CAITHNESS United’s under-13s scored an impressive victory over their Ross County counterparts at Thurso’s all-weather pitch on Sunday.
They recovered well from the concession of an early goal to turn on the style and end up comfortable 4-1 winners.
With CU kicking off in the midst of a cloudburst, the county select had to weather an early blitz mounted by their SFL opponents. The pressure paid off for the young Staggies on 10 minutes when a botched clearance landed at the feet of a County forward who wasted no time in firing past CU keeper Steven Sutherland.
As the downpour abated, the home side started to find its feet and string together some neat passages of play with wingers Kyle Henderson and Connor Cormack used to good effect.
It was from the left wing that CU levelled when a cross found Ryan Campbell in space 10 yards out. His sure first touch allowed him time to place a well-taken left-foot drive across the visiting keeper into the far corner of the net.
The goal buoyed CU and they continued to create attacks while Brandon Sinclair and Dean Robertson-Carswell coped well in marshalling the defence.
Fullbacks James Macintosh and Owen Christie were linking well with midfielders Henderson and Cormack and giving their opponents no end of problems with driving runs forward.
Caithness went in front on 40 minutes when the ball broke to Colin Henstridge who fired home through a ruck of players.
Conor Trueman and Ryan Sutherland were effective in breaking up attacks before spraying passes to spark attacks.
Cormack was proving a thorn in the side for County with some intelligent passes in behind their rearguard, giving him the chance to demonstrate his pace and control.
County had plenty of possession but they barely threatened Stephen Sutherland whose duties were mainly confined to dealing with pass-backs or taking goal kicks.
The hard-working Trueman was next on the score sheet when, after a series of Caithness corners, the ball broke to him and he volleyed it into the roof of the County net from 15 yards on 50 minutes.
With Murray Mackay showing some nice touches up front, Henderson nearly got the reward his performance merited with an opportunist effort from the edge of the area. Striking the ball with the outside of his left foot, the ball was looping into the far corner of the goal before the County keeper pushed it over the bar.
The final goal of the game came after a County corner was cleared to Ryan Campbell who was unmarked in his own half in a central position. He homed in on goal, outstripping a posse of defenders before calmly rounding the County keeper and stroking the ball into an empty net.
CU coach Stevie Bain said: “We were delighted with the all-round performance of the team especially after going one goal down early on. The boys could easily have let their heads go down considering the calibre of the opponents but they turned things round and were deserved victors in a game which was very pleasing on the eye.”
United squad: Steven Sutherland, James Macintosh, Dean Robertson-Carswell, Brandon Sinclair, Owen Christie, Kyle Henderson, Ryan Sutherland, Conor Trueman, Connor Cormack, Innes Mackintosh, Ryan Campbell, Murray Mackay, Colin Henstridge, Lee Lockhart and Aaron Manson.
