Post by Brian Mackay on Sept 5, 2008 18:51:04 GMT -5
Thurso 0 Golspie 6 - report by Iain Grant
Golspie look in good shape to defend the MSIS North Caley League title they won last season.
Their squad, drawn largely from Inverness and Easter Ross, will take a bit of stopping, judging by their early season form.
Having drawn encouragement from three cup clashes with Highland League sides, they brushed aside the challenge of a sub-par Thurso side in Castletown on Saturday.
The Sutherland side are already three points better off than they were last term when they lost their opening fixture 5-2 at home to Halkirk United.
That was to prove the only reverse in their cruise to the championship.
Few would bet serious money against Golspie repeating that success if they retain the services of their current performers.
On Saturday, they could afford to be without several key men and still win with a good deal to spare.
The chastening defeat – the biggest in the Vikings’ 10 year history – leaves them rooted at the bottom of the league, albeit with just two games played.
Golspie took time to settle in and had threatened only intermittently before their opening goal after 28 minutes.
The gulf between the sides widened after the breakthrough with the visitors sharper and slicker in the way they went about their business.
The first of two penalties made it 2-0 before the interval.
A third soon after the resumption reduced Thurso’s sights to damage prevention, which came unstuck as they shipped three further goals in the closing third.
Much of the damage was done by Golspie’s wide men Aaron Smith and Shane Sutherland, both classic tanner-ball wingers who were both very much on song.
But the midfield promptings of Michael Sanderson and Tommy Campbell were every bit as influential, as was a rock-solid defence marshalled by Stuart Thomson.
The centre-back enjoyed licence to roam so much that he ended the day with a hat-trick after converting the second penalty.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid’s bid to replace key personnel who have left continues.
On Saturday, his players regularly came out second in 50/50 challenges while the manager was exasperated by their unacceptably high unforced error count.
Too many Golspie attacks were sparked by misplaced passes from the opposition.
The Vikings rarely posed a goal menace with visiting keeper Angus Hutchison called on to make just one save all afternoon.
Thurso lined up with re-signed Gavin Bremner and debutant Andrew Bremner joining tyro Grant Steven in a back three and midfielder Alan Davis coming off the bench to make his first appearance. Lee Allan meanwhile returned in goal.
On a sunny, still day, Golspie should have gone ahead within five minutes had Shane Sutherland’s composure in front of goal not let him down.
He skied high over after being set up with a glorious chance on the edge of the six yard box.
Shane Sutherland did better with a surprise shot-on-the-turn which Allan did well to parry.
Thurso were rarely out of their own half but cam close to taking the lead on 23 minutes with one of their rare forays.
Martin Bain’s centre had Murray Coghill stretching to get a touch eight yards out.
He failed to connect but Stuart Thomson’s attempted clearance hit Coghill and sent the ball bobbling less than a yard wide of the far post.
Golspie had been getting plenty of joy down the left flank and it was the source of their opening goal.
John Mackay’s cute flick released Smith and his pull-back from the bye-line was bulleted into the net by Michael Dunnett.
Two minutes later, another multi-pass move climaxed with Smith and Sanderson combining for what would have led to a second goal had Allan not raced out to beat Mackay to the through-ball.
A rare Thurso raid on 32 minutes ended with referee Graham John turning a deaf ear to a penalty shout after Des MacLeod went down under the challenge of Stuart Thomson.
Two minutes later, Thurso conceded an avoidable goal in the aftermath to a corner.
Neither Allan nor any of his team-mates took responsibility for the high, inswinging delivery.
After a couple of deflections, it fell to Stuart Thomson who netted with a firm header into the roof of the net.
Soon after, Thurso almost got one back when good work from central midfielder Michael Petrie created the space for Martyn Cook whose angled attempt from 25 yards fizzed just over.
The Vikings’ decent end to the half continued with Petrie’s quickly taken free-kick being touched on by MacLeod to Bain who pulled his shot wide.
A minute into the second half Petrie was cautioned for a late tackle on Adam Sutherland, adding to MacLeod’s earlier booking for dissent.
As a result of the heat, both teams toiled to maintain the high tempo of the game and the second period featured a clutch of dead spells.
The enveloping malaise was encouraged when Golspie drew further ahead from the penalty spot.
