Post by Brian Mackay on Dec 10, 2004 21:28:50 GMT
Cup target for Halkirk after extra-time scoring spree - report from The John O'Groat Journal website
IF Halkirk's MSIS North Caledonian season is to have a silver lining, it is going to have to come through victory in a knockout competition.
Mired in mid-table, detached from the title race, their only chance of avoiding another trophyless campaign is in one of the three remaining cups.
They have more than a fighting chance to do the business in the North Caledonian Cup. On Saturday, they battled their way through to the last four of the tournament to which the league's current top three have all bade their farewells.
The four goals in the second half of extra time gave an unwarranted gloss to their win against Dornoch.
For long spells, Halkirk were less than convincing against their Sutherland opponents who deservedly held the lead for twothirds of regulation time.
A close-range Mark Munro header and a wind-assisted free kick from Martin Murray then looked to be decisive before Scott Barlow notched his second with a glorious late strike to send the game into overtime.
The wind blowing down the pitch towards the riding-centre end strengthened in the course of the game and by the end was causing major problems.
The first chance, after 12 minutes, was created inadvertently by Dornoch defender David Beaton after his pass-back came up short. Keeper Richard Munro got him out of jail by dashing from his box to reach the ball fractionally before Michael Bremner.
Two minutes later came a moment of controversy when Marc Swanson needed to retreat a couple of steps to clutch Paul Beaton's high, looping free kick. His continued backward movement as he made the catch took him a stride behind his line but the match officials were unmoved by vociferous appeals that the ball had also crossed.
Dornoch forged in from after 17 minutes when Swanson could not hold a low, driven free kick from Davie Shepherd. Barlow stabbed home the follow-up from six yards.
Halkirk's midfield was struggling to generate any rhythm or momentum and it was the visitors who carried the greater threat in attack.
A snap 25-yarder from Michael Turner whizzed just over, then Swanson did well to scramble back to keep out a clever lob from Paul Beaton.
At the other end, Mark Munro passed up a half-chance with a weak shot into the side-netting after 23 minutes.
Halkirk's best opportunity of the half was created after 32 minutes with one of their few inspired moves which saw play quickly switched from right to left. Murray Coghill set up his brother Gary, who fired wide.
A minute from the interval, a teasing cross from Willie Inrig found Martin Murray whose header was on target but lacked the power to beat Richard Munro.
Halkirk took advantage of playing with the elements after the break to press hard for the equaliser.
After 48 minutes, Gary Coghill was left unattended at the far post but found the angle too tight and his attempted finish bobbled across the goal.
Four minutes later Mark Munro stole in on goal but was thwarted when his shot came off the legs of the keeper.
Halkirk missed out again after 54 minutes when Bremner did the spadework only to see Gary Coghill miss the target from close in.
Just as the home support was beginning to wonder where a goal would come from, one arrived out of the blue.
There seemed no immediate danger when Martin Murray swung over a free kick a couple of yards from the right touchline after 65 minutes.
But the swirling wind propelled it over the cluster of players in the six-yard box and high into the net at the junction of the post and the bar, despite a despairing attempted headed clearance by Paul Beaton.
Seven minutes later, United grabbed the lead when a slick move ended with Mark Munro stooping to net Alan Farquhar's pinpoint cross.
Neil Fearns' introduction gave a fresh problem for the Dornoch defence and he twice came close with a downward header and a snap shot, both of which Richard Munro did well to block.
The sting in the tail came after the home defence looked to have survived a late onslaught. A half-clearance was met by a bullet shot from Barlow which blurred past Swanson en route to the top right-hand corner of the net.
Halkirk could have ended up going out of the competition as a follow-up attack was quelled by a blatant but unpunished push on an opponent by Colin Munro in the sixyard box.
The first half of extra time passed relatively uneventfully, with Dornoch substitute Shawn Gorman wasting a decent chance and Richard Munro doing well to deny Murray Coghill.
