Match report - Thurso F.C 3 V Bonar Bridge 1 - PCT Cup First Round - Saturday 8th November 2003 - Report by Iain Grant

The Vikings made heavy weather of seeing off Bonar to progress to the second round of the PCT Cup. What looked a relatively undemanding assignment against the league's bottom side on Saturday turned into a hard slog. Bonar belied their lowly status, with their strikeforce in particular posing no shortage of problems for the out-of-sorts home rearguard.

When the Sutherland side took the lead midway through the first half, they nurtured hopes of repeating their shock opening league defeat over their hosts. But a freak goal from Lee MacDougall made it 1-1 at the break and Thurso pulled clear with goals from Ross Sutherland and Alan Murray to grind out a hard-earned win.

Bonar's dimunitive young frontman Garry Macleod impressed with some good touches and movement early on. He fashioned the first opening of the day after nine minutes when a lighting fast turn took him clear down the left with his cross inviting a diving header from Gordon McRae which just cleared the cross-bar. Thurso, who had five changes from the previous week, struggled to get any flow to their game, with overhit passes a common source of breakdowns.

It was 15 minutes before they had a strike on goal with Alan Murray's effort blocked. After 16 minutes, Macleod's angled pass for Steve Doogan required Adam Bokas to race from his box and arrive fractionally ahead of the Bonar player to hoof clear. Two minutes later, Thurso had a penalty when Luke Cassidy was sent crashing to the ground by Scott Clark after the young striker prepared to shoot from eight yards out after a pinpoint through-ball from Martin Baker.

Clark escaped censure and Bonar keeper Scott Lannon ensured his team escaped scot-free when he dived to his left to keep out Gavin Bremner's spot-kick. Things got worse for the home men when they fell behind after 23 minutes.

There seemed no immediate danger when Macleod picked up a loose ball 25 yards but he took aim and unleashed a cracking low shot which finished in the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Bonar had their tails up and Bokas did well to get to a wicked 27th minute free-kick from McRae. Referee Donald Anderson had another big call to make after 28 minutes when Murray sped past Michael Bonner only to be unceremoniously hauled to the ground. Mr Anderson awarded the free-kick and then, rather generously, showed just a yellow card to Bonner, who was his side's last outfield defender who could prevent Murray running in on goal.

The free-kick came to nothing but Thurso did level two minutes later when Lee MacDougall's driven cross from wide out on the right eluded everbody and sneaked in at the far post.

The home side looked to have gone ahead a minute later when Murray had the ball in the net but he was adjudged to have fouled Bonner en route to goal.

Bokas almost gifted Bonar the lead again after 35 minutes when he fluffed a clearance into the path of Macleod. The youngster opted for an early chip-shot which looked a winner all the way only for Bokas's blushes to be spared when the ball clipped the outside of his left-hand post.

The last chance of the half came two minutes from the interval when Lannon did well to deflect a MacDougall piledriver past the post.

Half-time - Thurso 1 V Bonar Bridge 1

The game was lost for the visitors in the third quarter when they were starved of ball as Thurso started to play to their potential. Several half-chances came and went before the home men forged into the lead after 53 minutes when Sutherland rose ahead of Lannon to net Cassidy's chipped cross from the right corner of the penalty box.

Even then, Bonar threatened on the counter with Macleod again showing good pace and control as he surged down the right to set up Doogan. As Doogan primed to shoot, the back-tracking Baker pulled off a superbly timed blocking challenge which took the sting out of the finish and allowed Bokas to make a comfortable save.

Bonar's frustration at being denied possession for long spells was vented in some rash challenges which led to bookings for Paul McLaren and Stephen MacLeod. MacDougall's neat flick from Bremner's free-kick after 65 minutes produced a fine stop from Lannon who a minute later could only watch and pray as team-mate Kevin Munro's rushed clearance cracked off the right post and out for a corner.

The third goal arrived on 67 minutes when Bremner sent Murray racing through on Lannon. The striker looked a yard or two offside but the flag stayed down and he went on to net with a measured finish.

The Vikings appeared to turn on the collective snooze button for the rest of the game during which Bonar were presented with a hatful of decent chances. A lazy clearance from Kevin Warner after 68 minutes tee-ed up Kevin Munro for a shot which whistled just wide.

Bonar substitute Shane Sutherland could have bagged a hat-trick despite being on the pitch for only the last 20 minutes. He was denied by a brave block from Bokas after 78 minutes and within five minutes had two powerful shots which both missed the target by inches, with the keeper beaten.

Another late sub, Jocky Begg also showed up well with some classic wing play. The last action right at the death saw Thurso debutant Graham Angus set up Murray who made a hash of his attempted finish from the six yard line.

Thurso have no game on Saturday with their next match away to Invergordon in the second round of the cup.

Thurso v Bonar Bridge: Bokas, Baker, Warner, Farmer, Bremner, Inrig, R.Sutherland,
J.MacKenzie (Angus 83), Cassidy (Coghill 67), A.Murray, L.MacDougall (J.Begg 83).

Ref: Mr D. Anderson.