Post by Brian Mackay on Jan 26, 2011 3:54:14 GMT -5
Thurso 4 Dingwall Thistle 0 - report from Iain Grant
Saturday’s decisive victory made a nonsense of the Vikings’ faltering first half of their defence of the PSG North Caley League title.
A run of three defeats to the current top three effectively snuffed out their hopes of retaining the flag.
But with a strengthening squad and a return to form, they look well placed to play a big part in who will succeed them as champions.
Thistle travelled north buoyed by a useful 3-1 away win over Golspie Sutherland and bidding to at least share top spot with Halkirk United.
By the end, they looked a sorry bunch, having shipped four goals and had two players dismissed.
Ref Graham John could have used the services of a scribe on an afternoon when he dished out 13 yellow cards.
From the outset, Thurso looked the sharper and busier outfit.
As well as having the lion’s share of possession, they hustled and discomfited Jags’ midfield to leave the visiting front duo living on scraps throughout.
A double from Ross Allan sandwiched in between a Mark Nichol brace gave the home men a winning margin which was more than justified.
Vikings keeper Michael Gray was a virtual spectator with his only red-light moment coming midway through the second half following a stunning 25 yarder from Stuart Mackay which cannoned back off the woodwork.
Thurso exile John McLeod had an early sniff of goal after Michael Manson sent him dashing through the inside-left channel.
His hopes of a scoring return to his old stamping ground with Dounreay Workshops were thwarted by a sliding challenge from central defender Andrew Bremner.
Allan went close with a close-in dink from a tight angle before his side forged ahead on 10 minutes.
The initial danger was defused when Jags keeper Neil Mackay came racing out to block Michael Petrie’s attempt after he had been played in by Nichol.
Martin Sutherland seized on the loose ball but his forward surge
into the 18 yard box was met by a crude body-check from David Murray.
Mr John had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Nichol calmly converted the spot-kick after Murray had become the first booking.
One of a succession of home corners almost produced a second when Bremner’s aerial netbound connection from one of Lee MacDougall’s connections was inadvertently turned wide.
Thistle looked ill at ease, with only the pacy Mackay looking capable of troubling the home defence.
A cantankerous end to the half resulted in bookings for Thistle’s Norman Bain and Marty MacAllister and Bremner, Martin Sutherland and Grant Steven, for Thurso.
Thurso were gifted their second three minutes after the interval following a counter-attack from an opposing corner.
Steven led the break-out and sought to exploit a long-range two-on-one by picking out Allan with a driven diagonal.
His slightly over-hit effort ran through to Mackay on the penalty spot. The ball got caught under the keeper’s studs, with the piratical Allan homing in to gather and tap into the empty net.
Allan struck again on 58 minutes when Chris Wann’s centre was touched on by Nichol to his strike partner who got in just ahead of Mackay to net.
Allan got a knock in that challenge, with an action replay three minutes afterwards seeing him limp out of the game.
The latter set-to saw the pair add to the earlier bookings for Thistle’s Stephen Maclean and Gary Urquhart and Thurso’s Kyle Ross.
Thistle enjoyed a brief bright spell, lit up by Mackay’s rocket-shot on 65 minutes which came back off the junction of the bar and the left post, with Gray rooted to the spot.
Mackay’s day went from bad worse when the veteran keeper was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Ross just outside the box on 80 minutes.
He was replaced by McLeod whose first touch of the ball was to retrieve it from the back of the net after Nichol’s inch-perfect free-kick.
MacLean was then dismissed for a foul on Nichol with the last action seeing MacDougall having an injury-time attempt on goal cleared off the line.
Thurso – Gray, M. Sutherland (S. Sutherland 50), Wann (Ross 65), Smith, Bremner, Steven, Petrie, MacKenzie, Nichol, Allan (Stewart 64), MacDougall. Subs (unused) – Begg and Harold.
Dingwall Thistle – N. Mackay , D. Mackay, Bain, D. Murray (Reid 58), MacLean, McAllister, Urquhart, Miller (Dorrian 74), Manson, McLeod, S. Mackay. Sub (unused) – Gair.
