Brothers see red as Vikings win derby clash
Scorers: Thurso: Murray (35, 42, 62). Halkirk United: Larnach (29, 88)
JAMES Murray’s second successive North Caley League hat-trick powered the Vikings to victory to break a long barren run against their county rivals.
The home side came from behind to prevail in a highly charged encounter at the Dammies.
The flurry of summer transfer activity in both directions added zest to Saturday’s derby which was however a generally well-tempered affair.
There was the occasional flashpoint, notably late on when the crowd witnessed the rare, if not unique, spectacle of brothers from opposing sides being ordered off at the same time.
Halkirk’s Grant MacNab’s was red-carded for a rash tackle on former team-mate Colin Sinclair while brother Graham was shown a second yellow for protesting about the decision.
Grant MacNab featured in the early exchanges and he should have given the Anglers the lead on eight minutes. Good work by Jack Halliday and Gavin Sinclair gave the striker an unobstructed sight of goal but he dragged his angled shot wide of the far post.
MacNab was then racing through to connect with a long-range through-ball when he was manhandled to the deck by Alan Sinclair, earning the Thurso defender a yellow card.
Stand-in home keeper Shaun Henderson then did well to hold a snap-shot from Martin Banks.
The Vikings enjoyed plenty of early possession but they offered little in the final third. Their first attack of substance came on 17 minutes when Graham MacNab exchanged passes with Murray Mackintosh and was poised to shoot when Sean Munro slid in to send the ball behind.
A minute later, sloppiness in the Vikings defence left Grant MacNab with the goal at his mercy but he dallied and Colin Sinclair cleared.
The breakthrough on 29 minutes came out of the blue when Munro ventured upfield and was clipped by Lewis Harrold just inside the 18-yard box. Ref Graham John had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Alan Larnach duly converted the spot-kick.
Murray almost restored parity soon after when he muscled past Gavin Sinclair and rounded Asa Sinclair, only to find the angle too tight for a shot.
The equaliser was not long delayed, as on 35 minutes Murray latched on to Graham MacNab’s slide-rule pass before turning and sliding the ball wide of the keeper.
Asa Sinclair was then almost caught out by a 30 yard lob from Lee Elder, the keeper scurrying back to tip the ball over from under his bar.
Graham MacNab’s first booking came when he got involved in a spat with Halliday, who was also booked.
Thurso went ahead on 42 minutes when Darryn Mackay’s cross from wide on the right was met by a Murray header which bulleted past Sinclair.
Before the interval, both sides went close to scoring with Grant MacNab squandering another gilt-edged chance before a Kyle Ross effort was cleared off the line by Gavin Sinclair.
The match fell into something of a stalemate with a couple of half-chances at either end before it came to life with Murray’s hat-trick goal on 62 minutes. Gaining possession wide on the left, he shrugged off a defender before unleashing a glorious rising strike from the edge of the box which rocketed between keeper Sinclair and his near-side post to go in off the underside of the bar.
The setback stung the visitors who sent on Chris Sutherland to liven up their attacking threat.
Henderson was relieved on 73 minutes that his one gremlin of the afternoon went unpunished when no opponent was on hand after he let a low cross squirm from his grasp.
With two minutes left, the Anglers got a goal back when Larnach’s fizzing 35 yard free-kick went in off a post.
Thurso – Henderson, Harrold (Nicolson 75), Florence, C. Sinclair, A. Sinclair, Ross, Mackay, MacNab, Murray, Mackintosh (McLean 67), Elder (Banks 65). Subs (unused) – Taylor and Robertson.
Halkirk United – A. Sinclair, Howden, Munro, MacLeod, G. Sinclair, Cook, Larnach, Halliday (Budge 75), Banks (Sutherland 67), MacNab, MacKenzie (Mackay 77). Subs (unused) – Murray and Coghill.
Ref – Mr G. John.