Caithness Football Fixtures - Saturday 26th March 2005

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Scotads Highland League
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Fraserburgh v Wick Academy at Bellslea Park, Fraserburgh

Fraserburgh Info - http://www.highlandfootballleague.com/clubs/showclub.php?id=8

MSIS North Caledonian League
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Halkirk United V Thurso at Recreation Park, Thurso

both games kick off at 3 p.m

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Team news for this afternoon's Wick Academy game.

From www.highlandleague.net

Fraserburgh v. Wick Academy
The Broch should be at full strength this weekend as they entertain long-distance travellers, Wick Academy, at Bellslea.

Wick, meanwhile, will have to without the services of Alan Sinclair, Steven Reid and the suspended Craig Shearer as they aim to contain title-chasing Fraserburgh.

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Thurso won 4-1 at Halkirk United this afternoon completing their MSIS North Caledonian League campaign just a single point behind champions Alness United. Thurso goals were by Alan Murray, Jamie MacKenzie, Phil Makhouli and Lee MacDougall. Former Thurso midfielder Willie Inrig scored Halkirk United's consolation from the spot.

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Wick lost 3-0 at Fraserburgh.

report from www.highlandleague.net

Fraserburgh record vital win in title chase 26-Mar-2005

The Home team took to the pitch knowing that the only hope they have of taking the league title was probably only going to materialise if they won their last five games of the season. The home team might have been forgiven for being a bit rusty after being out of action for the past month. Wick however have been playing and will have been looking to take advantage of the Broch’s lack of activity.

Michael Stephen was the first one to cause the visitors any trouble with a rasping 25-yard drive whizzing just past the post after just 2 minutes.

On 9 minutes a forty yard long ball from Neil Main sent Stephen down the left flank and a low cross, intended for Ian Murray, was badly dealt with by Wick’s Kevin Miller and he pushed the ball past his own keeper into the net.

On 16 minutes Wick’s Graeme Reid should have levelled things up for the visitors. The ball to him from the left gave him plenty of room on the right with only the keeper to beat. However his shot was straight at Billy Gordon and he dealt with it comfortably.

Gary Weir less than a minute later broke through the Broch defence and Gordon was again called into action this time pulling out a good stop to deny the Wick striker.

Neil Main was the next to threaten for the Broch. His 30-yard piledriver just going past Don McMillan’s right hand post.

McMillan was again called into action on 25 minutes. This time a sting shot from Stephen to contend with. He stopped the shot but couldn’t hold it and the incoming Graeme Johnston looked certain to score but McMillan some how stopped the ball and kept the visitors in the games.

On 38 minutes Stephen got Fraserburgh’s second. Gordon’s kick-out was headed through by Kevin Norris and Stephen was left with the somewhat easy job of tucking it past the Wick keeper.

Fraserburgh started the second half as they had finished the first piling pressure on Wick. The visitors were managing to stop the home side but were having trouble formulating their own attacks and were losing the ball very cheaply.

On 56 minutes Murray was replaced by Gavin Wemyss and on 57 minutes he scored from the penalty spot. Johnston barged in the back by Miller and the ref had no hesitation in awarding the penalty. Wemyss stepped up for his first kick of the game and sent the keeper the wrong way as he put it into McMillan’s bottom right.

Fraserburgh were controlling the game by this point and were all over the visitors. Although dominant they were not producing anything of real quality and no one had threatened McMillan’s goal too much.

This chance on 76 however when an excellent diagonal ball to Wemyss sent him through on goal and with only the keeper to beat McMillan did well to stop the shot.

Wick did however have a good chance against the run of play. A deflected Weir shot fell Ryan Rutherford who should have made it 3-1 but his chip went just over the bar.

On this evidence Fraserburgh didn’t look like a title winning team. However Wick have had some good results of late and had they took their chances in the first half this may have swung the other way and considering the Broch have been out of action for so long they can be forgiven for some ringrust.

Fraserburgh 3 Wick Academy 0
Reporter: Gary Cruden

Other scores
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Brora Rangers 0 v 0 Inverness Clachnacuddin
Buckie Thistle 0 v 1 Fort William
Cove Rangers 1 v 1 Forres Mechanics
Lossiemouth 3 v 2 Deveronvale
Nairn County 2 v 0 Keith
Rothes 0 v 4 Huntly

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Match report from Iain Grant from match between Thurso and Halkirk United last Saturday actually played at The Dammies.

Thurso 4 Halkirk United 1


The Vikings are mulling over what might have been after they completed their MSIS
North Caley campaign on Saturday with a fifth straight victory.

Their latest derby success put them a country mile in front of defending title-holders
Golspie and a tantalising point behind this year's champions, Alness.

The late run of wins could not redress the terminal damage down to Thurso in
the preceding 1-0 defeat at home to their Easter Ross rivals.

Robbie's MacDougall's late strike inflicted what was to be the Vikings' only reverse of
the league campaign as well as providing the springboard for Alness to top the
division.

Saturday's match was scheduled for Halkirk but was switched to the town as
Recreation Park was being used for the country music festival.

The gulf in experience and physique between the two Caithness sides was all too
apparent on Saturday.

United have a young squad full of endeavour and running.

In the likes of Alan Farquhar, Graham MacDonald and John Farquhar, they have
players well capable of stepping up a level.