Ref – Mr G. John.
Saturday’s decisive victory made a nonsense of the Vikings’ faltering first half of their defence of the PSG North Caley League title.
A run of three defeats to the current top three effectively snuffed out their hopes of retaining the flag.
But with a strengthening squad and a return to form, they look well placed to play a big part in who will succeed them as champions.
Thistle travelled north buoyed by a useful 3-1 away win over Golspie Sutherland and bidding to at least share top spot with Halkirk United.
By the end, they looked a sorry bunch, having shipped four goals and had two players dismissed.
Ref Graham John could have used the services of a scribe on an afternoon when he dished out 13 yellow cards.
From the outset, Thurso looked the sharper and busier outfit.
As well as having the lion’s share of possession, they hustled and discomfited Jags’ midfield to leave the visiting front duo living on scraps throughout.
A double from Ross Allan sandwiched in between a Mark Nichol brace gave the home men a winning margin which was more than justified.
Vikings keeper Michael Gray was a virtual spectator with his only red-light moment coming midway through the second half following a stunning 25 yarder from Stuart Mackay which cannoned back off the woodwork.
Thurso exile John McLeod had an early sniff of goal after Michael Manson sent him dashing through the inside-left channel.
His hopes of a scoring return to his old stamping ground with Dounreay Workshops were thwarted by a sliding challenge from central defender Andrew Bremner.
Allan went close with a close-in dink from a tight angle before his side forged ahead on 10 minutes.
The initial danger was defused when Jags keeper Neil Mackay came racing out to block Michael Petrie’s attempt after he had been played in by Nichol.
Martin Sutherland seized on the loose ball but his forward surge
into the 18 yard box was met by a crude body-check from David Murray.
Mr John had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Nichol calmly converted the spot-kick after Murray had become the first booking.
One of a succession of home corners almost produced a second when Bremner’s aerial netbound connection from one of Lee MacDougall’s connections was inadvertently turned wide.
Thistle looked ill at ease, with only the pacy Mackay looking capable of troubling the home defence.
A cantankerous end to the half resulted in bookings for Thistle’s Norman Bain and Marty MacAllister and Bremner, Martin Sutherland and Grant Steven, for Thurso.
Thurso were gifted their second three minutes after the interval following a counter-attack from an opposing corner.
Steven led the break-out and sought to exploit a long-range two-on-one by picking out Allan with a driven diagonal.
His slightly over-hit effort ran through to Mackay on the penalty spot. The ball got caught under the keeper’s studs, with the piratical Allan homing in to gather and tap into the empty net.
Allan struck again on 58 minutes when Chris Wann’s centre was touched on by Nichol to his strike partner who got in just ahead of Mackay to net.
Allan got a knock in that challenge, with an action replay three minutes afterwards seeing him limp out of the game.
The latter set-to saw the pair add to the earlier bookings for Thistle’s Stephen Maclean and Gary Urquhart and Thurso’s Kyle Ross.
Thistle enjoyed a brief bright spell, lit up by Mackay’s rocket-shot on 65 minutes which came back off the junction of the bar and the left post, with Gray rooted to the spot.
Mackay’s day went from bad worse when the veteran keeper was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Ross just outside the box on 80 minutes.
He was replaced by McLeod whose first touch of the ball was to retrieve it from the back of the net after Nichol’s inch-perfect free-kick.
MacLean was then dismissed for a foul on Nichol with the last action seeing MacDougall having an injury-time attempt on goal cleared off the line.
Thurso – Gray, M. Sutherland (S. Sutherland 50), Wann (Ross 65), Smith, Bremner, Steven, Petrie, MacKenzie, Nichol, Allan (Stewart 64), MacDougall. Subs (unused) – Begg and Harold.
Dingwall Thistle – N. Mackay , D. Mackay, Bain, D. Murray (Reid 58), MacLean, McAllister, Urquhart, Miller (Dorrian 74), Manson, McLeod, S. Mackay. Sub (unused) – Gair.
Ref – Mr G. John.