Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 21, 2008 19:02:12 GMT -5
Thurso 4 Alness United 4 (aet Alness won 4-3 on pens) - report by Iain Grant
The town’s legions of stay-at-home football fans missed out on Saturday on a classic cup-tie which had as many twists and turns as a Midsomer Mystery.
After a low-key first half, a complicated plot unravelled in soccer’s equivalent to the duel of the Victorian melodrama.
The penalty shoot-out was as absorbing as most of the match though spot-kick stagefright was to condemn the Vikings to a heartbreaking exit from the Port Services Cup.
Thurso had gone into the semi-final slight favourites to progress against Tommy Regan’s side. He has brought most through the club’s youth ranks and they had made a bright start to the North Caley campaign before back-to-back defeats versus strugglers Bonar Bridge and Tain Thistle.
Thurso, in contrast, had ended a six game winless streak with a cup defeat of Golspie and a solid league success versus Invergordon.
Orcadian Kevin Groundwater made his first start at the heart of defence alongside Murray Coghill while youngster Grant Steven returned to claim a seat on the bench.
A dour, shapeless opening to the game at the Dammies gave no hint of the drama to come.
Alness impressed with some precision passing and links-ups and there were worrying signs early on for the home camp of some indecisive defending.
The first opening on 14 minutes was created by a sloppy back pass from Alness defender Jodi Campbell which was seized on by Wayne Monkman.
From the edge of the box, he was unable to find a way past keeper Grant Anderson who made a fine block before swooping to gather the loose ball.
A minute later, the visitors would have gone ahead had Fraser Sinclair not dragged wide his six yard shot from Dave Manson’s inviting cutback.
Thurso took the lead on 16 minutes after Evan Murray used an arm to intercept a pass just inside the penalty box. The defender was booked before Willie Inrig netted the spot-kick.
Alness were relieved not to concede again when a mix-up on 22 minutes ended with Lee MacDougall wastefully shooting wide from 10 yards with just Anderson in his sights.
A second goal may well have demoralised the Easter Ross fledglings but the Vikings struggled to build up any momentum in an increasingly scrappy affair.
The mediocrity was interrupted on 27 minutes when a well-crafted attack ended with Monkman setting Martin Sinclair homing in on goal. Anderson saved the day for the visitors with a brave intervention. Thurso had to regroup on 40 minutes when Graeme Tait replaced the crocked Derrick Shearer.
A minute later, Alness came close when Craig Munro’s looping free-kick gave the inrushing Campbell and Johnny Bremner a clear view of the unguarded net at the far post. Their full-length lunges left them both inches short of connecting with the delivery.
As in the previous week, a mixture of over-eagerness and poor timing meant too many promising home forays were cut short by offside flags.
After the interval, David Murray had a decent tilt at goal which had home keeper Asa Sinclair willing it to pass his left post.
On 49 minutes, the Vikings should have gone two up when Monkman picked out Lee MacDougall with a pinpoint pass into the heart of the penalty box. Unmarked eight yards out, he fired straight at Anderson. The miss was magnified within five minutes when the visitors found themselves level. It came after the home side were slow to push out after an Alness corner was partially cleared. It allowed Evan Murray the licence to linger on the edge of the six yard box and available to sweep home Stuart Murray’s follow-up cross.
This prompted a lively spell from Thurso with a spate of corners resulting in Groundwater going close with a header and MacDougall hitting the outside of the goal-frame with an acrobatic scissors-kick.
Monkman just failed to get on the end of a defence-splitting ball from Michael Petrie and Sinclair blazed over from good position.
A handling error on the ground by Anderson on 63 minutes almost gave MacDougall an open goal but the keeper recovered to regather.
It was against the run of play that Alness took the lead four minutes later. A surging run by David Murray down the right ended with his centre deflecting off defender Sean Stewart to Sean Robertson who steered the ball past Asa Sinclair.
Monkman went close with a cracking 35 yard free-kick before Thurso’s leveller on 72 minutes. Monkman’s flick released Sinclair who stepped past Willie Stewart before sending an angled shot wide of Anderson.
The Vikings were then indebted to Asa Sinclair’s alertness in dashing out to make a smother at the feet of the industrious Stuart Murray.
The introduction of James Murray provided Alness with a new threat. On 77 minutes, his perseverance helped his side get their noses in front. There seemed little danger as Stewart ushered a hopeful punt forward in his own penalty box towards the bye-line. But Murray’s intervention resulted in a challenge which saw the teenager sprawl to the turf. Ref Graham Elder saw nothing wrong but, after conferring with his assistant Bob Wheatcroft, he pointed to the spot. Inrig stepped forward to calmly convert his eighth penalty of the season.
Thurso’s vulnerability from setpieces was again exposed on 82 minutes when Evan Murray side-footed past the post after again finding him unmarked from a free-kick.
A corner four minutes later ended with Manson’s weak shot from the edge of the area being comfortably cleared of the goal-line by Monkman.
Just as Thurso looked to have held out for the win, they were hit by an injury-time equaliser. Once again, the menace came from a dead-ball with Evan Murray looming unmarked at the far post to convert Stuart Murray’s free-kick.
