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View Full Version : well done Caithness !!



Brizer2k2
19-Jun-04, 10:24
Congratulations to Caithness inter county football team who followed up a double win at senior and under-18 level against Sutherland two weeks ago with a 6-1 win at senior level in Castletown and 5-1 at under-18 level at Dunnet against Orkney

Caithness seniors 6 V Orkney 1 at Back Park, Castletown

Caithness Under-18's 5 V Orkney Under-18's 1 at Ham Park, Dunnet

Report from the seniors game:-
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Orkney hit for six as Caithness regain the Archer Shield

Caithness . . . . . 6
Orkney . . . . . . . . 1

A SUPERCHARGED second half propelled Caithness to a stunning victory over their island rivals in Castletown on Saturday.

The win, by one of the biggest margins in recent history, ended Orkney's three-year tenure of the Archer Shield and completed a quickfire county double for Caithness.

Unlike the previous week's nail-biting success over Sutherland, which was decided by a penalty shoot-out, the outcome of Saturday's tussle was settled well before the end.

A tense first half bookended by a goal for either side had spectators fully expecting another close-run affair.

But Orkney's goose was well and truly cooked after they conceded three goals in 13 minutes soon after the resumption.

Their defence was to be badly exposed on a clutch of other occasions and the eventual winning margin by no means flattered the hosts.

Caithness had just one change to the previous week's starting line-up, Martin MacGregor being promoted from the bench to replace the unavailable Lee MacDougall wide on the left.

Orkney included Mark O'Brien, the former Acks defender from Melvich, who is working on the islands.

Latecomers missed an action-packed start with both sides having early chances before Orkney's 15th-minute opener.

After two minutes Jamie MacKenzie passed up a golden opportunity, though credit should go to keeper James Linklater for getting down to make a courageous point-blank stop.

Four minutes later, Michael Gray did very well to keep out a good effort from Dougie Omand.

Orkney's Neil MacDonald and Steven Poke were foraging to good effect up front and the former, in particular, was to prove a constant source of menace for the Caithness back three.

The goal came direct from a free kick with Andy Corsie's effort skiffing off Alan Sutherland's head before sailing over Gray into the net.

Orkney's Adam Stanger then sent a stinging effort just over before Jamie MacKenzie went close to converting from a Gavin Bremner cross.

An even contest was, if anything, tipping the way of the visitors, though Caithness finished the half the stronger.

After 33 minutes, MacGregor jinked down the wing before delivering what should have been a telling cross. Alan Murray's header was too straight and allowed Linklater to first parry and then recover well to smother the ball as the striker was poised to hammer in the rebound.

Stanger saw another powerful longranger narrowly miss the target and MacDonald was inches wide with a low, angled shot across Gray after being played in by Omand.

In between these attempts, a long throw from Brian Gray was flicked by Jamie MacKenzie into the path of Hamish Boyd whose overhead effort was safely caught by Linklater.

Caithness were level five minutes from the interval when Jamie MacKenzie's measured pass saw Murray racing through unchallenged before slotting the ball past Linklater from just inside the box.

In the final action of the half, Michael Gray was well placed to hold a fiercelystruck free kick from Wayne Monkman.

The early minutes of the second period gave no hint of the woes that were to befall the islanders.

The first chance, indeed, fell to them with Michael Gray at full stretch to beat away a shot from dangerman MacDonald after he made space for himself down the inside-right channel.

Caithness took the lead after 50 minutes following a glorious move finished off by Nigel MacKenzie.

MacGregor was left unmarked down the right flank with his cross eliciting a marvellous volleyed lay-off by Jamie MacKenzie to his brother Nigel, who had the simplest of tasks to tap into the empty net.

Orkney's defence was at sixes and sevens and there were a couple of selfinflicted scares before they fell further behind. The same trio of tormentors were involved with Nigel MacKenzie's pass finding MacGregor with time and space to execute a cross which Jamie MacKenzie controlled on the penalty spot before sending an unstoppable drive past Linklater.

It got even worse for Orkney after 63 minutes when they needlessly conceded possession deep in their own half to allow Nigel MacKenzie to race through and net.

Three minutes later, the Orkney defence survived a strong appeal for a penalty when Murray appeared to be upended by Linklater in the box.

Omand had an effort which went just wide after 70 minutes but it was a temporary respite. A minute later, the horror show for the visitors continued.

The alarm bells were again ringing as Nigel MacKenzie waltzed down the left flank before cutting in and attempting to pick out one of several colleagues hovering about the six-yard box.

The danger appeared to be defused when his pass found a defender but his panicky clearance rebounded off a team-mate, with the ball landing kindly for Murray who rifled home from eight yards.

Bremner, Murray and Jamie MacKenzie all went close before the final goal six minutes from the end.

