Post by Brian Mackay on Nov 24, 2010 7:26:17 GMT -5
Muir of Ord Rovers 2 V Thurso 3 - report from Iain Grant
The Vikings’ Jekyll and Hyde season continued on Saturday as they
turned over Muir of Ord to advance to the semi-final of the SWL Cup.
While unbeaten in cup competitions, Thurso have already kissed goodbye to their PSG North Caley League crown after a misfiring first half in their campaign.
Well beaten 3-0 by Muir in a league match a month previously, they
competed well on Saturday to turn the tables on Alan Hercher’s troops.
An injury-time goal from James Murray sealed a dramatic win in a match which only came to life after the interval.
An early goal deflated Thurso’s cause in the league match and when Martin Callum fired the Easter Ross outfit into a 10th minute lead, the visiting camp could be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.
Callum was allowed to home in untracked to get on the end of a long through-ball before executing a neat dinked finish over keeper Michael Gray.
The keeper shortly afterwards prevented his side going two down when he spread himself well to make a block with his feet after Richard Finnis broke clear.
The home side edged a competitive first half during which goal-scoring chances were in short supply.
Thurso reacted better to the concession of the early goal that in the previous match.
Michael Petrie’s starts have been limited recently because of work commitments but he showed up well, first on the wide right and then partnering Jamie MacKenzie in the middle of the park.
Thurso drew level five minutes from the interval when Lee MacDougall’s corner was only partially cleared.
Thurso defender Andrew Bremner showed sharp reactions in seizing on the lose ball to dispatch a low shot from eight yards which went in off the body of keeper Robert Rose.
The game improved as a spectacle after the turnaround and there was further joy for the visitors on 56 minutes.
The second breakthrough also stemmed from a MacDougall corner but this time it was Bremner’s defensive colleague John Smith who did the damage.
Rose misjudged the flight of the deep delivery and the former Brora Rangers skipper punished the error with a spanking volley which curled high and wide of the keeper into the far corner of the net.
The lead lasted for barely nine minutes before Finnis struck for the home outfit.
A steepling punt forward caused uncertainty between Shaun Forbes and Bremner with the ball ending up scuffing of the back of the latter head and falling perfectly for Finnes whose header looped over Gray.
Muir almost went back in front with Edie Fuller and Ewan Dance spurning half-chances.
There was little between the sides for the remainder of the match and they both had almost resigned themselves to extra-time when Murray popped up with the last-minute clincher.
The youngster had shortly before blotted his copybook when he sped clear down the right and sent a weak shot into the side-net after ignoring the claims of the unmarked Mark Nichol on the edge of the six yard box.
Murray redeemed himself when he scooted in from the other flank to meet a free-kick with a swerving finish which picked up a slight deflection on its way past Rose.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid was happy with how his side battled back after conceding the early goal.
He said: “I thought we reacted better this time and settled down well though the first half was pretty scrappy.
“It was pretty tight throughout though we had got a good foothold on the game and were looking quite comfortable before we lost the second goal.
“After that it could have gone either way in what was a better second half.”
He singled out Petrie for an industrious display in defence and attack while he said Smith is improving with every game as he builds up his fitness.
Reid added: “It was great to get the win as Muir is a tough place to go to get a result.”
Muir of Ord Rovers – Rose, Houston, Calvert, MacMillan, Brennan, Gair, Callum, Fuller, Dance, Brindle (Tulloch 70), Finnis. Subs (unused) – Geegan, Stewart and Dowling.
Thurso – Gray, Forbes, Bremner, Smith, Wann (Allan 53), Petrie, MacKenzie, S. Sutherland (M. Sutherland 75), Nichol, Murray, MacDougall. Subs (unused) – Stewart and Harrold.
The Vikings’ Jekyll and Hyde season continued on Saturday as they
turned over Muir of Ord to advance to the semi-final of the SWL Cup.
While unbeaten in cup competitions, Thurso have already kissed goodbye to their PSG North Caley League crown after a misfiring first half in their campaign.
Well beaten 3-0 by Muir in a league match a month previously, they
competed well on Saturday to turn the tables on Alan Hercher’s troops.
An injury-time goal from James Murray sealed a dramatic win in a match which only came to life after the interval.
An early goal deflated Thurso’s cause in the league match and when Martin Callum fired the Easter Ross outfit into a 10th minute lead, the visiting camp could be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.
Callum was allowed to home in untracked to get on the end of a long through-ball before executing a neat dinked finish over keeper Michael Gray.
The keeper shortly afterwards prevented his side going two down when he spread himself well to make a block with his feet after Richard Finnis broke clear.
The home side edged a competitive first half during which goal-scoring chances were in short supply.
Thurso reacted better to the concession of the early goal that in the previous match.
Michael Petrie’s starts have been limited recently because of work commitments but he showed up well, first on the wide right and then partnering Jamie MacKenzie in the middle of the park.
Thurso drew level five minutes from the interval when Lee MacDougall’s corner was only partially cleared.
Thurso defender Andrew Bremner showed sharp reactions in seizing on the lose ball to dispatch a low shot from eight yards which went in off the body of keeper Robert Rose.
The game improved as a spectacle after the turnaround and there was further joy for the visitors on 56 minutes.
The second breakthrough also stemmed from a MacDougall corner but this time it was Bremner’s defensive colleague John Smith who did the damage.
Rose misjudged the flight of the deep delivery and the former Brora Rangers skipper punished the error with a spanking volley which curled high and wide of the keeper into the far corner of the net.
The lead lasted for barely nine minutes before Finnis struck for the home outfit.
A steepling punt forward caused uncertainty between Shaun Forbes and Bremner with the ball ending up scuffing of the back of the latter head and falling perfectly for Finnes whose header looped over Gray.
Muir almost went back in front with Edie Fuller and Ewan Dance spurning half-chances.
There was little between the sides for the remainder of the match and they both had almost resigned themselves to extra-time when Murray popped up with the last-minute clincher.
The youngster had shortly before blotted his copybook when he sped clear down the right and sent a weak shot into the side-net after ignoring the claims of the unmarked Mark Nichol on the edge of the six yard box.
Murray redeemed himself when he scooted in from the other flank to meet a free-kick with a swerving finish which picked up a slight deflection on its way past Rose.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid was happy with how his side battled back after conceding the early goal.
He said: “I thought we reacted better this time and settled down well though the first half was pretty scrappy.
“It was pretty tight throughout though we had got a good foothold on the game and were looking quite comfortable before we lost the second goal.
“After that it could have gone either way in what was a better second half.”
He singled out Petrie for an industrious display in defence and attack while he said Smith is improving with every game as he builds up his fitness.
Reid added: “It was great to get the win as Muir is a tough place to go to get a result.”
Muir of Ord Rovers – Rose, Houston, Calvert, MacMillan, Brennan, Gair, Callum, Fuller, Dance, Brindle (Tulloch 70), Finnis. Subs (unused) – Geegan, Stewart and Dowling.
Thurso – Gray, Forbes, Bremner, Smith, Wann (Allan 53), Petrie, MacKenzie, S. Sutherland (M. Sutherland 75), Nichol, Murray, MacDougall. Subs (unused) – Stewart and Harrold.