Comeback keeper is High Ormlie hero after late penalty save
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Comeback keeper Owen Gordon was the hero as his penalty save meant High Ormlie Hotspur came away with all three points from their Caithness AFA Division One game against Staxigoe United.
Gordon, who turns 24 on Friday, was playing his first match for six years after a combination of long-term injury problems and the enforced break caused by Covid.
Having found themselves three down in the first half on Tuesday night, Staxigoe fought back to make it 3-2 and were awarded a spot-kick late on – only for Gordon to keep out Morgan Kennedy's effort from 12 yards.
“That's some comeback," High Ormlie co-manager Liam Sutherland said.
“I've never seen someone so happy after a game as he was. He was absolutely buzzing – he was on cloud nine the whole night then.”
Goals by James Mackintosh, Mark Munro and William Cannop had given Hotspur a commanding lead before Martin Banks pulled one back before half-time. Kennedy got Staxigoe's second.
Staxigoe United manager Colin Sinclair said: “It was definitely a game of two halves. High Ormlie Hotspur were by far the better team in the first half but we were the better team in the second half and I thought a draw would have been a fair result.”
Acks player/manager Craig Trueman was full of praise for the team's attitude after they picked up their first win of the season in Caithness AFA Division One with a 2-1 home victory over John O'Groats on Tuesday.
A 90th-minute penalty by Kyle Innes secured the points after Andy Hardwick's first-half opener for Acks had been cancelled out by a free kick from Kevin Swanson.
"We were delighted to get the points," Trueman said.
"It was a must-win for us really, after John O'Groats beating Wick Thistle last Friday. The attitude and effort from our boys was unreal – from start to finish every one of them gave everything.
"I think in the end we did enough to win the game. We’ve just got to make sure we carry the same fight and enthusiasm into every game now to give ourselves the best chance of getting out of the relegation places."
Results – CAFA Division One: Acks 2, John O'Groats 1; Castletown 2, Wick Groats 4; High Ormlie Hotspur 1, Pentland United 2; John O'Groats 1, Wick Thistle 0; Pentland United 1, Wick Groats 2; Staxigoe United 4, Acks 2; Staxigoe United 2, High Ormlie Hotspur 3; Wick Thistle 0, Castletown 0.
Division Two: Keiss 4, Lybster 1; Top Joe's 1, Swifts 2; Watten 8, Thurso Pentland 1.
Fixtures – Thursday, June 1 – Division Two: Watten v Lybster (7.30pm).
Saturday, June 3 – Highland Amateur Cup, round two, ties involving Caithness clubs: Castletown v Lerwick Celtic (2pm); Keiss v Carloway (at Ullapool, 1pm); Kirkwall Hotspurs v High Ormlie Hotspur (3pm); Wick Groats v Wick Thistle (3pm).
Tuesday, June 6 – Eain Mackintosh Cup, first round: High Ormlie Hotspur v John O'Groats; Pentland United v Swifts; Thurso Pentland v Acks; Watten v Wick Groats (all 7.15pm).
Thursday, June 8 – Eain Mackintosh Cup, first round: Castletown v Lybster; Staxigoe United v Top Joe's (both 7.15pm).
