Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 4, 2004 20:32:21 GMT
Invergordon 1 Thurso 6 - Report by Iain Grant 
The Vikings duly achieved the object of Saturday's mission which was to clinch a place in the MSIS North Caley's first cup final of the season.
That they did so with so many goals to spare might make carping at the manner of their victory sound curmudgeonly.
But Thurso failed to reproduce the masterful display at Sir Georges Park in Thurso three weeks earlier which saw them rack up an identical score-line in a league clash.
There were too many anxious moments at the visitors' end on Saturday to let their management team come away without their satisfaction tempered by feelings of uneasiness.
Both sides passed up a hatful of clear openings after the break which, if converted, could have given a surreal score-line of something like 11-6 for the Caithness side.
Defences were certainly not on top and the missed opportunities were largely just that -- missed without requiring an intervention of any kind from the respective
keepers.
Invergordon kicked off with a troublesome wind -- which was to freshen throughout the afternoon -- behind them.
A sprightly opening from Thurso ended with Phil Makhouli getting a strike on target and Stephen Campbell enjoying an early confidence-booster as he got down to hold Lee MacDougall's follow-up.
Invergordon gave a taste of what was to come when the speedy Ross Thompson sprinted behind the three-man opposition rearguard, only to be thwarted by a questionable offside flag.
After 10 minutes, Scott Wilde's clever through-ball resulted in Thompson side-flick being confidently held by Michael Gray.
It was then Thurso's turn to turn the screw with Campbell doing well to dive to his left to reach a drive from Lee MacDougall and Alan Murray carving out space for himself but putting too much behind his shot.
The Ross-shire side's movement and one-touch link-ups were at this stage giving them the edge and exposing a glaring lack of cover down the wide channels.
Thurso were forced into making an early change when the flu-struck Ian Adamson made way for Shaun Forbes to take over the right touch-line beat.
After 23 minutes, Brian Scobbie had a decent effort diverted wide for a corner.
The place-kick was, perversely, the prelude to Thurso's opening goal.
After Ross Sutherland cleared, Murray released MacDougall down the left wing and his centre was gathered by Mark Nichol who pivoted before firing past Campbell.
From the restart, the hosts again exploited confusion in Thurso ranks and Wilde wasted a decent chance.
Shortly afterwards, Brian Gray made up ground to get in ahead of Wilde and deny the striker a potential free shot by nodding the ball back to Michael Gray.
The tide was starting to turn in favour of Thurso with Murray and Nichol regularly causing problems with their pace and guile.
On the half-hour mark, Murray was unlucky when his twisting run-in on goal was foiled by Campbell's despairing block with his feet.
After 33 minutes, the visitors doubled their advantage when MacDougall's long-range pass found the unmarked Nichol who rounded Campbell before scoring.
Thurso finished the half the stronger and Nichol was twice inches away from his hat-trick.
Two minutes after the restart, Invergordon were almost gifted a goal when Michael Gray made a hash of an innocuous-looking shot from David 'Taffie' Buchanan, with the ball slithering just past the right post.
Thurso's third after 50 minutes came after a defender was hassled by Makhouli into
a rushed clearance.
It was seized on by Murray who raced forward unopposed and smashed a marvellous 20 yard shot past Campbell.
This should have been the cue for Thurso to settle and close out their opponents. It was anything but.
Seconds from the kick-off, Buchanan sent a blistering right-foot shot high and wide past Michael Gray into the top right-hand corner of the net.
The former Brora Ranger, whose nick-name derives from his father Johnnie's spell with Cardiff City, was an influential presence in midfield and two minutes later he engineered a glorious chance for young sub Ashley Mills.
His driven cross-park cross was inch-perfect but Mills' lack of composure cost him dear.
Thurso's defence was at sixes and sevens with Kevin Warner's miscued pass finding Mills who again was unable to find the finish.
Mills was to pass up two further golden opportunities in quick succession, blazing the first over the bar and scuffing the second wide.
In between, Thurso made sure of their Port Services Cup final appearance with their fourth goal on 61 minutes.
Nichol's back-header was flicked by Murray on to Makhouli who neatly chipped the advancing Campbell.
The setback sapped Invergordon's spirit and Thurso went on to dominate the closing stages.
Murray was unable to find the target when twice sent in on goal.
A fizzing, angled shot from Nichol after 69 minutes struck the underside of the bar with Makhouli heading in the rebound only to be the victim of a highly dubious offside ruling.
Three minutes later, Makhouli's celebration were not cut short when Murray's assist saw him sweep past a defender before lifting the ball over Campbell as the keeper went to ground.
After 78 minutes, Nichol looked to have been taken out by Campbell as the pair challenged a high, bouncing ball on the edge of the penalty box.
Ref Mark Dalton was not convinced, with play raging on to a chorus of disapproval from the Thurso dug-out.
Seven minutes from time, Ross Sutherland got his reward for a hard-tackling, industrious display when he got on the end of a move begun by sub Martyn Cook to net from an acute angle.
The last chance after 85 minutes saw Murray forcing Campbell to make a fine save, tipping his netbound shot over.
Thurso: M. Gray, B. Gray (Baker 63), Moar, Warner, Adamson (Forbes 21), Bremner, Sutherland, Makhouli (Cook 73), MacDougall, Murray, Nichol.
