Post by Brian Mackay on Oct 24, 2004 0:52:46 GMT
Tain torn apart by 10-goal Halkirk - report from The John O'Groat Journal website
HALKIRK United's encouraging start to the season continued on Saturday when they blitzed a feckless Tain outfit to record their fourth MSIS North Caledonian League win in five starts.
The early, needless sending-off of Michael Bremner proved little handicap as they racked up their second double-digit win of the campaign.
But for some sloppy finishing by United after the interval, the margin of defeat could have been a sight more embarrassing for the league's whipping boys.
It's been a significant turnaround in fortunes from mid October last year when Halkirk were firmly entrenched in the bottom third of the league.
This time round, only champions Golspie have conceded fewer points and their cause is soon to be strengthened by the return from injury of Willie Inrig and Gavin Mackay.
Their credentials will face a testing examination over the next month when tomorrow's tricky trip to Invergordon is followed by matches against Golspie, Balintore and Alness.
Last Saturday's clash at Recreation Park was a strange affair early on.
Tain's best spell was in the first 15 minutes when they had only 10 players on the field after one of their cars was delayed. Their back three coped admirably with the pressure they were put under, while Halkirk laboured to make the extra man count.
Keeper David Matheson got a vital touch to deny Martin Murray's shot on the turn while an Alan Farquhar effort skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The visitors responded when Kenny Fraser ghosted in behind the defence to send an 18-yarder just over.
Ironically, the floor caved in for Tain soon after the arrival of their eleventh man. In a crazy 11minute spell, they leaked four goals.
After Neil Fearns cracked home the opener after 20 minutes, keeper Matheson gifted the second when he let a shot-cum-cross from Mark Munro go through his hands.
Bremner grabbed the third two minutes before his red-carding for bad-mouthing referee David Anderson. Bremner was irate after Mr Anderson waved away his appeal for a penalty after he went down in the box under Kenny MacNab's challenge.
Munro was again the beneficiary of a second howler by Matheson when the keeper made a hash of collecting the winger's cross and just failed with a desperate scramble back to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Farquhar made it five 10 minutes before the break when one of his regular forays saw him neatly beat an opponent before sending a rising shot past Matheson.
United duly bagged another five in a second half, though that tally could comfortably have been doubled given the number of glaring chances passed up.
Tain's back four was flat in every sense and Matheson proved his side's star turn before his involvement was ended by a nasty injury 14 minutes from time.
Colin Burry was Tain's only real spark and the left midfielder provided the first threat after the interval with a wicked, outswinging cross which had United's defence in a fankle.
The visitors went further behind after 53 minutes when a sparkling move begun by Farquhar was carried on by Murray Coghill down the right wing.
His low cross was met by Murray, whose close-in shot was bravely stopped by Matheson who was powerless to prevent Graham MacDonald sweeping in the rebound.
Two minutes later, MacDonald almost struck again when his snap 30-yarder dumbfounded Matheson only to strike the bar.
There was another mad 11minute period when United contrived not to convert a cluster of glorious opportunities.
It resembled a park game of three-and-in as Matheson was time and again confronted by an inrushing opponent.
Fearns and MacDonald were the principal offenders, though credit should go to the keeper for his version of Custer's last stand.
Fearns finally got his second after 66 minutes with a deflected finish from MacDonald's assist.
Burry shot just over before he set up Fraser to shoot powerfully past Marc Swanson for Tain's crumb of comfort in 75 minutes.
There followed an ugly incident when United substitute John Martin made a reckless challenge on Matheson after the keeper had smothered the ball on the edge of his box. Matheson was stretchered off and taken to hospital with a rib injury, while Martin escaped with a booking.
Emergency keeper Neil MacDonald distinguished himself with two acrobatic stops from Farquhar. However, he was beaten three minutes from time when defender David McGill netted from a corner.
Farquhar went on to complete his hat-trick with two close-in efforts in injury time.
A word of praise for referee Anderson for his judicious use of the advantage law when he allowed a promising United play to finish before yellow-carding MacNab for a foul on Farquhar.
MacDonald also added to the crime count with a late booking.
United manager Ian MacDonald was happy enough with the victory but knows his team will have to cut it against the league's big guns.
He said: "Against Tain, we were too eager to get an early goal. We were rushing our passes and too many of our passes went astray.
"It was only when they had 11 that we got things together.
Overall it was a good run out, though I was annoyed by the number of chances we missed."
MacDonald expects a tough test tomorrow versus Invergordon, who are a better side than their current position would suggest.
Bremner is suspended but Derek Shearer is set to return.
Halkirk United: Swanson, McGill, C. Munro (Martin 74), Florence, Farquhar, MacDonald, I. Coghill, Fearns, M. Munro, Bremner, Murray (M. Coghill h/t).
