
Within a minute of the restart, Pearce whipped in a wind-assisted corner which flashed perilously across the face of the goal.
Three minutes later, the same player combined with the lively Gary Miller to
force his way into the penalty box but undid the sparky build-up with a cross which was easily gathered by Allan.
City’s equaliser on 50 minutes followed a horror-show spell of defending.
After several sliced clearances and misplaced passes, Pearce looked to have been baulked by Derrick Shearer in the box.
Ref Sinclair saw nothing amiss in that duel but seconds later he pointed to the spot for Miller’s challenge on Colin Mason.
Miller was booked before Pearce lined up the spot-kick.
Allan guessed the correct way to make a block but Pearce was first to the rebound which he sent high into the net.
At this juncture, bookies would have given short odds on the visitors going on to win.
Their cause was almost undone by an ugly miscue from Kerr on 58 minutes
when City’s last line of defence rushed a clearance wide of his left post.
Petrie was the closest attacker but in his eagerness to profit, he inadvertently
defused the danger when he fouled backtracking defender David Beaton.
After 63 minutes, Allan was almost punished for his only error of the game when he lost an aerial battle as he sought to gather a free-kick pumped into the middle of his area.
Jamie Fraser’s back-header looped over the keeper and crept just wide of the right upright.
Allan did better in his next call to arms when he raced out smartly to make a smother save at the feet of an opponent on the edge of his penalty box.
A busy spell then saw Kerr distinguish himself when he managed to get a hand to a raking effort from MacKenzie.
What proved the winner came from the resultant corner with Nichol rising to
convert MacDougall’s delivery for his 30th goal of the season.
Thurso’s cause was hit four minutes later when skipper Miller was shown a second yellow card following a set-to with an opponent in the City penalty box.
The setback seemed to stiffen the Vikings’ resolve and they looked to be seeing the game out comfortably until a late City resurgence.
Seven minutes from time, Keith Mason sprung the offside trap and was presented with a straight run-in on goal.
After striding into the box, he took aim and dispatched a low shot which would have found the left corner of the net but for a marvellous reaction save from Allan.
Kevin Fraser then had a free-kick scrambled clear before Thurso manufactured the last two chances of the game in its death throes.
Derek Munro set up fellow sub Kyle Ross whose angled shot whistled just wide before MacDougall’s dangerous cross was gathered at the second attempt by Kerr, with Ross waiting to pounce.
City’s crime count was completed by bookings for Pearce and Keith Mason.
A win from this scrappy affair keeps Thurso’s title hopes alive but manager Duncan Gray realises that these will not last long without a marked improvement in their form.
“We got the result we wanted – that is about the only good thing you could day about,” reflected the manager.
“Unless we improve, our challenge will disappear.”
He believed that the game might have taken on a different feel had his side managed to convert one of their early chances.
Tomorrow, they head for Alness for a rescheduled double header in which league points and a place in the second round of the Football Times Cup.
Alness are an unpredictable outfit and will have been heartened by their most recent outing – a 1-1 draw with the strong-going Muir of Ord.
Miller is suspended for the visitors though Ross Sutherland and Willie Steven are expected to return to the squad.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Tait, Coghill, Petrie, MacKenzie, Inrig (Forbes 68), Nichol (Ross 88), Bain (Munro 74), MacDougall .
Inverness – Kerr, D. Beaton, Graham, MacLennan (Mapplebeck 73), J. Fraser (Irvine 89), Stewart, C. Mason, K. Mason, Pearce (K. Fraser 80), Miller, P. Beaton. Subs (unused) – Clark and Murdoch.
Ref – Mr W. Sinclair.