Post by Brian Mackay on Jul 21, 2007 12:28:18 GMT
Francis Street floored by Nichol’s double hat-trick
By Iain Grant
Published: 20 July, 2007
A RASH of hat-tricks featured in the opening round of the David Allan Shield this week. Three players scored threesomes but pride of place goes to Mark Nichol, who completed the feat twice in the first half of Swifts’ 9-0 rout of Francis Street Club in Wick.
The striker was in lethal form as he bagged six, one from the spot, to monopolise the scoring before the interval. Martyn Cook then weighed in with a well-taken double – one a half-volley and the other a 25-yard switcher – with Lee MacDougall completing the scoring.
Swifts make a quick return to Wick in the last eight for a tasty-looking tussle versus Rovers on Monday.
Sanders Harper’s men ended Pentland United’s hopes of a cup double by defeating them 3-1 at the Upper Bignold. They will be hoping history repeats itself as their defeat of the Dunnet men last year led on to them lifting the trophy.
Colin Sinclair doubled Rovers’ advantage after John Harper had struck before half-time. Brian Gray reduced the deficit but there was no way back for United after Stevie Reid restored the two-goal cushion.
A souped-up second half enabled Wick Thistle to progress at the expense of Ashes.
The match at Ormlie was marred by a nasty injury sustained by Thistle’s young full-back Sean Stewart 10 minutes from half-time. The game was held up for half an hour as the Caithness under-18 player was stretchered into an ambulance and taken to hospital with a suspected leg-break.
At the time, the visitors had most of the play but had failed to convert several gilt-edged chances. After Chris Gunn had shaved the outside of a post five minutes after the interval, Thistle forged ahead with a cracking drive from Gavin Fairweather.
Within 10 minutes, the roof caved in on Ashes as Gunn converted a soft penalty and David Miller scored to mark his return from a prolonged hibernation.
Reserve keeper Ryan Bain came off the bench to grab the fourth, then Liam Bremner surged down the left flank before netting.
David MacGregor pulled one back when he headed in from a corner but Thistle had the final say when Fairweather sent John Martin clear to make it 6-1.
Thistle now entertain John O’Groats, who packed too much punch for second division Lybster. Three unanswered goals in each half saw the Highland Amateur Cup semi-finalists comfortably through in their quest to win their first county trophy.
Kevin Swanson struck first before an opportunist double from Calum Campbell put the visitors firmly in control. Campbell went on to complete his hat-trick before Stuart Sinclair (the elder) and Alan Davis added further goals.
Keith Foubister netted a hat-trick from two headers and a shot as Acks progressed with a 6-2 victory over Top Joe’s at the Dammies.
Murray Coghill and Niall Murray added strikes before the interval as the first division outfit looked set to post a runaway score. But TJ’s staged something of a recovery as Martin Mackay and Mark Hutcheon scored for them before Robert Mackay replied.
Thurso Pentland’s recent mini-revival continued when they battled their way to an extra-time victory over Halkirk. Having leaked 10 goals on their own patch to the village side, Pentland completed a remarkable change in fortunes on their trip to Recreation Park.
Michael Bremner went closest to breaking the deadlock in a goalless first half. Halkirk did take the lead five minutes after the restart with a close-range volley from Ian Adamson.
The home side’s cause was hit when Lee Elder was red-carded with 10 minutes remaining. Pentland had gone close to equalising on several occasions but there was just a minute left when Gary Bell scored to take the tie into extra time.
The town side were well on top but the penalty shoot-out was looming when Adam Sutherland latched onto a through ball to settle the contest.
Pentland now play host to Wick Groats, who were 4-2 victors over Keiss. The village outfit opened and closed the scoring but again found that their opponents packed just too much punch to live with in between.
After Grant MacNab had fired Keiss in front direct from a free kick, Kyle Ross was left unmarked to level with a back-post header before he struck again with a 25-yarder after wrong-footing his marker.
Dean Salim and Graham MacNab went close for Keiss before Greg Shearer made it 3-1 before the break.
Kevin Miller then created the space for player/manager Stewart Ross to extend the lead after Groats were reduced to 10 men following defender Christopher Taylor’s dismissal for a second yellow card.
An angled drive by Graham MacNab reduced the leeway.
In the County League first division, Acks’ 4-1 home win over Thistle confirmed their survival while consigning the Wick men and Thurso Pentland to the drop.
Alan Murray opened the scoring with a clinical strike from just outside the box, and brother Niall doubled the lead before the interval. Murray Coghill added a third before Brian Davidson got one back for the jaded Jags.
Any hope the goal would spark a revival was killed off when Niall Murray scored from close in for his second.
Champions Castletown went 10 points clear at the top after a 2-1 home win over Halkirk on Wednesday.
