Post by Brian Mackay on Feb 28, 2009 15:19:51 GMT -5
MSIS North Caledonian League
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Golspie Sutherland 5 V Thurso 0 - report by Iain Grant
The Vikings were on Saturday powerless to check Golspie’s seemingly unstoppable march to the MSIS North Caley title.
The experienced, street-wise Sutherland side were not stretched in completing a league double over their opponents at King George V Park.
Visiting manager Stevie Reid has no complaints about the outcome, hoping that his largely teenage squad will learn lessons from the outing.
He was unhappy at defensive deficiencies which played a major part in the goals conceded and disappointed by failings to convert several glaring opportunities to open Thurso’s account.
Goals by Michael Sanderson within a minute of the start of both halves put Golspie on easy street and the Vikings firmly on the back foot.
The home side forged in front in 40 seconds after they caught Thurso cold with a quickly taken throw-in.
The move ended with the unmarked Sanderson netting after his initial header was pawed away by visiting keeper Michael Gray.
Golspie manufactured several other decent openings before doubling their lead midway through the first half.
Uncertain defending allowed Tommy Campbell to fire a low shot into the net through a ruck of players.
The visitors should have got one back minutes later when Martin Sinclair’s cross from the right picked out Willie Inrig who headed over the bar.
The second half started as disastrously for Thurso as the first when they fell three behind to pass the point of no return.
Sanderson was again their nemesis as he, all too easily, found space in the penalty box to rifle past Gray.
Thurso’s failure to properly clear a corner led to veteran Robbie MacDougall pouncing to bag a close-range fourth goal.
Golspie’s last was perhaps the only in which the opposing defence could not be faulted.
A sparky sequence up the left flank allowed Kenny Whyte time and space for a clinical finish.
The visitors, to their credit, never gave up and were very unlucky not to get at least one goal back in the closing stages.
Martin Sinclair had an effort chalked off by an offside flag; Michael Petrie could not convert a run-in on keeper Robert Taylor; while sub Sean Munro went close with a diving header from Lee MacDougall’s free-kick.
Visiting manager Reid pulled no punches in his assessment of the game.
“They were far too street-wise for us,” he said.
“That said, only one of their goals was particularly well worked.
“Defensively, we just weren’t tight enough and we again had problems with a lack of communication.
“Golspie exploited the gaps we left and fully deserved their win though we should have got a couple of goals ourselves.”
Thurso tomorrow complete their league programme with a home match versus Alness United.
United have won both the earlier cup and league clashes and Reid is desperate to break the sequence with a win tomorrow.
Gavin Bremner is on holiday and Stuart Sinclair is again working while Martin Sinclair and Lee MacDougall are nursing knocks they picked up on Saturday.
On th plus side, the Vikings will be strengthened by the inclusion of Orcadian midfielder Wayne Monkman while central defender Kevin Warner is on stand-by for call-up. The match kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Golspie – R. Taylor, Sutherland (S. Thomson 60), R. Thomson, MacLean, MacBean, D. Taylor , Sanderson, Campbell , MacDougall, MacDonald (Gray 70), Whyte. Sub (unused) – Mackay.
Thurso – Gray, Cumming, Steven, Shearer, A. Bremner (S. Sinclair 75), Petrie G. Bremner, Inrig, M. Sinclair (Munro 75), Bain (Stewart 65), MacDougall.
Ref – Mr B. Baxter.
A hat-trick from Caithness exile Tony Farquhar helped Balintore arrest a poor recent run with a 5-2 win at Invergordon.
Bonar meanwhile kept their hopes of a top four place alive by coming from behind to beat Bunillidh Thistle 2-1 in Helmsdale.
After Robert MacDonald put the home side in front from the penalty spot, Liam Rostock levelled before John O’Groats striker Sean Henstridge grabbed the winner early in the second half.
Tain Thistle finished their first campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Alness.
The Jags’ bid to add to their sole win – at home to Alness – foundered as they shipped first half goals to James Cochrane and David Murray.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
GOLSPIE 13 12 0 1 62 12 36
HALKIRK UNITED 14 10 2 2 54 18 32
MUIR OF ORD 17 9 2 6 35 34 29
BALINTORE 15 9 1 5 42 30 28
THURSO 17 6 4 7 30 30 22
BONAR BRIDGE 14 7 1 6 30 30 22
ALNESS UNITED 14 5 2 7 26 28 17
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 15 5 2 8 22 40 17
INVERGORDON 17 5 1 11 20 50 16
TAIN THISTLE 18 1 1 16 23 72 4
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Golspie Sutherland 5 V Thurso 0 - report by Iain Grant
The Vikings were on Saturday powerless to check Golspie’s seemingly unstoppable march to the MSIS North Caley title.