But apart from a couple of old heads, they lack the match nous and onfield leadership
that can pull through sides when the chips are down.

These qualities come only with experience and there is no doubt Halkirk could mature
into a very useful unit, if they stick together.

Thurso, on the other hand, bristle with experienced and street-wise individuals.

The downside is they have relatively few youngsters and will over the next couple of
seasons face a major rebuilding exercise.

The rather flat atmosphere at Saturday's clash did not live up to previous derby clashes.

The noon kick-off perhaps added to the jaded feel about matches played after the
league champions have already been crowned.

For all that, there was a spicy start to the game with bags of goal-mouth action before
Thurso took the lead after 22 minutes.

Before Alan Murray became the club's leading scorer when he nodded in his 38th of the
season, the visitors had passed up two glaring chances.

Thurso's defence was all too easily opened up after six minutes when MacDonald
spotted Alan Farquhar's unmatched run into the left side of the penalty box.

From 10 yards, Farquhar steered the ball past keeper Michael Gray but also a foot wide
of the far post.

That came after Brian Gray had cut out a first minute opening with a galloping run down
the right wing and a cross which deserved better than Gordie Steven's weak header.

Jamie MacKenzie's booking for dissent after four minutes prevented ref Colin MacLeod
from declaring a clear crime count for the afternoon.

Thurso were soon bossing affairs and forcing their opponents to defend ever more
deeper.

Indecision in the middle of Halkirk's rearguard after eight minutes let in Murray who
was forced too wide to try an effort on goal.

He did however whip in a cross which MacKenzie headed wide when colleague Shaun
Forbes was much better placed to score.

Halkirk had problems throughout the day dealing with corners which Gavin Bremner
delivered with a mix of angle and pace.

One on 12 minutes resulted in Brian Gray's netbound header being nodded clear by
David MacGill from his station inside the left post.

Visiting keeper Sean Henderson did well two minutes to beat away another inswinging
corner.

Forbes saw an effort just over before Alan Farquhar missed another snip at the other
end after 17 minutes.

An injudicious pass-back put Michael Gray in trouble and the keeper's rushed clearance
fell straight to the club's young player-of-the-year.

The young midfielder did not do justice to his deserved accolade as his would-be chip
from 12 yards into the gaping goal was under-struck, allowing Michael Gray to atone for
his earlier error.

Six minutes later, Thurso went in front from a predictable source.

Bremner's looping corner found Murray stooping to meet the ball four yards out from
the far post.

That the striker failed to make a good connection perhaps contributed to Henderson
making a hash of what should have been a routine save.

He succeeded only in helping the ball nestle in the back of the net.

There was precious little to enthuse about for the remainder of the half.

The only incident of note was a decent pot-shot from Martin Murray which produced a
less-than-taxing stop from Michael Gray.

Thurso resumed their supremacy after the break and they were seldom out of opposition territory for the remainder of the match.

They were inches away from doubling their lead after 56 minutes when MacKenzie made
space for himself before rifling in a shot which was deflected back into his path.

From six yards, he wheeled round to bang the rebound netward only for a defender to
get back to somehow hack the ball clear.

It proved a momentary respite as from the next attack, Alan Murray sent a close-range
effort which Henderson perhaps should have done better than touch it on to the base of the right upright.

MacKenzie, this time, made no mistake after again being first to the loose ball.

The home side may have felt this would sap opposition resistance but three minutes
later United were given renewed hope when they won a spot-kick.

MacDonald was upended by Shaun Moar and after a consultation with assistant
Gary MacMillan about the scene of the crime, Mr MacLeod pointed to the spot.

Ex-Viking Willie Inrig made a perfect job of driving the ball low just inside the right post.

The breakthrough did not spur a revival, with the game being put outside's Halkirk's
reach with two goals in two minutes.

The first stemmed from another corner, this one driven hard in from the right by Gordie
Steven on 64 minutes.

If Henderson got a touch, it was the very tip of a glove before the ball smacked off the
meat of the cross-bar.

Again, Thurso got the rub of the green as it fell to Phil Makhouli who had the simple
task of side-footing home.

The fourth was a genuine goal-of-the-season contender at the Dammies over the
MSIS campaign.

A move begun deep in Vikings' territory released Ross Sutherland who unlocked the
defence with a beautifully-crafted chip-pass to Makhouli.

Makhouli cut into the right side of the box and saw his driven cross met by Lee
MacDougall.

MacDougall's full-on drive packed too much energy to be kept out by Henderson's
despairing lunge.

Halkirk's only real efforts in open play after the interval were a long-range shot from
Murray Coghill which flashed over and several close-in headers from Sean Henstridge
which ended up wide of the target.

Thurso were forced to play the last 10 minutes with 10 men after Moar had to retire with a leg knock when the side's three subs had all been committed.

Steven had earlier to leave the action after sustaining a hand injury when he fell
awkwardly.

Thurso: M. Gray, B. Gray, Baker, Moar, Forbes (P.Makhouli h/t), Bremner, A.
Sutherland, R. Sutherland (Warner 78), Steven (MacDougall 67), MacKenzie, Murray.

Halkirk: Henderson, MacGill, (M. Coghill 62), Florence, Munro, Shearer, Inrig
(Henstridge 68), A. Farquhar, Murray, MacDonald, J. Farquhar, Bremner. Sub (unused)
-- G. Coghill.

Ref -- Mr C. MacLeod.