There was a hint of controversy about Castletown’s opener after 19 minutes. With referee John Munro overruling an offside flag, Alan Farquhar ran through unchallenged and made no mistake.
Halkirk got themselves level four minutes later when Michael Bremner slotted the ball home from a narrow angle.
The winner came with a quarter of an hour to go when Scott Manson was bundled over in the box and Chris Sutherland calmly netted the resultant spot-kick.
Afterwards, the first division trophy was presented to Castletown by Hilary Budge, registration secretary of Caithness AFA.
* Swifts were awarded the points for the recent league fixture in Thurso which Thistle were unable to fulfil.
* In the latest Steven Cup action, Wick Groats are a win away in their section from clinching a place in the final. Kyle Ross got four and there was a double for Andrew Cumming as they crushed FSC 10-0.
* Halkirk over-35s line up against their Wick counterparts tonight in the annual Ronald “Bizz” Mackenzie Memorial Cup. The fixture was due immediately before the recent Eain Mackintosh Cup final but was postponed because of adverse weather.
Fixtures:
Tonight – County League, Division One (7.30): Acks v Castletown. Steven Cup (7.15): Keiss v Lybster. Ronald Mackenzie Memorial Cup (7.00): Halkirk Over-35s v Wick Over-35s (Recreation Park, Halkirk).
Monday (7.15) – David Allan Shield, quarter-finals: Castletown v Acks; Wick Rovers v Swifts; Thurso Pentland v Wick Groats.
Tuesday (7.15) – David Allan Shield, quarter-final: Wick Thistle v John O’Groats.
Wednesday (7.30) – Division One: Rovers v Halkirk.
Thursday (7.15) – Steven Cup: Top Joe’s v Keiss; Wick Groats v Ashes.
Results:
MacLeod IFA Highland Amateur Cup, quarter-finals: John O’Groats 1, Culbokie 0; Pentland United 0, Avoch 3.
County League, Division One: Acks 4, Wick Thistle 1; Castletown 2, Halkirk 1.
David Allan Shield, first round: Acks 6, Top Joe’s 2; Ashes 1, Wick Thistle 6; FSC 0, Swifts 9; Halkirk 1, Thurso Pentland 2 (AET); Lybster 0, John O’Groats 6; Wick Rovers 3, Pentland United 1; Wick Groats 4, Keiss 2.
Steven Cup: Wick Groats 10, FSC 0.
iain-grant@ukf.net
By Iain Grant
Published: 20 July, 2007
A RASH of hat-tricks featured in the opening round of the David Allan Shield this week. Three players scored threesomes but pride of place goes to Mark Nichol, who completed the feat twice in the first half of Swifts’ 9-0 rout of Francis Street Club in Wick.
The striker was in lethal form as he bagged six, one from the spot, to monopolise the scoring before the interval. Martyn Cook then weighed in with a well-taken double – one a half-volley and the other a 25-yard switcher – with Lee MacDougall completing the scoring.
Swifts make a quick return to Wick in the last eight for a tasty-looking tussle versus Rovers on Monday.
Sanders Harper’s men ended Pentland United’s hopes of a cup double by defeating them 3-1 at the Upper Bignold. They will be hoping history repeats itself as their defeat of the Dunnet men last year led on to them lifting the trophy.
Colin Sinclair doubled Rovers’ advantage after John Harper had struck before half-time. Brian Gray reduced the deficit but there was no way back for United after Stevie Reid restored the two-goal cushion.
A souped-up second half enabled Wick Thistle to progress at the expense of Ashes.
The match at Ormlie was marred by a nasty injury sustained by Thistle’s young full-back Sean Stewart 10 minutes from half-time. The game was held up for half an hour as the Caithness under-18 player was stretchered into an ambulance and taken to hospital with a suspected leg-break.
At the time, the visitors had most of the play but had failed to convert several gilt-edged chances. After Chris Gunn had shaved the outside of a post five minutes after the interval, Thistle forged ahead with a cracking drive from Gavin Fairweather.
Within 10 minutes, the roof caved in on Ashes as Gunn converted a soft penalty and David Miller scored to mark his return from a prolonged hibernation.
Reserve keeper Ryan Bain came off the bench to grab the fourth, then Liam Bremner surged down the left flank before netting.
David MacGregor pulled one back when he headed in from a corner but Thistle had the final say when Fairweather sent John Martin clear to make it 6-1.
Thistle now entertain John O’Groats, who packed too much punch for second division Lybster. Three unanswered goals in each half saw the Highland Amateur Cup semi-finalists comfortably through in their quest to win their first county trophy.
Kevin Swanson struck first before an opportunist double from Calum Campbell put the visitors firmly in control. Campbell went on to complete his hat-trick before Stuart Sinclair (the elder) and Alan Davis added further goals.