An evenly poised game soon imploded for the visitors, whose cause was not helped when injury robbed them of defensive anchorman Barry Graham.
There was a sign of things to come within a minute of the turnaround when Richard Munro dived smartly to turn a stinging shot from Fearns past the post.
From the corner, Murray again got his reading of the wind spot-on as his delivery sailed over everybody into the far corner of the net.
Murray Coghill then weighed in with a double on 111 and 118 minutes to settle the contest. He showed commendable poise in slotting in the first when put in the clear and then netted with a neat chip which went in off a post.
Mark Munro got his second right at the death to make it 6-2.
Dornoch's Turner, Alan Geegan, Graham and Shepherd were all cautioned, as was United's Gary Coghill.
Dornoch manager Willie Geegan said: "I felt we were always in with a chance in the game until we lost Barry, which was a really big blow to us.
"Our discipline could have been a bit better but we played okay and we could have got the win had a decision or two gone in our favour."
His Halkirk counterpart Ian MacDonald was delighted to get back in the winning groove.
He said: "It took a good while for us to get going. We hadn't won for a while and it was only when we got a couple of goals that we loosened up and started to play."
The downside was a knee injury to Michael Bremner which resulted in him hobbling about on crutches the following day. His absence further reduces the already limited striking options open to the manager.
Derek Shearer should return to the squad for tomorrow's home league match against Bunillidh Thistle, which kicks off at 1.30pm.
Halkirk United: Swanson, Mackay, C.
Munro, MacDonald, M. Coghill, Inrig, Farquhar, G. Coghill (Martin 81), M.
Munro, Bremner (Fearns 68), Murray (Florence 109).
Referee: W. Sinclair.
Halkirk have a home tie in the semifinals of the cup versus Balintore, who had an excellent 3-2 win over Golspie.
Another shock saw an exit for league leaders Alness United after an eventful tussle at Bonar Bridge.
Alness went ahead after the early sending-off of Brian Davidson but Bonar levelled and went on to prevail 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out.
Bonar now play at home to Invergordon, 4-2 victors over Tain.
IF Halkirk's MSIS North Caledonian season is to have a silver lining, it is going to have to come through victory in a knockout competition.
Mired in mid-table, detached from the title race, their only chance of avoiding another trophyless campaign is in one of the three remaining cups.
They have more than a fighting chance to do the business in the North Caledonian Cup. On Saturday, they battled their way through to the last four of the tournament to which the league's current top three have all bade their farewells.
The four goals in the second half of extra time gave an unwarranted gloss to their win against Dornoch.
For long spells, Halkirk were less than convincing against their Sutherland opponents who deservedly held the lead for twothirds of regulation time.
A close-range Mark Munro header and a wind-assisted free kick from Martin Murray then looked to be decisive before Scott Barlow notched his second with a glorious late strike to send the game into overtime.
The wind blowing down the pitch towards the riding-centre end strengthened in the course of the game and by the end was causing major problems.
The first chance, after 12 minutes, was created inadvertently by Dornoch defender David Beaton after his pass-back came up short. Keeper Richard Munro got him out of jail by dashing from his box to reach the ball fractionally before Michael Bremner.
Two minutes later came a moment of controversy when Marc Swanson needed to retreat a couple of steps to clutch Paul Beaton's high, looping free kick. His continued backward movement as he made the catch took him a stride behind his line but the match officials were unmoved by vociferous appeals that the ball had also crossed.
Dornoch forged in from after 17 minutes when Swanson could not hold a low, driven free kick from Davie Shepherd. Barlow stabbed home the follow-up from six yards.
Halkirk's midfield was struggling to generate any rhythm or momentum and it was the visitors who carried the greater threat in attack.
A snap 25-yarder from Michael Turner whizzed just over, then Swanson did well to scramble back to keep out a clever lob from Paul Beaton.
At the other end, Mark Munro passed up a half-chance with a weak shot into the side-netting after 23 minutes.
