Post by Brian Mackay on Dec 15, 2004 22:00:31 GMT
Balintore 0 Thurso 2 - report by Iain Grant
The MSIS North Caley championship race is hotting up with the dogfight involving the top three showing no sign of abating.
Alness United are certain to go into the new year in pole position following their excellent 3-1 home win over holders Golspie on Saturday.
It was the Sutherland side's first league reverse of the campaign and it allowed Thurso to climb above them following their victory in Balintore.
Headed goals in each half from Jamie MacKenzie and Mark Nichol wrapped up the Vikings' sixth straight league win to keep Alness firmly in their sights.
Before MacKenzie's strike just before the half-hour mark, Thurso had nothing to show for their dominance.
They had carved out a clutch of openings which went all went by the board through a combination of sloppy finishing and some impressive keeping by Eddie Shearer.
Lee MacDougall and Alan Murray passed up the best of the opportunities as frustration began to well up among the visitors.
The breakthrough came from a corner when MacKenzie met MacDougall's delivery with a bullet header past Shearer into the top corner.
Balintore enjoyed their best spell in the third quarter when a string of corners reflected the pressure they were applying.
Thurso keeper Michael Gray excelled during this spell with some brave and confident handling.
The home side were undone when they fell two behind after 71 minutes.
MacDougall was again the creator with a foray down his left wing beat and an inch-perfect cross which produced a firm header from Nichol, which flashed past Shearer at his near post.
Assistant Thurso manager Richard Hughes was delighted with the hard-earned success.
He said: "Balintore is never an easy place to go.
"We might not have played as well as we could have but we did what we had to do and got a result."
Hughes added: "We had a lot of the ball early on and frustration was starting to set in when the chances did not go in.
"It was good to get the opener and we certainly needed the second one as there was always the feeling that they might sneak an equaliser."
Thurso tomorrow entertain Halkirk in the first of a derby double-header.
Brian Gray remains suspended so the Vikings are likely to keep the same squad.
Hughes, who will be facing his former side for the first time since joining the Thurso management team, believes it will be a good contest.
He said: "Halkirk have a very strong midfield and some useful young guys.
"It's going to be a typical derby and hopefully the weather will behave and we get a good crowd along to watch."
The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 1.30 p.m.
Thurso v Balintore: M. Gray, A. Sutherland, Moar, Warner, Baker (Steven 80), Bremner, R. Sutherland, MacDougall (Bain 80), MacKenzie, Murray, Nichol (Forbes 72).
. Other matches saw Dornoch turn on the style in winning 6-0 at Tain and Bonar Bridge move into joint fourth with a 2-1 victory over Invergordon.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
...........Pl W D L F A Pts
ALNESS 13 11 0 2 50 14 33
THURSO 11 9 2 0 61 9 29
GOLSPIE 11 9 1 1 47 11 28
HALKIRK 11 5 1 5 30 20 16
BALINTORE 12 4 4 4 27 18 16
BONAR 13 5 1 7 25 50 16
DORNOCH 13 4 2 7 32 40 14
INVERGORDON 10 3 2 5 23 31 11
TAIN 14 2 1 11 20 77 7
BUNILLIDH 12 1 0 11 15 60 3
The MSIS North Caley championship race is hotting up with the dogfight involving the top three showing no sign of abating.
Alness United are certain to go into the new year in pole position following their excellent 3-1 home win over holders Golspie on Saturday.
It was the Sutherland side's first league reverse of the campaign and it allowed Thurso to climb above them following their victory in Balintore.
Headed goals in each half from Jamie MacKenzie and Mark Nichol wrapped up the Vikings' sixth straight league win to keep Alness firmly in their sights.
Before MacKenzie's strike just before the half-hour mark, Thurso had nothing to show for their dominance.
They had carved out a clutch of openings which went all went by the board through a combination of sloppy finishing and some impressive keeping by Eddie Shearer.
Lee MacDougall and Alan Murray passed up the best of the opportunities as frustration began to well up among the visitors.
The breakthrough came from a corner when MacKenzie met MacDougall's delivery with a bullet header past Shearer into the top corner.
Balintore enjoyed their best spell in the third quarter when a string of corners reflected the pressure they were applying.
Thurso keeper Michael Gray excelled during this spell with some brave and confident handling.
The home side were undone when they fell two behind after 71 minutes.
MacDougall was again the creator with a foray down his left wing beat and an inch-perfect cross which produced a firm header from Nichol, which flashed past Shearer at his near post.
Assistant Thurso manager Richard Hughes was delighted with the hard-earned success.
He said: "Balintore is never an easy place to go.
"We might not have played as well as we could have but we did what we had to do and got a result."
Hughes added: "We had a lot of the ball early on and frustration was starting to set in when the chances did not go in.
"It was good to get the opener and we certainly needed the second one as there was always the feeling that they might sneak an equaliser."
Thurso tomorrow entertain Halkirk in the first of a derby double-header.
Brian Gray remains suspended so the Vikings are likely to keep the same squad.
Hughes, who will be facing his former side for the first time since joining the Thurso management team, believes it will be a good contest.
He said: "Halkirk have a very strong midfield and some useful young guys.
"It's going to be a typical derby and hopefully the weather will behave and we get a good crowd along to watch."
The match at Sir Georges Park kicks off at 1.30 p.m.
Thurso v Balintore: M. Gray, A. Sutherland, Moar, Warner, Baker (Steven 80), Bremner, R. Sutherland, MacDougall (Bain 80), MacKenzie, Murray, Nichol (Forbes 72).
. Other matches saw Dornoch turn on the style in winning 6-0 at Tain and Bonar Bridge move into joint fourth with a 2-1 victory over Invergordon.
MSIS NORTH CALEDONIAN LEAGUE
...........Pl W D L F A Pts
ALNESS 13 11 0 2 50 14 33
THURSO 11 9 2 0 61 9 29
GOLSPIE 11 9 1 1 47 11 28
HALKIRK 11 5 1 5 30 20 16
BALINTORE 12 4 4 4 27 18 16
BONAR 13 5 1 7 25 50 16
DORNOCH 13 4 2 7 32 40 14
INVERGORDON 10 3 2 5 23 31 11
TAIN 14 2 1 11 20 77 7
BUNILLIDH 12 1 0 11 15 60 3