Ref: Mr M. Dalton, Nairn.
The Vikings duly achieved the object of Saturday's mission which was to clinch a place in the MSIS North Caley's first cup final of the season.
That they did so with so many goals to spare might make carping at the manner of their victory sound curmudgeonly.
But Thurso failed to reproduce the masterful display at Sir Georges Park in Thurso three weeks earlier which saw them rack up an identical score-line in a league clash.
There were too many anxious moments at the visitors' end on Saturday to let their management team come away without their satisfaction tempered by feelings of uneasiness.
Both sides passed up a hatful of clear openings after the break which, if converted, could have given a surreal score-line of something like 11-6 for the Caithness side.
Defences were certainly not on top and the missed opportunities were largely just that -- missed without requiring an intervention of any kind from the respective
keepers.
Invergordon kicked off with a troublesome wind -- which was to freshen throughout the afternoon -- behind them.
A sprightly opening from Thurso ended with Phil Makhouli getting a strike on target and Stephen Campbell enjoying an early confidence-booster as he got down to hold Lee MacDougall's follow-up.
Invergordon gave a taste of what was to come when the speedy Ross Thompson sprinted behind the three-man opposition rearguard, only to be thwarted by a questionable offside flag.
After 10 minutes, Scott Wilde's clever through-ball resulted in Thompson side-flick being confidently held by Michael Gray.
It was then Thurso's turn to turn the screw with Campbell doing well to dive to his left to reach a drive from Lee MacDougall and Alan Murray carving out space for himself but putting too much behind his shot.
The Ross-shire side's movement and one-touch link-ups were at this stage giving them the edge and exposing a glaring lack of cover down the wide channels.
Thurso were forced into making an early change when the flu-struck Ian Adamson made way for Shaun Forbes to take over the right touch-line beat.
After 23 minutes, Brian Scobbie had a decent effort diverted wide for a corner.
The place-kick was, perversely, the prelude to Thurso's opening goal.
After Ross Sutherland cleared, Murray released MacDougall down the left wing and his centre was gathered by Mark Nichol who pivoted before firing past Campbell.
From the restart, the hosts again exploited confusion in Thurso ranks and Wilde wasted a decent chance.
Shortly afterwards, Brian Gray made up ground to get in ahead of Wilde and deny the striker a potential free shot by nodding the ball back to Michael Gray.
The tide was starting to turn in favour of Thurso with Murray and Nichol regularly causing problems with their pace and guile.
On the half-hour mark, Murray was unlucky when his twisting run-in on goal was foiled by Campbell's despairing block with his feet.
After 33 minutes, the visitors doubled their advantage when MacDougall's long-range pass found the unmarked Nichol who rounded Campbell before scoring.
Thurso finished the half the stronger and Nichol was twice inches away from his hat-trick.
Two minutes after the restart, Invergordon were almost gifted a goal when Michael Gray made a hash of an innocuous-looking shot from David 'Taffie' Buchanan, with the ball slithering just past the right post.
Thurso's third after 50 minutes came after a defender was hassled by Makhouli into
a rushed clearance.
It was seized on by Murray who raced forward unopposed and smashed a marvellous 20 yard shot past Campbell.
This should have been the cue for Thurso to settle and close out their opponents. It was anything but.
Seconds from the kick-off, Buchanan sent a blistering right-foot shot high and wide past Michael Gray into the top right-hand corner of the net.
The former Brora Ranger, whose nick-name derives from his father Johnnie's spell with Cardiff City, was an influential presence in midfield and two minutes later he engineered a glorious chance for young sub Ashley Mills.
His driven cross-park cross was inch-perfect but Mills' lack of composure cost him dear.
Thurso's defence was at sixes and sevens with Kevin Warner's miscued pass finding Mills who again was unable to find the finish.
Mills was to pass up two further golden opportunities in quick succession, blazing the first over the bar and scuffing the second wide.
In between, Thurso made sure of their Port Services Cup final appearance with their fourth goal on 61 minutes.
Nichol's back-header was flicked by Murray on to Makhouli who neatly chipped the advancing Campbell.
The setback sapped Invergordon's spirit and Thurso went on to dominate the closing stages.
Murray was unable to find the target when twice sent in on goal.
A fizzing, angled shot from Nichol after 69 minutes struck the underside of the bar with Makhouli heading in the rebound only to be the victim of a highly dubious offside ruling.
Three minutes later, Makhouli's celebration were not cut short when Murray's assist saw him sweep past a defender before lifting the ball over Campbell as the keeper went to ground.
After 78 minutes, Nichol looked to have been taken out by Campbell as the pair challenged a high, bouncing ball on the edge of the penalty box.
Ref Mark Dalton was not convinced, with play raging on to a chorus of disapproval from the Thurso dug-out.
Seven minutes from time, Ross Sutherland got his reward for a hard-tackling, industrious display when he got on the end of a move begun by sub Martyn Cook to net from an acute angle.
The last chance after 85 minutes saw Murray forcing Campbell to make a fine save, tipping his netbound shot over.
Thurso: M. Gray, B. Gray (Baker 63), Moar, Warner, Adamson (Forbes 21), Bremner, Sutherland, Makhouli (Cook 73), MacDougall, Murray, Nichol.
Ref: Mr M. Dalton, Nairn.