Post by Brian Mackay on Apr 16, 2008 6:55:17 GMT -5
Bonar Bridge 0 Thurso 2 - report by Iain Grant
Thurso got back on the winning groove on Saturday in a North Caledonian League game book-ended by goals from Nigel MacKenzie.
The match was switched to Alness as a result of the unusable state of the Bonar park, which has not seen action this year.
The Vikings went south seeking to avert a third straight loss in a streak which has seen the title race swing decidedly in Golspie’s favour.
Even wins for Thurso in last night’s rescheduled match in Halkirk and tomorrow’s home clash with Muir of Ord Rovers would leave the Sutherland side with the task of harvesting four points in their next two matches versus Bonar and Inverness City to wrap up the title.
Should they do so, their last fixture away to Thurso would not take place. In such circumstances, league organisers have decided that the 1-1 standing of the game between the pair which was abandoned earlier in the season would become live.
The same would apply to Halkirk’s home game with Muir of Ord, which was abandoned the same day with the score locked at 2-2.
On Saturday, Thurso’s lack of an out-and-out striker was clearly exposed as they strived to kill off the challenge of a youthful Bonar side.
Bonar had lost 10-0 the previous week versus Inverness and they must have feared the worst when MacKenzie struck after eight minutes.
After racing in behind the home rearguard, he wrong-footed keeper Steven Martin before side-footing the ball into the empty net.
Thurso, who lined up in an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation, went on to dominate for long spells.
But as long as they failed to score again, Bonar remained in the picture.
The latter were hit early on when their lone striker Andy Maclellan was an early casualty and had to be replaced by Ryan MacLean.
Keeper Martin was at the heart of their resistance as he time and again frustrated the visitors with saves, blocks and interceptions.
Martin Bain and Lee MacDougall both came out the losers in run-ins on goal before the interval.
Bain then lost his bearings when given another clear opening shortly after the turnaround.
Ryan MacLean had a couple of half-chances before Bonar failed to convert a decent opening on the hour-mark when centre-back Kevin Munro shaved the outside of the post with a header from John Dorrian’s corner.
Most of the play continued to be in the Bonar half with a clutch of other chances being passed up by the Vikings before MacKenzie grabbed his second with seven minutes left.
He finished with aplomb after getting on the end of a slick move.
Bonar boss Billy Russell was delighted at how his men had bounced back from the rout of the previous week.
He said: “I thought we gave a really good account and were in the game right up until they got their second.
“We didn’t create a lot but after the previous week, we got a bit of pride back.”
Thurso manager Duncan Gray was happy enough with the win.
“We played some decent football but with the number of chances we created, it should have been more comfortable.
“We struggled to get the second goal to kill off the game.”
Stuart Forbes is back offshore and Gary Coghill is on holiday so both will miss tomorrow’s match versus Muir at the Dammies.
Kevin Warner is in line to start and midfielder Jamie MacKenzie should be back for the game which counts for both the league and the second round of the Football Times Cup. It kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Bonar Bridge -- Martin, MacDonald, G. MacLean, McNab, Munro, Mackay, Dorrian, Dawson, MacRae, Matheson, MacLellan (R. MacLean 10). Sub (unused) – Robertson.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Coghill, Miller, Forbes, Inrig (Warner 55), Petrie Sutherland, MacKenzie, Bain (Munro 75), MacDougall (Ross 75). Sub (unused) – Sinclair.
Ref – Mr M. Dalton. Nairn.
Golspie’s cup commitments have led to them playing their last two league games midweek.
They followed up their 3-1 win at Dornoch with a 3-0 defeat of Balintore on Tuesday evening.
After a cagey opening, top score Andy Keveren fired the visitors ahead who went on to grab two more through Donald Sutherland and Colin MacLean.
On Saturday, Balintore’s Gus MacDonald grabbed a double in his side’s 4-1 away win over Bunillidh Thistle.
NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
GOLSPIE 17 15 1 1 69 19 46
INVERNESS CITY 19 13 2 4 73 31 41
THURSO 17 13 1 3 67 25 40
MUIR OF ORD 17 11 4 2 57 25 37
HALKIRK UNITED 17 10 3 4 54 28 33
BALINTORE 20 8 5 7 44 39 29
INVERGORDON 20 5 4 11 32 57 19
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 19 5 2 12 33 72 17
ALNESS UNITED 19 4 3 12 25 48 15
BONAR BRIDGE 19 3 1 15 22 56 10
DORNOCH 20 2 0 18 18 94 6
Thurso got back on the winning groove on Saturday in a North Caledonian League game book-ended by goals from Nigel MacKenzie.