After Shane Sutherland skipped his way past Andrew Bremner on the junction of the 18 yard line and the bye-line, the big defender’s trip on his opponent had only one outcome.
Mackay placed the spot-kick to the left of Allan as the keeper dived to his right.
Thurso’s first real attack after the interval was instigated by Steven whose rampaging run from just inside the Golspie half was ended by a last-ditch block-tackle deep in the opposition penalty box.
Murray Coghill became the third Thurso man booked for a rash tackle on Smith on the hour-mark.
That preceded one of Thurso’s few purposeful attacks when Willie Inrig picked out Davis’s diagonal run into the goalmouth.
Davis took a touch before releasing a shot which Hutchison saved with his feet.
MacLeod then had a netbound effort blocked by Stuart Thomson before Golspie added to their tally on 66 minutes.
There appeared no obvious danger when Smith chased Shane Sutherland’s through-ball.
The diminutive winger looked to have run out of pitch but he somehow scooped the ball from the shadow of the bye-line inside Allan’s near post and into the net.
Thurso fought hard to get something out of the game with a flashing header from Davis which grazed the top of the bar the pick of three half-chances.
Back came Golspie and Thurso relied on Allan’s sharp reflexes to prevent sub Stuart Sutherland converting at the back post with 20 minutes left.
Allan staged an action replay to deny Shane Sutherland a minute later.
The keeper was however out the equation again when a corner was not properly cleared and Stuart Thomson was on hand to stab the ball home from close range.
The big centre half’s dream day was completed on 87 minutes when the home side conceded a second penalty for hand-ball against Steven.
Stuart Thomson’s measured side-foot completed his unlikely hat-trick.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, A. Bremner (David 55), G. Steven, G. Bremner, Inrig, Bain (Taylor 78), Petrie (G. Coghill 73), MacLeod, Cook. M. Coghill. Sub (unused) – Cumming.
Golspie -- Hutchison, A. Sutherland (Murray 68), R. Thomson, MacBean, S. Thomson, Sanderson, Smith, Campbell, Mackay (Stuart Sutherland 78), Dunnett (Davidson 78), Shane Sutherland.
Ref – Mr G. John.
Golspie look in good shape to defend the MSIS North Caley League title they won last season.
Their squad, drawn largely from Inverness and Easter Ross, will take a bit of stopping, judging by their early season form.
Having drawn encouragement from three cup clashes with Highland League sides, they brushed aside the challenge of a sub-par Thurso side in Castletown on Saturday.
The Sutherland side are already three points better off than they were last term when they lost their opening fixture 5-2 at home to Halkirk United.
That was to prove the only reverse in their cruise to the championship.
Few would bet serious money against Golspie repeating that success if they retain the services of their current performers.
On Saturday, they could afford to be without several key men and still win with a good deal to spare.
The chastening defeat – the biggest in the Vikings’ 10 year history – leaves them rooted at the bottom of the league, albeit with just two games played.
Golspie took time to settle in and had threatened only intermittently before their opening goal after 28 minutes.
The gulf between the sides widened after the breakthrough with the visitors sharper and slicker in the way they went about their business.
The first of two penalties made it 2-0 before the interval.
A third soon after the resumption reduced Thurso’s sights to damage prevention, which came unstuck as they shipped three further goals in the closing third.
Much of the damage was done by Golspie’s wide men Aaron Smith and Shane Sutherland, both classic tanner-ball wingers who were both very much on song.
But the midfield promptings of Michael Sanderson and Tommy Campbell were every bit as influential, as was a rock-solid defence marshalled by Stuart Thomson.
The centre-back enjoyed licence to roam so much that he ended the day with a hat-trick after converting the second penalty.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid’s bid to replace key personnel who have left continues.
On Saturday, his players regularly came out second in 50/50 challenges while the manager was exasperated by their unacceptably high unforced error count.
Too many Golspie attacks were sparked by misplaced passes from the opposition.
The Vikings rarely posed a goal menace with visiting keeper Angus Hutchison called on to make just one save all afternoon.
Thurso lined up with re-signed Gavin Bremner and debutant Andrew Bremner joining tyro Grant Steven in a back three and midfielder Alan Davis coming off the bench to make his first appearance. Lee Allan meanwhile returned in goal.