It fell to Jamie MacKenzie, who was first to react after his header from a corner came back off the crossbar, following up to side-foot into the net from close range.

Caithness: M. Gray, B. Gray, Warner, Boyd, Sutherland (Fearns 25), MacGregor, G. Bremner, Inrig (Steven 73), N. MacKenzie, J. MacKenzie, Murray (M. Bremner 73).

Orkney: Linklater, Garson, Corsie (Kirkpatrick 45), Groundwater, Risbridger, O'Brien, Monkman, Stanger (Paterson 75), Omand, MacDonald (Anderson 83), Poke.

Referee: B. Gunn, Thurso

report from The Under-18's match:-
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Five-star show as Caithness U18s keep up the good work

Caithness U18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Orkney U18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CAITHNESS youngsters made it two wins in a row on Saturday with a surprisingly comfortable victory at Ham Park, Dunnet, over their Orkney counterparts.

While the visitors had no shortage of skill and endeavour in their ranks, they failed to gel as a team. They struggled for much of the game against an unyielding defence, an inventive midfield and a potent strikeforce.

The Caithness starting line-up showed three changes from their 2-1 victory over Sutherland. Stuart Florence replaced the injured Alan Davies at the heart of the defence and the previous week's match-winner Kevin Swanson came off the bench to join his brother Jamie for the unavailable Kyle Ross and Marc Keith.

Caithness drew first blood in the seventh minute when Alan Farquhar sent Sandy Sutherland though on goal. Sutherland shrugged off a challenge by a defender before side-footing past keeper Danny Bain.

The visitors responded with a fierce 20yarder from skipper Martyn Whyte which was well held by James More.

Sutherland and fellow striker Fraser Welsh were proving more than a handful up front, with Orkney's threat confined to the occasional counter-attack.

After 21 minutes, Welsh rode several tackles down the left before centring for Kevin Swanson whose venomous net-bound strike was deflected wide.

A miskick from Kevin Swanson almost did the trick a minute later when it fell to Sutherland, whose close-range shot produced a brave block from Bain.

Caithness went two up after 24 minutes when Martin Sinclair's astute pass saw Welsh take the ball round Bain before lashing the ball into the net from an acute angle.

Two minutes later, Lybster's Roy Weir fell foul of referee Sandy Mowat for a late tackle which brought a booking.

Caithness were comfortably in control with Alan Farquhar calling the shots in midfield and John Farquhar featuring with several long-range electric breaks.

The latter's involvement was ended two minutes after the interval when he was the victim of a dreadful tackle by Calum Elder which left the Wick Thistle youngster requiring prolonged treatment before hobbling off.

The contest was then effectively ended with two goals in four minutes.

Alan Farquhar was the architect for the first after 49 minutes when he fed Sutherland, who lofted the ball over the outrushing Bain to make it 3-0.

Three minutes later, Colin McKiddie made an immediate impact after coming on for John Farquhar. His goal had a fair amount of good fortune, as his first attempt as he chased Sandy Sutherland's through ball on the edge of the box was a fresh-air shot.

It was enough to wrong-foot Bain and McKiddie held his composure to net with his second effort.

Orkney, to their credit, continued to play some decent football and substitute Stephen Budge was unlucky to see a stinging shot finish just wide after 55 minutes.

Chances, however, continued to build up at the other end and McKiddie was unable to convert a decent opening after 58 minutes.

The fifth goal after 65 minutes fell to fellow sub Andrew Falconer, who connected with a sublime volley from the edge of the box which rocketed into the net.

Orkney got belated reward for their nonstop endeavour six minutes from time when Colin Flett's cross was laid back by Craig Gillon to allow Budge to sweep the ball home.

Late on Welsh had two openings, hitting the side-net with the first and crashing the ball against the crossbar with the second.

Elder, who had walked the tightrope with several crude challenges after his booking, tested Mr Mowat's patience once too often and was sent off after picking up his second booking for a lunge on Alan Farquhar.

The Caithness management team of Ali Webster and Ian Munro were delighted with the all-round display of their players.

Alan Farquhar took the eye for another commanding display in midfield, and Sutherland and Welsh again combined well up front.

But the team performance was based on a solid defence in which Stuart Florence and Stuart Sinclair did not put a foot wrong all day.

Skipper Alan Farquhar received the Corinthian Cup from Caithness AFA president Murray Mackay.

Caithness: More, S. Sinclair, J. Swanson (Falconer 61), Florence, M. Sinclair, A. Farquhar, Weir, K. Swanson, J. Farquhar (McKiddie 49), Welsh, S. Sutherland (Banks 65). Sub not used: L. Sutherland.

Orkney: Bain, White (Budge 60), Elder, Ryrie, Gillon, Anderton, Whyte, Leask (Gray 73), Sutherland, Flett, Mathiesen (Tait 65).

Referee: S. Mowat, Thurso.