Match report –Golspie 1 V Thurso 3 – Saturday 1^st of May 2004 – by Iain Grant

Thurso completed their MSIS North Caley League programme on a defiant note with a convincing victory over the champions on their own patch.

It was Golspie's first league reverse at home and they were only thankful the margin was kept in the realms of the respectable.

Darren Pullen's last minute counter put a gloss on a score-line which did not reflect the upper hand which the visitors held throughout the contest.

Goals by the in-form Jamie MacKenzie and Luke Cassidy had their tails up by the break and they had a steady diet of further chances before substitute Mark Nichol added a third with 12 minutes remaining.

Thurso settled well into a 4-4-2 formation with their patient but creative build-up play complemented by a lively and incisive strikeforce.

On a glorious, sunny day, the visitors quickly showed the menace they were to carry when slick interplay from Nigel MacKenzie, Gavin Bremner and Jamie MacKenzie set up a chance for Cassidy whose 20 yard effort narrowly missed the target.

After eight minutes, Kevin Warner, who was finding oodles of space down the left flank, set up Phil Makhouli for a shot which was well stopped by Ian Young.

Jamie MacKenzie almost produced the breakthrough after 15 minutes when he bamboozled several defenders before unleashing a shot which had Young beaten only to ricochet to safety off a defender.

Bremner had a decent effort before Jamie MacKenzie grabbed the opener when he got on the end of a slick move to steer a 20 yard shot past Young.

It was 32 minutes before the subdued home outfit produced their first goal threat.

The chance fell to Pullen who lifted the ball over the bar as Thompson raced from his goal.

Thurso went two up after 35 minutes with a cracking goal made by Makhouli, who was slotting in well to his midfield role.

Makhouli breezed down the right and crossed for Cassidy to net with a spanking volley from six yards.

A minute later, Makhouli blotted his copy-book when he failed to convert an uncontested header from a Martin MacGregor corner.

The pressure was unrelenting and after 40 minutes Ian Coghill was unlucky to see his curling effort produce a fingertip save from Young.

Golspie's frustration with the pattern of the game came to the boil shortly after the interval when Martin McAllister made the latest of a series of rash tackles on Cassidy.

An angry exchange between the pair ended with McAllister motioning with his head towards the Thurso striker.

He was fortunate the card flourished at him was only yellow and Golspie manager Stuart Sutherland showed good judgement in withdrawing the defender from the fray two minutes later.

Nigel MacKenzie went close with a 60th minute free-kick as Thurso continued to hold all the aces.

They should have added to their lead after 69 minutes when MacGregor crossed for Nichol who headed over from prime position.

MacGregor and Jamie MacKenzie both saw efforts wide before Nichol latched on to a sloppy pass-back to slot the ball past Young from 12 yards.

Golspie almost got one back nine minutes from time when Thompson had to look lively to keep out a tasty strike from Shane Sutherland.

From the resultant corner, MacGregor came to his keeper's aid when he was on hand beside a post to bundle Gary Anderson's header off the line.

A corner was the source of Golspie's belated consolation when Pullen was credited with getting the final touch.

Thurso manager Duncan Gray is not easily impressed but even he was effusive in his praise of how his side had performed.

"I thought we did  really well," said the manager who has piloted the side to five trophies in two seasons.

"I thought we bossed the whole game from start to finish.

"We got to grips with them early on, passed the ball really well and our guys up front pulled their defence all over the place."

Thurso have scored four wins in their six tussles with title rivals Golspie, Balintore and Alness.

That should have laid the platform for a title defence but five points lost to Bonar Bridge and Tain in the early part of the season were crucial, as was a second half collapse which saw the Vikings lose 3-1 to Golspie at the Dammies at the end of November.

A key problem has been the lack of a regular keeper with Thompson the eighth used this season.

Saturday's game was hastily arranged after Thurso's scheduled trip to Helmsdale was called off after Bunillidh Thistle failed to raise a side.

That fixture will not now be played.

If, as expected, the league committee award the points to Thurso, it will enable the Vikings to leapfrog Alness into third spot.

Thurso: A. Thompson, Coghill, Warner (Sutherland 75), Moar, Forbes, MacGregor, Makhouli, Bremner, N. MacKenzie (Begg 71), J. MacKenzie, Cassidy (Nichol 60).