Keith Foubister netted a hat-trick from two headers and a shot as Acks progressed with a 6-2 victory over Top Joe’s at the Dammies.
Murray Coghill and Niall Murray added strikes before the interval as the first division outfit looked set to post a runaway score. But TJ’s staged something of a recovery as Martin Mackay and Mark Hutcheon scored for them before Robert Mackay replied.
Thurso Pentland’s recent mini-revival continued when they battled their way to an extra-time victory over Halkirk. Having leaked 10 goals on their own patch to the village side, Pentland completed a remarkable change in fortunes on their trip to Recreation Park.
Michael Bremner went closest to breaking the deadlock in a goalless first half. Halkirk did take the lead five minutes after the restart with a close-range volley from Ian Adamson.
The home side’s cause was hit when Lee Elder was red-carded with 10 minutes remaining. Pentland had gone close to equalising on several occasions but there was just a minute left when Gary Bell scored to take the tie into extra time.
The town side were well on top but the penalty shoot-out was looming when Adam Sutherland latched onto a through ball to settle the contest.
Pentland now play host to Wick Groats, who were 4-2 victors over Keiss. The village outfit opened and closed the scoring but again found that their opponents packed just too much punch to live with in between.
After Grant MacNab had fired Keiss in front direct from a free kick, Kyle Ross was left unmarked to level with a back-post header before he struck again with a 25-yarder after wrong-footing his marker.
Dean Salim and Graham MacNab went close for Keiss before Greg Shearer made it 3-1 before the break.
Kevin Miller then created the space for player/manager Stewart Ross to extend the lead after Groats were reduced to 10 men following defender Christopher Taylor’s dismissal for a second yellow card.
An angled drive by Graham MacNab reduced the leeway.
In the County League first division, Acks’ 4-1 home win over Thistle confirmed their survival while consigning the Wick men and Thurso Pentland to the drop.
Alan Murray opened the scoring with a clinical strike from just outside the box, and brother Niall doubled the lead before the interval. Murray Coghill added a third before Brian Davidson got one back for the jaded Jags.
Any hope the goal would spark a revival was killed off when Niall Murray scored from close in for his second.
Champions Castletown went 10 points clear at the top after a 2-1 home win over Halkirk on Wednesday.
There was a hint of controversy about Castletown’s opener after 19 minutes. With referee John Munro overruling an offside flag, Alan Farquhar ran through unchallenged and made no mistake.
Halkirk got themselves level four minutes later when Michael Bremner slotted the ball home from a narrow angle.
The winner came with a quarter of an hour to go when Scott Manson was bundled over in the box and Chris Sutherland calmly netted the resultant spot-kick.
Afterwards, the first division trophy was presented to Castletown by Hilary Budge, registration secretary of Caithness AFA.
* Swifts were awarded the points for the recent league fixture in Thurso which Thistle were unable to fulfil.
* In the latest Steven Cup action, Wick Groats are a win away in their section from clinching a place in the final. Kyle Ross got four and there was a double for Andrew Cumming as they crushed FSC 10-0.
* Halkirk over-35s line up against their Wick counterparts tonight in the annual Ronald “Bizz” Mackenzie Memorial Cup. The fixture was due immediately before the recent Eain Mackintosh Cup final but was postponed because of adverse weather.
Fixtures:
Tonight – County League, Division One (7.30): Acks v Castletown. Steven Cup (7.15): Keiss v Lybster. Ronald Mackenzie Memorial Cup (7.00): Halkirk Over-35s v Wick Over-35s (Recreation Park, Halkirk).
Monday (7.15) – David Allan Shield, quarter-finals: Castletown v Acks; Wick Rovers v Swifts; Thurso Pentland v Wick Groats.
Tuesday (7.15) – David Allan Shield, quarter-final: Wick Thistle v John O’Groats.
Wednesday (7.30) – Division One: Rovers v Halkirk.
Thursday (7.15) – Steven Cup: Top Joe’s v Keiss; Wick Groats v Ashes.
Results:
MacLeod IFA Highland Amateur Cup, quarter-finals: John O’Groats 1, Culbokie 0; Pentland United 0, Avoch 3.
County League, Division One: Acks 4, Wick Thistle 1; Castletown 2, Halkirk 1.
David Allan Shield, first round: Acks 6, Top Joe’s 2; Ashes 1, Wick Thistle 6; FSC 0, Swifts 9; Halkirk 1, Thurso Pentland 2 (AET); Lybster 0, John O’Groats 6; Wick Rovers 3, Pentland United 1; Wick Groats 4, Keiss 2.
Steven Cup: Wick Groats 10, FSC 0.
iain-grant@ukf.net