Post by Brian Mackay on Apr 22, 2008 15:43:52 GMT -5
Halkirk United 3 Thurso 1 - report by Iain Grant
United put one over their MSIS North Caledonian neighbours to complete their home campaign on a high.
Well-taken goals from Chris Sutherland and Colin Sinclair in a first half dominated by the home side laid the basis for a result which effectively closed the door on the Vikings’ title challenge.
Chris Sutherland’s late counter took the sting out of the game after Ross Sutherland’s strike soon after the turnaround had given renewed hope to Thurso.
The normally charged atmosphere for the derby was missing given that the match was rescheduled to last Thursday evening towards the end of a weather-disrupted season.
The congestion, aggravated by the start of the Caithness summer season, particularly hit Thurso.
Seven of their starting line-up were playing their third match in five days, including fixtures with their county league clubs the previous evening.
They certainly had a jaded look to them in the opening 45 minutes which Halkirk dominated from the off.
Within the opening 10 minutes, visiting keeper Lee Allan was tested by snap-shots from Gavin Henderson and Chris Sutherland.
Thurso’s first attempt came on 14 minutes when Martin Bain whizzed past Alan Farquhar before sending a shot which came back off the legs of keeper Asa Sinclair.
Allan was then fully stretched to get to Lee Elder’s free-kick with Chris Sutherland sending the rebound against the face of the crossbar.
United went in front on 25 minutes when Henderson set Elder free with his cross eliciting the merest of touches from Chris Sutherland.
Bain was at the heart of the few decent attacks his side managed to conceive before the interval.
A spanking shot from him on 34 minutes produced a decent stop from Asa Sinclair.
On 37 minutes, the home side’s lead was doubled when Elder drove down the left flank and had his cutback met by a cleanly struck 25 yarder from Colin Sinclair.
Sandy Sutherland had a great chance to kill off the contest seven minutes from the break but he miskicked from six yards after being set up by Chris Sutherland.
The Vikings shrugged off their lethargy after the turnaround and drew encouragement from a 47th minute breakthrough.
Bain was the instigator as he delivered a diagonal which Ross Sutherland was first to meet and he stabbed the ball home from close range.
United then lived dangerously as the visitors twice struck the woodwork, with Nigel MacKenzie passing up a clear opening.
The home side survived this testing period to finish the game on top.
Henderson failed to exploit a glorious chance when Allan found himself in no man’s land on 74 minutes.
United made it 3-1 with seven minutes left when the hard-working Pher Nicolson worked a crafty one-two with Farquhar before centring to Chris Sutherland who stroked in his 11th goal of the season,
Halkirk – A. Sinclair, C. Sinclair, Munro, Murray, Manson, Farquhar, Henderson, C. Sutherland (Mackay 83), S. Sutherland (MacNab 89), Nicolson, Elder (MacDonald).
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Warner, Bell, Petrie, Sutherland, N. MacKenzie, Bain, J. MacKenzie, MacDougall. Subs – Sinclair, Inrig and Ross.
Ref – Mr D. Anderson.
United put one over their MSIS North Caledonian neighbours to complete their home campaign on a high.
Well-taken goals from Chris Sutherland and Colin Sinclair in a first half dominated by the home side laid the basis for a result which effectively closed the door on the Vikings’ title challenge.
Chris Sutherland’s late counter took the sting out of the game after Ross Sutherland’s strike soon after the turnaround had given renewed hope to Thurso.
The normally charged atmosphere for the derby was missing given that the match was rescheduled to last Thursday evening towards the end of a weather-disrupted season.
The congestion, aggravated by the start of the Caithness summer season, particularly hit Thurso.
Seven of their starting line-up were playing their third match in five days, including fixtures with their county league clubs the previous evening.
They certainly had a jaded look to them in the opening 45 minutes which Halkirk dominated from the off.
Within the opening 10 minutes, visiting keeper Lee Allan was tested by snap-shots from Gavin Henderson and Chris Sutherland.
Thurso’s first attempt came on 14 minutes when Martin Bain whizzed past Alan Farquhar before sending a shot which came back off the legs of keeper Asa Sinclair.
Allan was then fully stretched to get to Lee Elder’s free-kick with Chris Sutherland sending the rebound against the face of the crossbar.
United went in front on 25 minutes when Henderson set Elder free with his cross eliciting the merest of touches from Chris Sutherland.
Bain was at the heart of the few decent attacks his side managed to conceive before the interval.
A spanking shot from him on 34 minutes produced a decent stop from Asa Sinclair.
On 37 minutes, the home side’s lead was doubled when Elder drove down the left flank and had his cutback met by a cleanly struck 25 yarder from Colin Sinclair.
Sandy Sutherland had a great chance to kill off the contest seven minutes from the break but he miskicked from six yards after being set up by Chris Sutherland.
The Vikings shrugged off their lethargy after the turnaround and drew encouragement from a 47th minute breakthrough.
Bain was the instigator as he delivered a diagonal which Ross Sutherland was first to meet and he stabbed the ball home from close range.
United then lived dangerously as the visitors twice struck the woodwork, with Nigel MacKenzie passing up a clear opening.
The home side survived this testing period to finish the game on top.
Henderson failed to exploit a glorious chance when Allan found himself in no man’s land on 74 minutes.
United made it 3-1 with seven minutes left when the hard-working Pher Nicolson worked a crafty one-two with Farquhar before centring to Chris Sutherland who stroked in his 11th goal of the season,
Halkirk – A. Sinclair, C. Sinclair, Munro, Murray, Manson, Farquhar, Henderson, C. Sutherland (Mackay 83), S. Sutherland (MacNab 89), Nicolson, Elder (MacDonald).
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, Miller, Warner, Bell, Petrie, Sutherland, N. MacKenzie, Bain, J. MacKenzie, MacDougall. Subs – Sinclair, Inrig and Ross.
Ref – Mr D. Anderson.