On a sunny, still day, Golspie should have gone ahead within five minutes had Shane Sutherland’s composure in front of goal not let him down.
He skied high over after being set up with a glorious chance on the edge of the six yard box.
Shane Sutherland did better with a surprise shot-on-the-turn which Allan did well to parry.
Thurso were rarely out of their own half but cam close to taking the lead on 23 minutes with one of their rare forays.
Martin Bain’s centre had Murray Coghill stretching to get a touch eight yards out.
He failed to connect but Stuart Thomson’s attempted clearance hit Coghill and sent the ball bobbling less than a yard wide of the far post.
Golspie had been getting plenty of joy down the left flank and it was the source of their opening goal.
John Mackay’s cute flick released Smith and his pull-back from the bye-line was bulleted into the net by Michael Dunnett.
Two minutes later, another multi-pass move climaxed with Smith and Sanderson combining for what would have led to a second goal had Allan not raced out to beat Mackay to the through-ball.
A rare Thurso raid on 32 minutes ended with referee Graham John turning a deaf ear to a penalty shout after Des MacLeod went down under the challenge of Stuart Thomson.
Two minutes later, Thurso conceded an avoidable goal in the aftermath to a corner.
Neither Allan nor any of his team-mates took responsibility for the high, inswinging delivery.
After a couple of deflections, it fell to Stuart Thomson who netted with a firm header into the roof of the net.
Soon after, Thurso almost got one back when good work from central midfielder Michael Petrie created the space for Martyn Cook whose angled attempt from 25 yards fizzed just over.
The Vikings’ decent end to the half continued with Petrie’s quickly taken free-kick being touched on by MacLeod to Bain who pulled his shot wide.
A minute into the second half Petrie was cautioned for a late tackle on Adam Sutherland, adding to MacLeod’s earlier booking for dissent.
As a result of the heat, both teams toiled to maintain the high tempo of the game and the second period featured a clutch of dead spells.
The enveloping malaise was encouraged when Golspie drew further ahead from the penalty spot.
After Shane Sutherland skipped his way past Andrew Bremner on the junction of the 18 yard line and the bye-line, the big defender’s trip on his opponent had only one outcome.
Mackay placed the spot-kick to the left of Allan as the keeper dived to his right.
Thurso’s first real attack after the interval was instigated by Steven whose rampaging run from just inside the Golspie half was ended by a last-ditch block-tackle deep in the opposition penalty box.
Murray Coghill became the third Thurso man booked for a rash tackle on Smith on the hour-mark.
That preceded one of Thurso’s few purposeful attacks when Willie Inrig picked out Davis’s diagonal run into the goalmouth.
Davis took a touch before releasing a shot which Hutchison saved with his feet.
MacLeod then had a netbound effort blocked by Stuart Thomson before Golspie added to their tally on 66 minutes.
There appeared no obvious danger when Smith chased Shane Sutherland’s through-ball.
The diminutive winger looked to have run out of pitch but he somehow scooped the ball from the shadow of the bye-line inside Allan’s near post and into the net.
Thurso fought hard to get something out of the game with a flashing header from Davis which grazed the top of the bar the pick of three half-chances.
Back came Golspie and Thurso relied on Allan’s sharp reflexes to prevent sub Stuart Sutherland converting at the back post with 20 minutes left.
Allan staged an action replay to deny Shane Sutherland a minute later.
The keeper was however out the equation again when a corner was not properly cleared and Stuart Thomson was on hand to stab the ball home from close range.
The big centre half’s dream day was completed on 87 minutes when the home side conceded a second penalty for hand-ball against Steven.
Stuart Thomson’s measured side-foot completed his unlikely hat-trick.
Thurso – Allan, Shearer, A. Bremner (David 55), G. Steven, G. Bremner, Inrig, Bain (Taylor 78), Petrie (G. Coghill 73), MacLeod, Cook. M. Coghill. Sub (unused) – Cumming.
Golspie -- Hutchison, A. Sutherland (Murray 68), R. Thomson, MacBean, S. Thomson, Sanderson, Smith, Campbell, Mackay (Stuart Sutherland 78), Dunnett (Davidson 78), Shane Sutherland.
Ref – Mr G. John.