Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 3, 2004 12:39:59 GMT
Thurso 1 Golspie 1 - report by Iain Grant 
Even at this early juncture of the MSIS North Caley season, defeat for the Vikings at
the hands of the league champions would have been deeply damaging.
Mark Nichol's late equaliser gave Thurso a point they richly deserved as well as denying their opponents a potentially vital psychological advantage.
Golspie -- admittedly missing a couple of key players -- look to have regressed
from last season's title-winning outfit.
While well-organised at the back and combative in midfield, their threat at the business end of things seems to have been blunted, on the evidence of Saturday's match at Sir Georges Park.
It was very much against the run of play when Robbie MacDougall fired the visitors into a 62nd minute lead.
Thurso pressed relentlessly forward for the remainder of the match, with Jamie MacKenzie moved up in the latter stages to supplement the efforts of Nichol and Alan Murray.
Having gone desperately close several times, time was running down fast before Nichol grabbed the equaliser with six minutes left.
There was little to choose between the sides in the first half, which the home side just shaded in terms of chances created.
The first clearcut opportunity with seven minutes gone fell to MacDougall who wasted Walter Mackay's inviting cross by heading over the bar from six yards.
Thurso went close a minute later when Nichol exchanged passes with Murray before powering a shot into the side-netting.
Murray then should perhaps have done better after Gavin Bremner stole possession before striding down the middle of the park and releasing the striker.
Murray's would-be left-foot finish was comfortably gathered by keeper Ian Young.
After 23 minutes, a defensive slip let Murray in again but he was again foiled after Young came out to make a crucial block.
Before that, Ian Innes had unleashed a decent 30 yarder which did not miss the target by much.
On the half-hour mark, MacKenzie could not get the required contact with his head when a Bremner corner was flicked into his path.
Seven minutes from the interval, Thurso engineered a clever free-kick when MacKenzie picked out Lee MacDougall in the box.
The unmarked MacDougall opted for a first-time low drive which but for Young's sharp reactions would gone in, just inside his right-hand post.
Minutes later, MacDougall had a clear view of goal 14 yards out but his rushed right-foot effort went the wrong side of the same post.
After the break, Golspie were deployed principally on defensive duties before
they grabbed their shock opener.
Three minutes after the resumption, MacKenzie seized on a neat flick by Ian Adamson and beat a defender in the box before unleashing an angled shot which sizzled just past the junction of the left upright and the bar.
After 54 minutes, Murray rounded Young and put the ball in the net but had clearly strayed offside before MacKenzie set him free.
The pressure on the visitors' goal was unrelenting with Shaun Moar unable to find the target with an uncontested header from MacDougall's driven corner.
Golspie's breakthrough would be further ammunition for subscribers to the footballing philosophy which dictates that teams who go unpunished from long spells of pressure are destined to score with their first attack of any kind.
A counter saw the quicksilver Mackay let loose down the right.
He raced as far as a couple of yards from the bye-line before squaring to MacDougall who tucked a side-foot shot over the spread-eagled Michael Gray.
The Vikings almost restored parity within two minutes of the restart when Bremner
and Brian Gray set up Mackenzie whose well-struck shot produced a fine stop from Young.
After 65 minutes,there was controversy when MacKenzie wriggled past Robbie Benson before being felled by him as he drove towards the right side of the penalty box.
After consulting an assistant, ref Willie Sinclair ruled the vital contact had occurred just outside the box.
Benson's relief at that let-off was not reflected minutes after when his dissent at
another decision saw him cautioned.
Thurso continued to threaten but too often their attacks broke down through
crosses which were underhit or over-cooked.
Twenty minutes from time, Moar found MacKenzie lurking inside the box with his powerful, low shot-on-the-turn being beaten away by the feet of keeper Young.
The strong breeze, which favoured Thurso in the second half, made Brian Gray's long throw-in a particularly potent weapon.
One of his projectiles after 77 minutes caused panic in the opposition six yard box with the ball taking a wild deflection off a defender before scooting out for a corner.
Just as Thurso looked to be heading for a frustrating defeat, Nichol struck with his 10th goal in six outings.
Ross Sutherland instigated the move when he did well to retain possession before
sending Murray scampering down the right flank.
He drove on before cutting the ball back for Nichol to send a fierce shot wide of Young into the top right-hand corner of the net.
A minute later, Murray was inches away from getting a scoring header at the end of another of Brian Gray's monster throw-ins.
While relieved to get some reward for their efforts, Thurso will feel a tad cheated not to have got the win.
Tomorrow, they have a break from league action as they seek to claim a place in the final of the Port Services Cup at the expense of Invergordon.
Phil Green has returned to university and is expected to be replaced in the travelling squad by Phil Makhouli, who is set to make his first appearance of the season.
Thurso: M. Gray, B. Gray, Moar, Warner, Adamson, Bremner, Sutherland, MacKenzie, MacDougall, Murray (Green 89), Nichol. Subs (unused) -- Cook and
Baker.
Ref: Mr W. Sinclair.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
---------------------------------------------------
Pl W D L F A Pts
ALNESS 5 4 0 1 22 4 12
THURSO 5 3 2 0 21 5 11
GOLSPIE 4 3 1 0 8 3 10
HALKIRK 4 3 0 1 10 6 9
BALINTORE 5 2 2 1 12 7 8
DORNOCH 4 1 0 3 9 11 3
BUNILLIDH 3 1 0 2 3 8 3
BONAR 4 1 0 3 4 18 3
INVERGORDON 3 0 1 2 5 11 1
TAIN 5 0 0 5 4 25 0
Even at this early juncture of the MSIS North Caley season, defeat for the Vikings at
the hands of the league champions would have been deeply damaging.