Three minutes into extra-time, a brainstorm from Asa Sinclair almost cost his side dear.
As he shaped to make a clearance from the ground, he was unaware of Robertson lurking nearby with the forward nipping in to steal possession.
In a messy sequel on the fringe of the penalty box involving a number of players, the keeper balked Robertson before the danger was cleared.
Sinclair was booked before watching bemused as Stewart lashed the follow-up free-kick high into the left corner of the net.
Thurso restored parity with the last play before the extra-time interval. A marvellous tackle by Steven won him possession and his inviting cross ended with Monkman getting in ahead of Anderson to net with a lopping header.
Five minutes from time, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when David Murray’s scything late tackle on James Murray earned him his second booking of the day.
James Murray had the last chance to win the game in normal play when he was put clear but Anderson was alert to the danger and got his angles spot-on to make a fine block.
The nerve-tingling shoot-out began with five successful conversions from Robertson, Johnny Bremner and sub Liam Muir, for Alness; and Coghill and Inrig, for Thurso.
Graeme Tait was the first failure with his weak effort easily pouched. Asa Sinclair’s athletic dive to deny Manson was followed by Murray having his unconvincing effort being held by Anderson.
In tennis parlance, that gave Alness two match points but Stuart Murray continued the sequence of blanks when his effort cannoned back off the crossbar.
Gavin Bremner’s success reduced the contest to a sudden-death decider.
Evan Murray tucked his penalty away but MacDougall’s was too close to Anderson who was able to parry it to safety.
The turn of events stunned Vikings manager Stevie Reid who believed his side may have under-estimated the opposition.
“They are a good, young team but we should have ended up on top,” he said. “I was very disappointed with the way we defended. “We lost some really poor goals through a lack of communication. “That is something we’re going to have to sort out.”
Changes may be enforced for tomorrow’s home match versus Tain Thistle with Groundwater and Shearer struggling with ankle injury.
Youngster Grant Steven is set to regain a starting berth and Stuart Sinclair is also available while Shaun Forbes may also rejoin the squad. The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 3 p.m.
Thurso – A. Sinclair, Stewart, Shearer, (Tait 40), Groundwater (Steven 73), Coghill, Inrig, Petrie, Bremner, M. Sinclair (Murray 75), Monkman, MacDougall. Subs (unused) – S. Sinclair and Cumming.
Alness – Anderson, Campbell, Bremner, Stewart, E. Murray, Sinclair (Muir 113), Munro (Graham 72), D. Murray, Robertson, S. Murray, Manson. Sub (unused) – Miller.
Ref – Mr G. Elder.
The town’s legions of stay-at-home football fans missed out on Saturday on a classic cup-tie which had as many twists and turns as a Midsomer Mystery.
After a low-key first half, a complicated plot unravelled in soccer’s equivalent to the duel of the Victorian melodrama.
The penalty shoot-out was as absorbing as most of the match though spot-kick stagefright was to condemn the Vikings to a heartbreaking exit from the Port Services Cup.
Thurso had gone into the semi-final slight favourites to progress against Tommy Regan’s side. He has brought most through the club’s youth ranks and they had made a bright start to the North Caley campaign before back-to-back defeats versus strugglers Bonar Bridge and Tain Thistle.
Thurso, in contrast, had ended a six game winless streak with a cup defeat of Golspie and a solid league success versus Invergordon.
Orcadian Kevin Groundwater made his first start at the heart of defence alongside Murray Coghill while youngster Grant Steven returned to claim a seat on the bench.
A dour, shapeless opening to the game at the Dammies gave no hint of the drama to come.
Alness impressed with some precision passing and links-ups and there were worrying signs early on for the home camp of some indecisive defending.
The first opening on 14 minutes was created by a sloppy back pass from Alness defender Jodi Campbell which was seized on by Wayne Monkman.
From the edge of the box, he was unable to find a way past keeper Grant Anderson who made a fine block before swooping to gather the loose ball.
A minute later, the visitors would have gone ahead had Fraser Sinclair not dragged wide his six yard shot from Dave Manson’s inviting cutback.
Thurso took the lead on 16 minutes after Evan Murray used an arm to intercept a pass just inside the penalty box. The defender was booked before Willie Inrig netted the spot-kick.
Alness were relieved not to concede again when a mix-up on 22 minutes ended with Lee MacDougall wastefully shooting wide from 10 yards with just Anderson in his sights.
A second goal may well have demoralised the Easter Ross fledglings but the Vikings struggled to build up any momentum in an increasingly scrappy affair.
The mediocrity was interrupted on 27 minutes when a well-crafted attack ended with Monkman setting Martin Sinclair homing in on goal. Anderson saved the day for the visitors with a brave intervention. Thurso had to regroup on 40 minutes when Graeme Tait replaced the crocked Derrick Shearer.
A minute later, Alness came close when Craig Munro’s looping free-kick gave the inrushing Campbell and Johnny Bremner a clear view of the unguarded net at the far post. Their full-length lunges left them both inches short of connecting with the delivery.
