Thurso  5 V Tain 2 – Saturday the 13^th of December 2003 – MSIS North Caledonian League - Match report by Iain Grant

The Vikings recovered from the shock of conceding a 25 second goal to end the day three in front of their Easter Ross visitors.

The final score-line was emphatic enough but the manner of its achievement was less than convincing with Tain seriously discomfiting their hosts during a 10 minute spell midway through the second half.

After Neil MacDonald levelled the scores at 2-2, there were several further scares around Alan Bokas's goal before a Gavin Bremner penalty restored Thurso's lead which was stretched by two late strikes by Ross Sutherland and WIllie Inrig's second.

A cold, wet afternoon for the MSIS North Caledonian League tussle saw Tain, making their second trip in a row to Caithness, grab an opener without an opponent having touched the ball.

From the kick-off, a straightforward move played in Kenny Fraser who took full advantage even though his finish was a less than clean strike.

Inrig went close twice from a shot and than a header before his side restored equality from the penalty spot after seven minutes.

Andrew Sutherland upended Alan Murray as he charged into the box and Bremner made a neat job of the conversion.

Thurso went on to dominate the first half which was a tale of spurned opportunities.

After 17 minutes, Andrew Sutherland was again the villain of the peace when he crudely chopped down Luke Cassidy after the latter had executed a deft flick on to Bremner.

Bremner had a clear run on  goal but referee David Anderson pulled play back to caution the Tain wing-back.

Thurso danger man Nigel MacKenzie was not seeing enough ball in the first half as his side laid siege to the visiting goal without seeing any reward for their efforts.

After 27 minutes, Cassidy was then just unable to get a touch to the winger's inswinging cross shortly before Tain keeper Ally MacLeod did well to block Murray's attempted finish when he was put in the clear by Alan Sutherland.

The chances continued to come thick and fast with Lee MacDougall marginally off target with a low angled strike and Murray unable to find the target after another lightning raid.

Cassidy did have the ball in the net after 29 minutes only to be ruled offside with the striker again denied shortly after  MacLeod palmed away his powerful effort.

The pressure was temporarily relieved after 34 minutes when a rapid counter saw Fraser and Jamie Morrison exchange passes before the latter sent a header just over.

The template of the game was soon restored with a minute later Macleod doing well to use his legs to again frustrate Murray.

After the series of let-offs, the goal which put Thurso ahead at the interval came right out of the blue.

MacLeod made his only boob of the game when he flapped at Ross Sutherland's high, arching cross made from the shadow of the left corner flag two minutes from the break.

The keeper's frantic efforts to reclaim the loose ball as it grounded on the line beside the near post were foiled when Inrig slid in to net.

With Nigel MacKenzie more gainfully employed after the interval, Thurso looked set to run up a score.

Murray was unlucky not to finish off good work by Nigel MacKenzie five minutes after the restart while a slip by Andrew Sutherland then saw Cassidy give Ross Sutherland a clear opening, only for the midfielder to blaze over from six yards.

After 58 minutes, a Bremner corner whipped in from the left went straight into the net but the effort was disallowed after Mr Anderson spotted Cassidy having a fly shove at an opponent.

Two minutes later, a Ross Sutherland head-flick put Cassidy in with MacLeod spreading himself to deflect the shot past for a corner.

Tain showed they were not a spent force attacking-wise after 63 minutes when Morrison foray down the right saw him cut in and discharge an angled shot.

Bokas did well to parry but the ball broke up kindly into the path of Fraser.

The veteran mistimed his header, which was blocked, but Morrison followed up to score from two yards.

This presaged a dodgy period for the home side with Bokas having to look sharp to keep out Kenny MacNab's long-ranger and the keeper then excelling with a dive to his left to get to a low, stinging shot  from Fraser.

In between these efforts, Bremner charged through on to a though-ball only for a poor touch to allow Macleod to come out to gather on the edge of his box.

Thurso regrouped and Nigel MacKenzie was inches away from restoring the lead after 69 minutes.

He bamboozled two opponents before fizzing a ball across goal which ended with Andrew Sutherland having keeper MacLeod to thank for not adding an OG to his earlier booking.

A minute later, Nigel MacKenzie was to the fore again as he sent Murray in on goal with the striker this time being chopped down by Martin Ross, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Nigel MacKenzie.

Bremner stepped up to hammer the spot-kick high past MacLeod.

One of a treble substitution, Phil Makhouli produced a good save from MacLeod after 72 minutes while fellow sub Jamie MacKenzie also went close six minutes later with  a flashing header.

Trialist Jocky Urquhart was booked for a nasty challenge on Makhouli after 84 minutes, with the resultant free-kick resulting in Jamie MacKenzie's neat turn and measured cross from the edge of the box being headed powerfully into the net by Ross Sutherland.

Jamie MacKenzie and Kevin Morris were denied before Thurso grabbed a fifth two minutes from time when Makhouli headed on for Ross Sutherland to back-heel against the post and Inrig on hand to force home the rebound.

Tain's player manager Mark Ford had no complaints in defeat though he though the margin of the defeat was unkind on his troops.

He said: "We didn't really capitalise on the superb start we got.

"Thurso came back well and we rode our luck though the second goal we lost was a bad one.

"We competed well in the second half up until the last 10 minutes when we lost our shape."

Thurso manager Duncan Gray believed his side could have had made the game safe well before Tain got their second goal.

He said: "We seemed to show a bit of nerves which was perhaps as a result of losing the early goal.

"We were well on top for the rest of the first half and early in the second half when we missed four of five really good chances.

"You could then almost see the equaliser coming but once we went ahead for the second time, there was no way back for them."

Thurso: Bokas, A. Sutherland, Warner, Morris, R. Sutherland, Bremner, Inrig, Murray (Gray 72), Cassidy (Makhouli 72),  N. MacKenzie, MacDougall (J. MacKenzie 72).

Ref: Mr D. Anderson.