Mark Nichol's late equaliser gave Thurso a point they richly deserved as well as denying their opponents a potentially vital psychological advantage.
Golspie -- admittedly missing a couple of key players -- look to have regressed
from last season's title-winning outfit.
While well-organised at the back and combative in midfield, their threat at the business end of things seems to have been blunted, on the evidence of Saturday's match at Sir Georges Park.
It was very much against the run of play when Robbie MacDougall fired the visitors into a 62nd minute lead.
Thurso pressed relentlessly forward for the remainder of the match, with Jamie MacKenzie moved up in the latter stages to supplement the efforts of Nichol and Alan Murray.
Having gone desperately close several times, time was running down fast before Nichol grabbed the equaliser with six minutes left.
There was little to choose between the sides in the first half, which the home side just shaded in terms of chances created.
The first clearcut opportunity with seven minutes gone fell to MacDougall who wasted Walter Mackay's inviting cross by heading over the bar from six yards.
Thurso went close a minute later when Nichol exchanged passes with Murray before powering a shot into the side-netting.
Murray then should perhaps have done better after Gavin Bremner stole possession before striding down the middle of the park and releasing the striker.
Murray's would-be left-foot finish was comfortably gathered by keeper Ian Young.
After 23 minutes, a defensive slip let Murray in again but he was again foiled after Young came out to make a crucial block.
Before that, Ian Innes had unleashed a decent 30 yarder which did not miss the target by much.
On the half-hour mark, MacKenzie could not get the required contact with his head when a Bremner corner was flicked into his path.
Seven minutes from the interval, Thurso engineered a clever free-kick when MacKenzie picked out Lee MacDougall in the box.
The unmarked MacDougall opted for a first-time low drive which but for Young's sharp reactions would gone in, just inside his right-hand post.
Minutes later, MacDougall had a clear view of goal 14 yards out but his rushed right-foot effort went the wrong side of the same post.
After the break, Golspie were deployed principally on defensive duties before
they grabbed their shock opener.
Three minutes after the resumption, MacKenzie seized on a neat flick by Ian Adamson and beat a defender in the box before unleashing an angled shot which sizzled just past the junction of the left upright and the bar.
After 54 minutes, Murray rounded Young and put the ball in the net but had clearly strayed offside before MacKenzie set him free.
The pressure on the visitors' goal was unrelenting with Shaun Moar unable to find the target with an uncontested header from MacDougall's driven corner.
Golspie's breakthrough would be further ammunition for subscribers to the footballing philosophy which dictates that teams who go unpunished from long spells of pressure are destined to score with their first attack of any kind.
A counter saw the quicksilver Mackay let loose down the right.
He raced as far as a couple of yards from the bye-line before squaring to MacDougall who tucked a side-foot shot over the spread-eagled Michael Gray.
The Vikings almost restored parity within two minutes of the restart when Bremner
and Brian Gray set up Mackenzie whose well-struck shot produced a fine stop from Young.
After 65 minutes,there was controversy when MacKenzie wriggled past Robbie Benson before being felled by him as he drove towards the right side of the penalty box.
After consulting an assistant, ref Willie Sinclair ruled the vital contact had occurred just outside the box.
Benson's relief at that let-off was not reflected minutes after when his dissent at
another decision saw him cautioned.
Thurso continued to threaten but too often their attacks broke down through
crosses which were underhit or over-cooked.
Twenty minutes from time, Moar found MacKenzie lurking inside the box with his powerful, low shot-on-the-turn being beaten away by the feet of keeper Young.
The strong breeze, which favoured Thurso in the second half, made Brian Gray's long throw-in a particularly potent weapon.
One of his projectiles after 77 minutes caused panic in the opposition six yard box with the ball taking a wild deflection off a defender before scooting out for a corner.
Just as Thurso looked to be heading for a frustrating defeat, Nichol struck with his 10th goal in six outings.
Ross Sutherland instigated the move when he did well to retain possession before
sending Murray scampering down the right flank.
He drove on before cutting the ball back for Nichol to send a fierce shot wide of Young into the top right-hand corner of the net.
A minute later, Murray was inches away from getting a scoring header at the end of another of Brian Gray's monster throw-ins.
While relieved to get some reward for their efforts, Thurso will feel a tad cheated not to have got the win.
Tomorrow, they have a break from league action as they seek to claim a place in the final of the Port Services Cup at the expense of Invergordon.
Phil Green has returned to university and is expected to be replaced in the travelling squad by Phil Makhouli, who is set to make his first appearance of the season.
Thurso: M. Gray, B. Gray, Moar, Warner, Adamson, Bremner, Sutherland, MacKenzie, MacDougall, Murray (Green 89), Nichol. Subs (unused) -- Cook and
Baker.
Ref: Mr W. Sinclair.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
---------------------------------------------------
Pl W D L F A Pts
ALNESS 5 4 0 1 22 4 12
THURSO 5 3 2 0 21 5 11
GOLSPIE 4 3 1 0 8 3 10
HALKIRK 4 3 0 1 10 6 9
BALINTORE 5 2 2 1 12 7 8
DORNOCH 4 1 0 3 9 11 3
BUNILLIDH 3 1 0 2 3 8 3
BONAR 4 1 0 3 4 18 3
INVERGORDON 3 0 1 2 5 11 1
TAIN 5 0 0 5 4 25 0