HALKIRK United's encouraging start to the season continued on Saturday when they blitzed a feckless Tain outfit to record their fourth MSIS North Caledonian League win in five starts.
The early, needless sending-off of Michael Bremner proved little handicap as they racked up their second double-digit win of the campaign.
But for some sloppy finishing by United after the interval, the margin of defeat could have been a sight more embarrassing for the league's whipping boys.
It's been a significant turnaround in fortunes from mid October last year when Halkirk were firmly entrenched in the bottom third of the league.
This time round, only champions Golspie have conceded fewer points and their cause is soon to be strengthened by the return from injury of Willie Inrig and Gavin Mackay.
Their credentials will face a testing examination over the next month when tomorrow's tricky trip to Invergordon is followed by matches against Golspie, Balintore and Alness.
Last Saturday's clash at Recreation Park was a strange affair early on.
Tain's best spell was in the first 15 minutes when they had only 10 players on the field after one of their cars was delayed. Their back three coped admirably with the pressure they were put under, while Halkirk laboured to make the extra man count.
Keeper David Matheson got a vital touch to deny Martin Murray's shot on the turn while an Alan Farquhar effort skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The visitors responded when Kenny Fraser ghosted in behind the defence to send an 18-yarder just over.
Ironically, the floor caved in for Tain soon after the arrival of their eleventh man. In a crazy 11minute spell, they leaked four goals.
After Neil Fearns cracked home the opener after 20 minutes, keeper Matheson gifted the second when he let a shot-cum-cross from Mark Munro go through his hands.
Bremner grabbed the third two minutes before his red-carding for bad-mouthing referee David Anderson. Bremner was irate after Mr Anderson waved away his appeal for a penalty after he went down in the box under Kenny MacNab's challenge.
Munro was again the beneficiary of a second howler by Matheson when the keeper made a hash of collecting the winger's cross and just failed with a desperate scramble back to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Farquhar made it five 10 minutes before the break when one of his regular forays saw him neatly beat an opponent before sending a rising shot past Matheson.
United duly bagged another five in a second half, though that tally could comfortably have been doubled given the number of glaring chances passed up.
Tain's back four was flat in every sense and Matheson proved his side's star turn before his involvement was ended by a nasty injury 14 minutes from time.
Colin Burry was Tain's only real spark and the left midfielder provided the first threat after the interval with a wicked, outswinging cross which had United's defence in a fankle.
The visitors went further behind after 53 minutes when a sparkling move begun by Farquhar was carried on by Murray Coghill down the right wing.
His low cross was met by Murray, whose close-in shot was bravely stopped by Matheson who was powerless to prevent Graham MacDonald sweeping in the rebound.
Two minutes later, MacDonald almost struck again when his snap 30-yarder dumbfounded Matheson only to strike the bar.
There was another mad 11minute period when United contrived not to convert a cluster of glorious opportunities.
It resembled a park game of three-and-in as Matheson was time and again confronted by an inrushing opponent.
Fearns and MacDonald were the principal offenders, though credit should go to the keeper for his version of Custer's last stand.
Fearns finally got his second after 66 minutes with a deflected finish from MacDonald's assist.
Burry shot just over before he set up Fraser to shoot powerfully past Marc Swanson for Tain's crumb of comfort in 75 minutes.
There followed an ugly incident when United substitute John Martin made a reckless challenge on Matheson after the keeper had smothered the ball on the edge of his box. Matheson was stretchered off and taken to hospital with a rib injury, while Martin escaped with a booking.
Emergency keeper Neil MacDonald distinguished himself with two acrobatic stops from Farquhar. However, he was beaten three minutes from time when defender David McGill netted from a corner.
Farquhar went on to complete his hat-trick with two close-in efforts in injury time.
A word of praise for referee Anderson for his judicious use of the advantage law when he allowed a promising United play to finish before yellow-carding MacNab for a foul on Farquhar.
MacDonald also added to the crime count with a late booking.
United manager Ian MacDonald was happy enough with the victory but knows his team will have to cut it against the league's big guns.
He said: "Against Tain, we were too eager to get an early goal. We were rushing our passes and too many of our passes went astray.
"It was only when they had 11 that we got things together.
Overall it was a good run out, though I was annoyed by the number of chances we missed."
MacDonald expects a tough test tomorrow versus Invergordon, who are a better side than their current position would suggest.
Bremner is suspended but Derek Shearer is set to return.
Halkirk United: Swanson, McGill, C. Munro (Martin 74), Florence, Farquhar, MacDonald, I. Coghill, Fearns, M. Munro, Bremner, Murray (M. Coghill h/t).