Post by Brian Mackay on Sept 30, 2004 15:42:52 GMT
Halkirk show their ruthless streak in record victory
BUNILLIDH returned over the Ord bruised, beaten and bewildered after being the victims of Halkirk United's biggest victory in their 10-year history, The Sutherland side have little time to regroup as they face Halkirk again this Saturday in a MSIS North Caledonian League match in Helmsdale.
United manager Ian MacDonald will be hoping his team did not use up all their bullets in Saturday's secondround tie in the Port Services Cup.
From the kick-off, the home side had the smell of blood and a rout looked very much on the cards.
Five goals to the good by the interval, they reached double figures eight minutes from time with Michael Bremner completing the scoring at the death.
Bremner, back after a foreign holiday, prolonged his break by spending the first half on the bench but graphically announced his return to action by bagging four goals.
Bunillidh were off the pace and unable to live with a sprightly Halkirk side who moved the ball well and who time and again pierced a wafer-thin defence.
Any time the visitors did manage to break out of their own half, a solitary attacker would have to go it alone and was quickly stripped of possession.
A measure of their lack of penetration was that their main goal threat came from their keeper, Steven Munro, whose booming, wind-assisted punts after the interval were dropping just short of the opposing penalty area.
Their one golden chance came on 63 minutes when they trailed 6-0. A free kick found Steven Hercher with the ball at his feet six yards out with United keeper Marc Swanson able only to offer token resistance.
Hercher miskicked his first effort, which had the effect of taking the keeper out of the equation altogether, but, presented with an easier opportunity, he proceeded to side-foot wide of the gaping net.
It was that sort of day for Bunillidh, who had to play with 10 men for most of the second half after a recurrence of a knee injury forced defender Kevin Munro to hirple off with his side's sole substitute already committed.
If it was about damage limitation after that, the policy did not work as Halkirk showed a ruthless streak to chalk up a record victory.
The danger signs were flashing as early as the first minute when Steven Munro's rushed clearance from a dodgy pass-kick saw Alan Farquhar's quick return shot go marginally wide.
Murray Coghill had the keeper at full stretch to prevent him scoring direct from a corner immediately before United forged ahead after 10 minutes.
Graham MacDonald sent Martin Murray racing down the left and his clever return pass was swept in at the near post by Mark Munro.
Munro went close to a second before Farquhar made it 2-0 after 18 minutes.
A fairly innocuous free kick by Neil Fearns was spilled by keeper Munro and the young midfielder knocked in the rebound.
The keeper atoned for that error five minutes later when he got the merest touch to Sean Henstridge's flick from Coghill's cross.
However, Henstridge had just two minutes to wait to get on the scoresheet when he sprinted on to Farquhar's pass to round the keeper and side-foot home.
A minute later, Bunillidh's defence was again indulging in a collective inquest when Henstridge and Murray exchanged passes before the latter converted with a glorious right-foot finish.
The hard-pressed Steve Munro distinguished himself in foiling Munro and Murray before he watched his side carve out their first opening after 29 minutes when Sandy Grant flashed a long-ranger just past Swanson's left post.
It was a momentary respite with a rampant United launching a steady wave of attacks.
Farquhar headed over from a good position and a Murray shot pinged off the inside of a post before Farquhar made it five in the final action of the half.
The best strike of the game came eight minutes after the break when MacDonald was given time and space to try his luck from 25 yards. He took full advantage by drilling a low grounder which went in off the base of the left upright.
After Hercher's howler, it turned into the Michael Bremner show.
His first came in 64 minutes when Coghill seized on a miscued clearance to set up Bremner for a simple finish.
Ten minutes later his fellow sub, the young Stuart Sinclair, brought out a fine half-stop from the keeper, with Bremner onto the loose ball in a flash to grab his second.
Murray headed home a Fearns cross to make it 9-0 before Bremner weighed in with his hat-trick goal.
Two minutes from time, an accurate, low cross was well controlled by Sinclair who showed dexterity in turning before lashing the ball into the net.
Bremner put the final nail in the coffin before the whistle brought Bunillidh's ordeal to an end.
Manager MacDonald is happy that United have drastically improved their chance-taking average compared to last season.
He said: "I thought we used the ball well and scored some really good goals.
"Last season we lost a lot of points when we couldn't convert our chances - there were games when we couldn't seem to buy a goal.
"The guys were on a bit of a high after the result but we'll have to put in the hard work again if we are to get the reward on Saturday. I'm expecting a backlash from them."
Henstridge is back at university which should see Munro and Bremner being paired up front. John Martin and/or the older Stuart Sinclair are in line for a return to the squad.
Halkirk United: Swanson, Shearer, MacGill (C. Munro 54), Florence, Fearns, MacDonald, Farquhar, Coghill, M. Munro (Bremner 54), Henstridge (Sinclair 54), Murray.
