Post by Brian Mackay on Jul 4, 2007 19:23:32 GMT
Swifts see red in replay defeat
By Iain Grant - iain-grant@ukf.net
Published: 04 July, 2007
SWIFTS could find themselves in hot water after a bout of indiscipline resulted in two of their players and manager Stevie Reid being ordered off in a Macleod IFA Highland Amateur Cup clash on Saturday.
A third player from the Thurso side was also red-carded during the third-round replay in Avoch, which the home side won 7-4 after extra time.
It followed the controversy-laden 1-1 draw in the first game when Swifts felt hard done by after being denied a goal and a penalty in the closing stages.
Soon after the replay started, referee Eric Robertson was unhappy with the abuse being levelled against him and his officials from Swifts' bench.
His subsequent dealings with the manager resulted in him reportedly ordering Mr Reid to leave the pitch on three occasions – the equivalent of three red cards.
Shortly afterwards, the visitors were reduced to a man short on the field when centre-back Blair McIntosh was ordered off for a foul on an opponent who would otherwise have had a run on goal.
Swifts regrouped and more than held their own during regulation time.
They battled back from losing the opening goal to level and were 3-2 up with less than five minutes remaining thanks to an own goal and an opportunist double from Mark Nichol.
After the Black Isle side equalised, the red mist descended on Swifts with remarks directed at officials resulting in the former Highland League whistler brandishing red cards to goalkeeper Lee Allan and wide man Lee MacDougall.
Swifts lined up for the extra-time period with Nichol between the sticks. The Black Isle side capitalised on the three-man advantage to score twice and apparently close out the contest.
But the battling visitors were managing to retain a surprising amount of possession, and Jamie MacKenzie conjured up a cracking goal to reduce the leeway to 5-4 a minute from the break. Nichol was still celebrating the goal on the edge of the box when Avoch took a quick restart and the stand-in keeper was unable to do anything to keep out a long-range strike.
A seventh goal in the second extra-time period confirmed Avoch's passage through to the quarter-finals. There, the cup holders face a trip north to play Pentland United in the tie of the round.
John O'Groats now know the identity of their opponents after Culbokie came though to defeat Ross-shire rivals Contin 4-2 on Saturday. The other replay signalled the end of the Orkney challenge when Dounby Athletic went down 3-0 away to Gairloch Aultbea United Quarter-final draw (July 14): John O'Groats v Culbokie; Lochs v Gairloch Aultbea United; Pentland United v Avoch; Point v Dingwall Thistle.
By Iain Grant - iain-grant@ukf.net
Published: 04 July, 2007
SWIFTS could find themselves in hot water after a bout of indiscipline resulted in two of their players and manager Stevie Reid being ordered off in a Macleod IFA Highland Amateur Cup clash on Saturday.
A third player from the Thurso side was also red-carded during the third-round replay in Avoch, which the home side won 7-4 after extra time.
It followed the controversy-laden 1-1 draw in the first game when Swifts felt hard done by after being denied a goal and a penalty in the closing stages.
Soon after the replay started, referee Eric Robertson was unhappy with the abuse being levelled against him and his officials from Swifts' bench.
His subsequent dealings with the manager resulted in him reportedly ordering Mr Reid to leave the pitch on three occasions – the equivalent of three red cards.
Shortly afterwards, the visitors were reduced to a man short on the field when centre-back Blair McIntosh was ordered off for a foul on an opponent who would otherwise have had a run on goal.
Swifts regrouped and more than held their own during regulation time.
They battled back from losing the opening goal to level and were 3-2 up with less than five minutes remaining thanks to an own goal and an opportunist double from Mark Nichol.
After the Black Isle side equalised, the red mist descended on Swifts with remarks directed at officials resulting in the former Highland League whistler brandishing red cards to goalkeeper Lee Allan and wide man Lee MacDougall.
Swifts lined up for the extra-time period with Nichol between the sticks. The Black Isle side capitalised on the three-man advantage to score twice and apparently close out the contest.
But the battling visitors were managing to retain a surprising amount of possession, and Jamie MacKenzie conjured up a cracking goal to reduce the leeway to 5-4 a minute from the break. Nichol was still celebrating the goal on the edge of the box when Avoch took a quick restart and the stand-in keeper was unable to do anything to keep out a long-range strike.
A seventh goal in the second extra-time period confirmed Avoch's passage through to the quarter-finals. There, the cup holders face a trip north to play Pentland United in the tie of the round.
John O'Groats now know the identity of their opponents after Culbokie came though to defeat Ross-shire rivals Contin 4-2 on Saturday. The other replay signalled the end of the Orkney challenge when Dounby Athletic went down 3-0 away to Gairloch Aultbea United Quarter-final draw (July 14): John O'Groats v Culbokie; Lochs v Gairloch Aultbea United; Pentland United v Avoch; Point v Dingwall Thistle.