The match was switched to Alness as a result of the unusable state of the Bonar park, which has not seen action this year.
The Vikings went south seeking to avert a third straight loss in a streak which has seen the title race swing decidedly in Golspie’s favour.
Even wins for Thurso in last night’s rescheduled match in Halkirk and tomorrow’s home clash with Muir of Ord Rovers would leave the Sutherland side with the task of harvesting four points in their next two matches versus Bonar and Inverness City to wrap up the title.
Should they do so, their last fixture away to Thurso would not take place. In such circumstances, league organisers have decided that the 1-1 standing of the game between the pair which was abandoned earlier in the season would become live.
The same would apply to Halkirk’s home game with Muir of Ord, which was abandoned the same day with the score locked at 2-2.
On Saturday, Thurso’s lack of an out-and-out striker was clearly exposed as they strived to kill off the challenge of a youthful Bonar side.
Bonar had lost 10-0 the previous week versus Inverness and they must have feared the worst when MacKenzie struck after eight minutes.
After racing in behind the home rearguard, he wrong-footed keeper Steven Martin before side-footing the ball into the empty net.
Thurso, who lined up in an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation, went on to dominate for long spells.
But as long as they failed to score again, Bonar remained in the picture.
The latter were hit early on when their lone striker Andy Maclellan was an early casualty and had to be replaced by Ryan MacLean.
Keeper Martin was at the heart of their resistance as he time and again frustrated the visitors with saves, blocks and interceptions.
Martin Bain and Lee MacDougall both came out the losers in run-ins on goal before the interval.
Bain then lost his bearings when given another clear opening shortly after the turnaround.
Ryan MacLean had a couple of half-chances before Bonar failed to convert a decent opening on the hour-mark when centre-back Kevin Munro shaved the outside of the post with a header from John Dorrian’s corner.
Most of the play continued to be in the Bonar half with a clutch of other chances being passed up by the Vikings before MacKenzie grabbed his second with seven minutes left.
He finished with aplomb after getting on the end of a slick move.
Bonar boss Billy Russell was delighted at how his men had bounced back from the rout of the previous week.
He said: “I thought we gave a really good account and were in the game right up until they got their second.
“We didn’t create a lot but after the previous week, we got a bit of pride back.”
Thurso manager Duncan Gray was happy enough with the win.
“We played some decent football but with the number of chances we created, it should have been more comfortable.
“We struggled to get the second goal to kill off the game.”
Stuart Forbes is back offshore and Gary Coghill is on holiday so both will miss tomorrow’s match versus Muir at the Dammies.
Kevin Warner is in line to start and midfielder Jamie MacKenzie should be back for the game which counts for both the league and the second round of the Football Times Cup. It kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Bonar Bridge -- Martin, MacDonald, G. MacLean, McNab, Munro, Mackay, Dorrian, Dawson, MacRae, Matheson, MacLellan (R. MacLean 10). Sub (unused) – Robertson.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Coghill, Miller, Forbes, Inrig (Warner 55), Petrie Sutherland, MacKenzie, Bain (Munro 75), MacDougall (Ross 75). Sub (unused) – Sinclair.
Ref – Mr M. Dalton. Nairn.
Golspie’s cup commitments have led to them playing their last two league games midweek.
They followed up their 3-1 win at Dornoch with a 3-0 defeat of Balintore on Tuesday evening.
After a cagey opening, top score Andy Keveren fired the visitors ahead who went on to grab two more through Donald Sutherland and Colin MacLean.
On Saturday, Balintore’s Gus MacDonald grabbed a double in his side’s 4-1 away win over Bunillidh Thistle.
NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
GOLSPIE 17 15 1 1 69 19 46
INVERNESS CITY 19 13 2 4 73 31 41
THURSO 17 13 1 3 67 25 40
MUIR OF ORD 17 11 4 2 57 25 37
HALKIRK UNITED 17 10 3 4 54 28 33
BALINTORE 20 8 5 7 44 39 29
INVERGORDON 20 5 4 11 32 57 19
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 19 5 2 12 33 72 17
ALNESS UNITED 19 4 3 12 25 48 15
BONAR BRIDGE 19 3 1 15 22 56 10
DORNOCH 20 2 0 18 18 94 6