Post by Brian Mackay on Sept 30, 2008 21:11:12 GMT -5
Bunillidh Thistle 0 Thurso 0 - report by Iain Grant
Thurso’s goal famine continued in Helmsdale on Saturday as the Vikings racked up their third successive draw.
Once again, chances were spurned as they chalked up the sorry statistic of having scored just twice in open play from their opening six matches.
Skipper Willie Inrig’s hat-trick of penalties could see him ensconced as top scorer for some time unless his side somehow break their dismal record in front of goal.
Credit should also go to Bunillidh for a resolute display which but for their own lack of a killer touch in front of goal in the dying minutes could have seen them net all three points.
Home manager Willie Cowie has brought together a side which boasts considerably more Golspie-based players than play for Golspie Sutherland.
Ian Innes and Blair Duncan are among the influx of eight former Sutherland players now plying their trade for Bunillidh.
Gary MacGregor, who plays for Wick Groats in the summer league, has been another useful addition.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid reckons it was another game where sloppy finishing failed to get his side the win which he believed they deserved on the run of the game.
Murray Coghill, who was deployed up front with Lee MacDougall, had the clearest opening of the game in the first half when he failed from two yards.
MacDougall was regularly posing problems for the Bunillidh defence with a string of well-measured deliveries from corners, free-kicks and open play.
But promising lead-ups regularly fizzled out due to the lack of a predatory striker.
After the break, Coghill broke in from the right flank and shot narrowly past Alan Bokas’s far post when a pass to the unmarked Andrew Cumming may have been a better bet.
Fifteen minutes from time, sub James Murray was put in the clear 15 yards out but he screwed his finish wide of Bokas and the target.
Bunillidh’s threat was limited to a few half-chances until the last five minutes when they had two clear chances to win the game.
Liam Urquhart worked space for himself before squaring to Calum Mackay whose well-struck shot was clawed behind by Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair.
Then, Mark Sheppard disposed Thurso defender Derrick Shearer to bear in on goal.
The Wick defender got caught in two minds and produced neither a shot nor a cross which was scrambled clear by a relieved Thurso defence.
Manager Cowie said afterwards: “I thought a draw was a pretty fair result.
“Thurso perhaps had the better of the chance but we could easily have won it had we converted one of the 2-on-1s we had at the end.”
His counterpart is working on how to solve the problems his side has in the goal-scoring department.
“It’s a confidence thing and the longer it goes on, the more the pressure builds up,” said Reid.
“Overall, I’d be more worried if weren’t creating the chances.
“We’re certainly making them but we just can’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
The problems continue to mount with Murray – one of the few forwards in the squad – almost certainly ruled out of tomorrow’s cup encounter with Golspie.
Wick Thistle striker Tony Miller had a run-out towards the end of Saturday’s game and could get more of a chance tomorrow.
Midfielder Michael Petrie is available again after returning from holiday and Reid is hoping Orcadian Wayne Monkman – unable to make it last Saturday – will be in tomorrow’s squad.
Tomorrow’s Port Services Cup quarter-final kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Bunillidh Thistle – Bokas, C. Mackay, M. Sheppard, Denoon, J. Sutherland, MacGregor, Innes, M. Sutherland, Duncan, Gordon, Urquhart. Subs (used) – Larnach, D. Sheppard and MacDonald. Unused – W. Mackay.
Thurso – A. Sinclair, Stewart (A. Bremner 80), Shearer, Steven, Forbes, Cook (Murray 75), Inrig, Bremner, Cumming, Coghill (Miller 84), MacDougall. Sub (unused) – S. Sinclair.
Ref – Mr G. Elder.
Thurso’s goal famine continued in Helmsdale on Saturday as the Vikings racked up their third successive draw.
Once again, chances were spurned as they chalked up the sorry statistic of having scored just twice in open play from their opening six matches.
Skipper Willie Inrig’s hat-trick of penalties could see him ensconced as top scorer for some time unless his side somehow break their dismal record in front of goal.
Credit should also go to Bunillidh for a resolute display which but for their own lack of a killer touch in front of goal in the dying minutes could have seen them net all three points.
Home manager Willie Cowie has brought together a side which boasts considerably more Golspie-based players than play for Golspie Sutherland.
Ian Innes and Blair Duncan are among the influx of eight former Sutherland players now plying their trade for Bunillidh.
Gary MacGregor, who plays for Wick Groats in the summer league, has been another useful addition.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid reckons it was another game where sloppy finishing failed to get his side the win which he believed they deserved on the run of the game.
Murray Coghill, who was deployed up front with Lee MacDougall, had the clearest opening of the game in the first half when he failed from two yards.
MacDougall was regularly posing problems for the Bunillidh defence with a string of well-measured deliveries from corners, free-kicks and open play.
But promising lead-ups regularly fizzled out due to the lack of a predatory striker.
After the break, Coghill broke in from the right flank and shot narrowly past Alan Bokas’s far post when a pass to the unmarked Andrew Cumming may have been a better bet.
Fifteen minutes from time, sub James Murray was put in the clear 15 yards out but he screwed his finish wide of Bokas and the target.
Bunillidh’s threat was limited to a few half-chances until the last five minutes when they had two clear chances to win the game.
Liam Urquhart worked space for himself before squaring to Calum Mackay whose well-struck shot was clawed behind by Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair.
Then, Mark Sheppard disposed Thurso defender Derrick Shearer to bear in on goal.
The Wick defender got caught in two minds and produced neither a shot nor a cross which was scrambled clear by a relieved Thurso defence.
Manager Cowie said afterwards: “I thought a draw was a pretty fair result.
“Thurso perhaps had the better of the chance but we could easily have won it had we converted one of the 2-on-1s we had at the end.”
His counterpart is working on how to solve the problems his side has in the goal-scoring department.
“It’s a confidence thing and the longer it goes on, the more the pressure builds up,” said Reid.
“Overall, I’d be more worried if weren’t creating the chances.
“We’re certainly making them but we just can’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
The problems continue to mount with Murray – one of the few forwards in the squad – almost certainly ruled out of tomorrow’s cup encounter with Golspie.
Wick Thistle striker Tony Miller had a run-out towards the end of Saturday’s game and could get more of a chance tomorrow.
Midfielder Michael Petrie is available again after returning from holiday and Reid is hoping Orcadian Wayne Monkman – unable to make it last Saturday – will be in tomorrow’s squad.
Tomorrow’s Port Services Cup quarter-final kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Bunillidh Thistle – Bokas, C. Mackay, M. Sheppard, Denoon, J. Sutherland, MacGregor, Innes, M. Sutherland, Duncan, Gordon, Urquhart. Subs (used) – Larnach, D. Sheppard and MacDonald. Unused – W. Mackay.
Thurso – A. Sinclair, Stewart (A. Bremner 80), Shearer, Steven, Forbes, Cook (Murray 75), Inrig, Bremner, Cumming, Coghill (Miller 84), MacDougall. Sub (unused) – S. Sinclair.
Ref – Mr G. Elder.