Halkirk snatch victory at last gasp
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HALKIRK UNITED 2 - 1 ALNESS UNITED
A GAVIN Henderson penalty at the death clinched victory and a vital three points for United on Saturday.
With tomorrow’s opponents Muir of Ord Rovers and Dingwall Thistle both winning, a draw would have knocked the Anglers off top spot and relegated them to third in the North Caley League.
Such an outcome would have been merited by a feisty Alness side which more than held its own over the course of the 90 minutes.
Invigorated by a cracking early goal from Stuart Murray, the visitors recovered well from a defensive clanger which gifted an equaliser to Chris Sutherland.
Both teams went close to taking the lead before Henderson delivered the late coup de grâce. The late blow was compounded for the visitors when Scott McAngus got his marching orders in injury time for a second booking.
Sutherland, who was to exit with a nasty finger injury early in the second half, should have opened the scoring in two minutes. Nigel MacKenzie’s looping cross found him unchallenged at the centre of the six-yard box but he headed over.
Alness settled well and went in front on eight minutes when Chris Graham’s feed picked out Murray’s angled run at the edge of the penalty box.
After a deft touch and turn, he dispatched a firm, rising shot which fizzed past keeper Graeme Williamson.
Murray almost repeated the trick a couple of minutes after he got past Gavin Sinclair before seeing his stinging shot clawed behind by Williamson.
Alness’s bright opening was rudely interrupted on 15 minutes when keeper Andrew Maitland was slow to claim an over-hit through-ball from Gordon MacNab.
Maitland’s misgather was seized upon by Sutherland who stepped past the prone keeper and rolled the ball into the unguarded net. Shaun ? Robertson passed up a decent chance to quickly reclaim the lead when he shot straight at Williamson from 12 yards.
Maitland continued to look suspect when he took two attempts to field Alan Larnach’s less-than-threatening free-kick.
Craig Munro thereafter had an effort saved before he set up the lively Murray whose raging drive required a fingertip diversion from Williamson.
A subdued Halkirk produced little of note until 34 minutes, when Sutherland played in MacNab whose blast from the edge of the box flew just wide of the left upright.
MacNab then went close with a snap-shot as the home side enjoyed the better of the closing minutes of the half.
The visitors were first to menace after the interval when a looping header from Johnny Bremner almost caught out Williamson, the keeper managing to turn it over after a frantic back-peddle.
MacNab then had the ball taken off his toe as he looked set to convert Jordan Howden’s cross.
Graham went close before Alness manager Kraig Vass was banished from the dugout by referee Graham Elder for a mouthful of abuse – Vass’s second successive dismissal on a visit to Halkirk.
The visitors’ last near thing came on 68 minutes when Craig Munro’s towering header from a corner was hacked off the line by Gavin Sinclair.
The closing 15 minutes was played largely in Alness territory with the home side scenting victory against tiring opponents.
A Henderson thunderbolt on 81 minutes was pushed out by Maitland to sub Martin Banks who shot over the gaping goal.
The Anglers continued to press and got their reward on 90 minutes when Stuart Pearce downed MacNab a yard inside the penalty box.
Henderson nervelessly netted the spot-kick to the left of Maitland as the keeper dived to his right.
A minute later, Maitland did well to make a double block to deny Banks, and then MacNab.
Halkirk United: Williamson, G. Sinclair, Florence, A. Sinclair, Howden, Henderson, Larnach, Bremner (Cook 67), Sutherland (Banks 58), MacNab, MacKenzie. Subs (unused): Halliday and C. Sinclair.
Alness United: Maitland, Campbell (Douglas 73), Morton, Munro, Pearce, Graham, Bremner, D. Murray, Robertson, S. Murray, McAngus. Subs (unused): MacDonald, Wilson and Muir.
Referee: G. Elder.
