Match report - Thurso 6 V Halkirk United 2 at The Dammies on Saturday the 20th September 2003

Thurso – M.Gray, B.Gray, Farmer, A.Sutherland(Chessor 84), R.Sutherland, Bremner(N.Murray 84), A.Murray(I.Coghill 70), Inrig, J.MacKenzie, Morris, MacDougall.

Halkirk – Swanson, G.Coghill, Martin, L.Mackay, S.Sinclair, G.Mackay, M.Bremner, G.Steven(MacLeod), Henstridge, M.Murray, M.Munro(G.Gunn). Other sub – D.Munro

Thurso took the lead after 39 minutes of the first half when Jamie MacKenzie released Alan Murray through on Swanson in goal for Halkirk and the striker beat the big keeper low down to his right with an angled shot from 12 yards into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Thurso held this lead in the interval and increased their lead in the 61st minute with an excellent move involving Alan Murray who held play up and played a ball down the left wing to Lee MacDougall who made his way to the by line and whipped in a great ball to Willie Inrig who thumped the ball high into the net from close range.

This started a scoring burst of 4 goals in six minutes. Thurso increased their lead again after 63 minutes as Lee MacDougall was once again the provider with a left wing cross which was headed home from six yards by Alan Murray.

The two minutes later Inrig was brought crashing down in the box and Brian Gray stepped up to lash the ball past Swanson to make it 4-0 to Thurso.

After 67 minutes Halkirk pulled a goal back when a Murray cross was flicked past Michael Gray from 2 yards.

With twelve minutes to go Thurso made it 5-1 when Alan Sutherland forced the ball over the line as a Gavin Bremner corner was headed across goal by Ryan Farmer.

In the 83rd minute Thurso made it 6-1 when Lee MacDougall bizarrely miss timed a header in front of goal heading the ball back out towards Gavin Bremner who flighted the ball into the top right hand corner of the net with Swanson back peddling but was beaten all ends up.

Halkirk pulled another consolation goal back in the 86th minute when Martin Murray headed a Des MacLeod cross from the right past Michael Gray to make the final score Thurso 6 V Halkirk 2 and book Thurso's place in the semi-finals of the Port Services Cup at home to Invergordon in two weeks time.