Referee: D. Anderson.
BUNILLIDH returned over the Ord bruised, beaten and bewildered after being the victims of Halkirk United's biggest victory in their 10-year history, The Sutherland side have little time to regroup as they face Halkirk again this Saturday in a MSIS North Caledonian League match in Helmsdale.
United manager Ian MacDonald will be hoping his team did not use up all their bullets in Saturday's secondround tie in the Port Services Cup.
From the kick-off, the home side had the smell of blood and a rout looked very much on the cards.
Five goals to the good by the interval, they reached double figures eight minutes from time with Michael Bremner completing the scoring at the death.
Bremner, back after a foreign holiday, prolonged his break by spending the first half on the bench but graphically announced his return to action by bagging four goals.
Bunillidh were off the pace and unable to live with a sprightly Halkirk side who moved the ball well and who time and again pierced a wafer-thin defence.
Any time the visitors did manage to break out of their own half, a solitary attacker would have to go it alone and was quickly stripped of possession.
A measure of their lack of penetration was that their main goal threat came from their keeper, Steven Munro, whose booming, wind-assisted punts after the interval were dropping just short of the opposing penalty area.
Their one golden chance came on 63 minutes when they trailed 6-0. A free kick found Steven Hercher with the ball at his feet six yards out with United keeper Marc Swanson able only to offer token resistance.
Hercher miskicked his first effort, which had the effect of taking the keeper out of the equation altogether, but, presented with an easier opportunity, he proceeded to side-foot wide of the gaping net.
It was that sort of day for Bunillidh, who had to play with 10 men for most of the second half after a recurrence of a knee injury forced defender Kevin Munro to hirple off with his side's sole substitute already committed.
If it was about damage limitation after that, the policy did not work as Halkirk showed a ruthless streak to chalk up a record victory.
The danger signs were flashing as early as the first minute when Steven Munro's rushed clearance from a dodgy pass-kick saw Alan Farquhar's quick return shot go marginally wide.
Murray Coghill had the keeper at full stretch to prevent him scoring direct from a corner immediately before United forged ahead after 10 minutes.
Graham MacDonald sent Martin Murray racing down the left and his clever return pass was swept in at the near post by Mark Munro.
Munro went close to a second before Farquhar made it 2-0 after 18 minutes.
A fairly innocuous free kick by Neil Fearns was spilled by keeper Munro and the young midfielder knocked in the rebound.
The keeper atoned for that error five minutes later when he got the merest touch to Sean Henstridge's flick from Coghill's cross.
However, Henstridge had just two minutes to wait to get on the scoresheet when he sprinted on to Farquhar's pass to round the keeper and side-foot home.
A minute later, Bunillidh's defence was again indulging in a collective inquest when Henstridge and Murray exchanged passes before the latter converted with a glorious right-foot finish.
The hard-pressed Steve Munro distinguished himself in foiling Munro and Murray before he watched his side carve out their first opening after 29 minutes when Sandy Grant flashed a long-ranger just past Swanson's left post.
It was a momentary respite with a rampant United launching a steady wave of attacks.
Farquhar headed over from a good position and a Murray shot pinged off the inside of a post before Farquhar made it five in the final action of the half.
The best strike of the game came eight minutes after the break when MacDonald was given time and space to try his luck from 25 yards. He took full advantage by drilling a low grounder which went in off the base of the left upright.
After Hercher's howler, it turned into the Michael Bremner show.
His first came in 64 minutes when Coghill seized on a miscued clearance to set up Bremner for a simple finish.
Ten minutes later his fellow sub, the young Stuart Sinclair, brought out a fine half-stop from the keeper, with Bremner onto the loose ball in a flash to grab his second.
Murray headed home a Fearns cross to make it 9-0 before Bremner weighed in with his hat-trick goal.
Two minutes from time, an accurate, low cross was well controlled by Sinclair who showed dexterity in turning before lashing the ball into the net.
Bremner put the final nail in the coffin before the whistle brought Bunillidh's ordeal to an end.
Manager MacDonald is happy that United have drastically improved their chance-taking average compared to last season.
He said: "I thought we used the ball well and scored some really good goals.
"Last season we lost a lot of points when we couldn't convert our chances - there were games when we couldn't seem to buy a goal.
"The guys were on a bit of a high after the result but we'll have to put in the hard work again if we are to get the reward on Saturday. I'm expecting a backlash from them."
Henstridge is back at university which should see Munro and Bremner being paired up front. John Martin and/or the older Stuart Sinclair are in line for a return to the squad.
Halkirk United: Swanson, Shearer, MacGill (C. Munro 54), Florence, Fearns, MacDonald, Farquhar, Coghill, M. Munro (Bremner 54), Henstridge (Sinclair 54), Murray.
Referee: D. Anderson.