As in the previous week, a mixture of over-eagerness and poor timing meant too many promising home forays were cut short by offside flags.
After the interval, David Murray had a decent tilt at goal which had home keeper Asa Sinclair willing it to pass his left post.
On 49 minutes, the Vikings should have gone two up when Monkman picked out Lee MacDougall with a pinpoint pass into the heart of the penalty box. Unmarked eight yards out, he fired straight at Anderson. The miss was magnified within five minutes when the visitors found themselves level. It came after the home side were slow to push out after an Alness corner was partially cleared. It allowed Evan Murray the licence to linger on the edge of the six yard box and available to sweep home Stuart Murray’s follow-up cross.
This prompted a lively spell from Thurso with a spate of corners resulting in Groundwater going close with a header and MacDougall hitting the outside of the goal-frame with an acrobatic scissors-kick.
Monkman just failed to get on the end of a defence-splitting ball from Michael Petrie and Sinclair blazed over from good position.
A handling error on the ground by Anderson on 63 minutes almost gave MacDougall an open goal but the keeper recovered to regather.
It was against the run of play that Alness took the lead four minutes later. A surging run by David Murray down the right ended with his centre deflecting off defender Sean Stewart to Sean Robertson who steered the ball past Asa Sinclair.
Monkman went close with a cracking 35 yard free-kick before Thurso’s leveller on 72 minutes. Monkman’s flick released Sinclair who stepped past Willie Stewart before sending an angled shot wide of Anderson.
The Vikings were then indebted to Asa Sinclair’s alertness in dashing out to make a smother at the feet of the industrious Stuart Murray.
The introduction of James Murray provided Alness with a new threat. On 77 minutes, his perseverance helped his side get their noses in front. There seemed little danger as Stewart ushered a hopeful punt forward in his own penalty box towards the bye-line. But Murray’s intervention resulted in a challenge which saw the teenager sprawl to the turf. Ref Graham Elder saw nothing wrong but, after conferring with his assistant Bob Wheatcroft, he pointed to the spot. Inrig stepped forward to calmly convert his eighth penalty of the season.
Thurso’s vulnerability from setpieces was again exposed on 82 minutes when Evan Murray side-footed past the post after again finding him unmarked from a free-kick.
A corner four minutes later ended with Manson’s weak shot from the edge of the area being comfortably cleared of the goal-line by Monkman.
Just as Thurso looked to have held out for the win, they were hit by an injury-time equaliser. Once again, the menace came from a dead-ball with Evan Murray looming unmarked at the far post to convert Stuart Murray’s free-kick.
Three minutes into extra-time, a brainstorm from Asa Sinclair almost cost his side dear.
As he shaped to make a clearance from the ground, he was unaware of Robertson lurking nearby with the forward nipping in to steal possession.
In a messy sequel on the fringe of the penalty box involving a number of players, the keeper balked Robertson before the danger was cleared.
Sinclair was booked before watching bemused as Stewart lashed the follow-up free-kick high into the left corner of the net.
Thurso restored parity with the last play before the extra-time interval. A marvellous tackle by Steven won him possession and his inviting cross ended with Monkman getting in ahead of Anderson to net with a lopping header.
Five minutes from time, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when David Murray’s scything late tackle on James Murray earned him his second booking of the day.
James Murray had the last chance to win the game in normal play when he was put clear but Anderson was alert to the danger and got his angles spot-on to make a fine block.
The nerve-tingling shoot-out began with five successful conversions from Robertson, Johnny Bremner and sub Liam Muir, for Alness; and Coghill and Inrig, for Thurso.
Graeme Tait was the first failure with his weak effort easily pouched. Asa Sinclair’s athletic dive to deny Manson was followed by Murray having his unconvincing effort being held by Anderson.
In tennis parlance, that gave Alness two match points but Stuart Murray continued the sequence of blanks when his effort cannoned back off the crossbar.
Gavin Bremner’s success reduced the contest to a sudden-death decider.
Evan Murray tucked his penalty away but MacDougall’s was too close to Anderson who was able to parry it to safety.
The turn of events stunned Vikings manager Stevie Reid who believed his side may have under-estimated the opposition.
“They are a good, young team but we should have ended up on top,” he said. “I was very disappointed with the way we defended. “We lost some really poor goals through a lack of communication. “That is something we’re going to have to sort out.”
Changes may be enforced for tomorrow’s home match versus Tain Thistle with Groundwater and Shearer struggling with ankle injury.
Youngster Grant Steven is set to regain a starting berth and Stuart Sinclair is also available while Shaun Forbes may also rejoin the squad. The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 3 p.m.
Thurso – A. Sinclair, Stewart, Shearer, (Tait 40), Groundwater (Steven 73), Coghill, Inrig, Petrie, Bremner, M. Sinclair (Murray 75), Monkman, MacDougall. Subs (unused) – S. Sinclair and Cumming.
Alness – Anderson, Campbell, Bremner, Stewart, E. Murray, Sinclair (Muir 113), Munro (Graham 72), D. Murray, Robertson, S. Murray, Manson. Sub (unused) – Miller.
Ref – Mr G. Elder.