The experienced, street-wise Sutherland side were not stretched in completing a league double over their opponents at King George V Park.
Visiting manager Stevie Reid has no complaints about the outcome, hoping that his largely teenage squad will learn lessons from the outing.
He was unhappy at defensive deficiencies which played a major part in the goals conceded and disappointed by failings to convert several glaring opportunities to open Thurso’s account.
Goals by Michael Sanderson within a minute of the start of both halves put Golspie on easy street and the Vikings firmly on the back foot.
The home side forged in front in 40 seconds after they caught Thurso cold with a quickly taken throw-in.
The move ended with the unmarked Sanderson netting after his initial header was pawed away by visiting keeper Michael Gray.
Golspie manufactured several other decent openings before doubling their lead midway through the first half.
Uncertain defending allowed Tommy Campbell to fire a low shot into the net through a ruck of players.
The visitors should have got one back minutes later when Martin Sinclair’s cross from the right picked out Willie Inrig who headed over the bar.
The second half started as disastrously for Thurso as the first when they fell three behind to pass the point of no return.
Sanderson was again their nemesis as he, all too easily, found space in the penalty box to rifle past Gray.
Thurso’s failure to properly clear a corner led to veteran Robbie MacDougall pouncing to bag a close-range fourth goal.
Golspie’s last was perhaps the only in which the opposing defence could not be faulted.
A sparky sequence up the left flank allowed Kenny Whyte time and space for a clinical finish.
The visitors, to their credit, never gave up and were very unlucky not to get at least one goal back in the closing stages.
Martin Sinclair had an effort chalked off by an offside flag; Michael Petrie could not convert a run-in on keeper Robert Taylor; while sub Sean Munro went close with a diving header from Lee MacDougall’s free-kick.
Visiting manager Reid pulled no punches in his assessment of the game.
“They were far too street-wise for us,” he said.
“That said, only one of their goals was particularly well worked.
“Defensively, we just weren’t tight enough and we again had problems with a lack of communication.
“Golspie exploited the gaps we left and fully deserved their win though we should have got a couple of goals ourselves.”
Thurso tomorrow complete their league programme with a home match versus Alness United.
United have won both the earlier cup and league clashes and Reid is desperate to break the sequence with a win tomorrow.
Gavin Bremner is on holiday and Stuart Sinclair is again working while Martin Sinclair and Lee MacDougall are nursing knocks they picked up on Saturday.
On th plus side, the Vikings will be strengthened by the inclusion of Orcadian midfielder Wayne Monkman while central defender Kevin Warner is on stand-by for call-up. The match kicks off at 2.30 p.m.
Golspie – R. Taylor, Sutherland (S. Thomson 60), R. Thomson, MacLean, MacBean, D. Taylor , Sanderson, Campbell , MacDougall, MacDonald (Gray 70), Whyte. Sub (unused) – Mackay.
Thurso – Gray, Cumming, Steven, Shearer, A. Bremner (S. Sinclair 75), Petrie G. Bremner, Inrig, M. Sinclair (Munro 75), Bain (Stewart 65), MacDougall.
Ref – Mr B. Baxter.
A hat-trick from Caithness exile Tony Farquhar helped Balintore arrest a poor recent run with a 5-2 win at Invergordon.
Bonar meanwhile kept their hopes of a top four place alive by coming from behind to beat Bunillidh Thistle 2-1 in Helmsdale.
After Robert MacDonald put the home side in front from the penalty spot, Liam Rostock levelled before John O’Groats striker Sean Henstridge grabbed the winner early in the second half.
Tain Thistle finished their first campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Alness.
The Jags’ bid to add to their sole win – at home to Alness – foundered as they shipped first half goals to James Cochrane and David Murray.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
Pl W D L F A Pts
GOLSPIE 13 12 0 1 62 12 36
HALKIRK UNITED 14 10 2 2 54 18 32
MUIR OF ORD 17 9 2 6 35 34 29
BALINTORE 15 9 1 5 42 30 28
THURSO 17 6 4 7 30 30 22
BONAR BRIDGE 14 7 1 6 30 30 22
ALNESS UNITED 14 5 2 7 26 28 17
BUNILLIDH THISTLE 15 5 2 8 22 40 17
INVERGORDON 17 5 1 11 20 50 16
TAIN THISTLE 18 1 1 16 23 72 4