Halkirk's best opportunity of the half was created after 32 minutes with one of their few inspired moves which saw play quickly switched from right to left. Murray Coghill set up his brother Gary, who fired wide.
A minute from the interval, a teasing cross from Willie Inrig found Martin Murray whose header was on target but lacked the power to beat Richard Munro.
Halkirk took advantage of playing with the elements after the break to press hard for the equaliser.
After 48 minutes, Gary Coghill was left unattended at the far post but found the angle too tight and his attempted finish bobbled across the goal.
Four minutes later Mark Munro stole in on goal but was thwarted when his shot came off the legs of the keeper.
Halkirk missed out again after 54 minutes when Bremner did the spadework only to see Gary Coghill miss the target from close in.
Just as the home support was beginning to wonder where a goal would come from, one arrived out of the blue.
There seemed no immediate danger when Martin Murray swung over a free kick a couple of yards from the right touchline after 65 minutes.
But the swirling wind propelled it over the cluster of players in the six-yard box and high into the net at the junction of the post and the bar, despite a despairing attempted headed clearance by Paul Beaton.
Seven minutes later, United grabbed the lead when a slick move ended with Mark Munro stooping to net Alan Farquhar's pinpoint cross.
Neil Fearns' introduction gave a fresh problem for the Dornoch defence and he twice came close with a downward header and a snap shot, both of which Richard Munro did well to block.
The sting in the tail came after the home defence looked to have survived a late onslaught. A half-clearance was met by a bullet shot from Barlow which blurred past Swanson en route to the top right-hand corner of the net.
Halkirk could have ended up going out of the competition as a follow-up attack was quelled by a blatant but unpunished push on an opponent by Colin Munro in the sixyard box.
The first half of extra time passed relatively uneventfully, with Dornoch substitute Shawn Gorman wasting a decent chance and Richard Munro doing well to deny Murray Coghill.
An evenly poised game soon imploded for the visitors, whose cause was not helped when injury robbed them of defensive anchorman Barry Graham.
There was a sign of things to come within a minute of the turnaround when Richard Munro dived smartly to turn a stinging shot from Fearns past the post.
From the corner, Murray again got his reading of the wind spot-on as his delivery sailed over everybody into the far corner of the net.
Murray Coghill then weighed in with a double on 111 and 118 minutes to settle the contest. He showed commendable poise in slotting in the first when put in the clear and then netted with a neat chip which went in off a post.
Mark Munro got his second right at the death to make it 6-2.
Dornoch's Turner, Alan Geegan, Graham and Shepherd were all cautioned, as was United's Gary Coghill.
Dornoch manager Willie Geegan said: "I felt we were always in with a chance in the game until we lost Barry, which was a really big blow to us.
"Our discipline could have been a bit better but we played okay and we could have got the win had a decision or two gone in our favour."
His Halkirk counterpart Ian MacDonald was delighted to get back in the winning groove.
He said: "It took a good while for us to get going. We hadn't won for a while and it was only when we got a couple of goals that we loosened up and started to play."
The downside was a knee injury to Michael Bremner which resulted in him hobbling about on crutches the following day. His absence further reduces the already limited striking options open to the manager.
Derek Shearer should return to the squad for tomorrow's home league match against Bunillidh Thistle, which kicks off at 1.30pm.
Halkirk United: Swanson, Mackay, C.
Munro, MacDonald, M. Coghill, Inrig, Farquhar, G. Coghill (Martin 81), M.
Munro, Bremner (Fearns 68), Murray (Florence 109).
Referee: W. Sinclair.
Halkirk have a home tie in the semifinals of the cup versus Balintore, who had an excellent 3-2 win over Golspie.
Another shock saw an exit for league leaders Alness United after an eventful tussle at Bonar Bridge.
Alness went ahead after the early sending-off of Brian Davidson but Bonar levelled and went on to prevail 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out.
Bonar now play at home to Invergordon, 4-2 victors over Tain.