Groats celebrate last-gasp county league title success
WICK Groats won the county division one title after scoring a heady, last-gasp victory over rivals Pentland United in Dunnet on Tuesday evening.
In one of the most dramatic finales to a league campaign, Graham MacNab’s injury-time strike proved decisive.
The 4-3 win left the sides level on points but enabled the town side to reclaim the championship by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
After going 3-1 behind midway through the second half, United drew on their renowned powers of recovery as the visitors vainly sought to hold what they had.
Trialist Phil Makhouli, the former Thurso Pentland striker, looked to have saved the day for the Canisbay combine with an exquisite lob over keeper Graeme Williamson a minute into injury-time.
But in a desperate late sortie, uncertainly in the heart of the home defence from a long throw-in was punished by Graham MacNab as he prodded the ball past keeper Michael Gray.
Groats survived a couple of minor scares in two further tension-laden minutes before the final whistle sparked scenes of unbridled celebration.
Earlier, United veteran Lee MacDougall passed up the first chance of the game before his side took the lead after 20 minutes.
Lee Sutherland’s fizzing low strike was turned past Williamson by his own centre-half Kevin Miller, under serious pressure from United’s bustling striker Lukasz Geruzel.
Groats drew level within four minutes when Grant MacNab ran through to tuck the ball past Gray.
Groats continued to look the more threatening and went in front on 32 minutes after James Mackay’s dinked pass worked Sandy Sutherland into the inside left channel.
He worked his way into the left side of the box before engineering a cross which was converted by the inrushing Martin Sutherland.
United were unlucky not to go in level at the interval when centre-half John Smith’s cute, near-post flick from a corner was bundled off the line by Martin Sutherland.
After the interval, United showed more of the barn-storming form which has powered them to a sequence of runaway wins.
Geruzel and James Murray, who have scored over 50 goals between them, were starting to get the service to showcase their potent mix of power and skill.
Murray was out of luck on the hour-mark when he shot against the outside of the right post before his strike partner forced a smart save from Williamson.
The odds stacked up against the Ham Park outfit when slack defence let in Sandy Sutherland to home in and coolly slip the ball wide of Gray to put Groats 3-1 up.
Back came United as they capitalised on their opponents’ tendency to man the barricades deep in their own half and to give away possession cheaply.
The pressure paid off on 77 minutes when Smith set Murray free and the latter bulleted a shot between Williamson and the keeper’s left upright.
A couple of minutes later, Murray looked to have notched his second after he rose to connect with Lewis Harrold’s long-range free-kick.
His back-header was looping into the far corner until Williamson somehow clawed it on to the junction of the crossbar and the left post, with Alan Sinclair completing the clearance.
Groats continued to be under the cosh and again rode their luck on 84 minutes when Geruzel’s deep cross was headed back by Murray to Darryn Mackay who muffed his shot.
Mackay shortly after fired into the side net from an acute angle.
Just as Groats appeared to have survived, 32-year-old Makhouli, on holiday from London where he teaches, struck.
It looked like a sucker punch for a side who days earlier suffered the heartache of a thumping defeat in the Highland Amateur Cup final.
But a further bout of abject despair was transformed into utter joy by Graham MacNab’s unmatched riposte.
The defeat was United’s first in the league and means they must now win the David Allan Shield if they are to avoid what would in the recent era be a rare season with an empty trophy cabinet. It adds spice to Monday’s semi-final when United again entertain Groats.
Groats manager George Groat paid tribute to how his side had bounced back from their traumatic 4-0 reverse to Avoch.
"They don’t know when their beat," said Groat.
"We were 4-0 down earlier in the season to John O’Groats and we had to show a great deal of grit here tonight.
"The spirit of our side got us through and I can’t say enough about our boys, especially after coming off the back of the cup final defeat."
Elsewhere, Staxigoe United clinched third spot after winning out by the odd goal in nine at Halkirk.
The visitors looked to be heading for a comfortable victory after racing to a 3-0 lead thanks to a strike from Chris Green and a Luke Sawyer double.
Stevie Campbell scored before the break but a second from Sawyer put United 4-1 up.
Campbell completed his hat-trick either side of a Jimmy Budge counter before Paul Mackay netted to make for a tense finale.
Acks repeated their Houdini act at John O’Groats that saved their first division skins last season.
It looked bleak for the Thurso side when they turned around two nil behind.
Iain Green freed Grant Budge to net the equaliser before Marc MacGregor doubled the advantage with a 20 yarder.
Kyle Innes pulled one back for the visitors only for Stuart Sinclair to release Budge who ran through to bag his second.
Back came Acks with Jack Halliday’s header reducing the deficit before his side scrambled an equaliser.
With two minutes to go, Murray Mackintosh cashed in on a defensive mix-up to bag the winner to guarantee first division for Acks next term.
Castletown’s hopes of escaping the play-off spot sunk after they were held to a 1-1 draw in Wick versus Thistle, who were already relegated.
The visitors went behind early on before going on to miss a clutch of chances as well as striking the goal frame on a handful of occasions.
The Jags looked to be on course for their first win of the campaign before Martyn Cook equalised late on.
Rovers claimed a spot in the final of the Steven Cup when goals from Paul MacDonald and Liam Farquhar (pen) helped them to a spirited 2-1 win over Thurso Pentland at Ormlie. The Wickers’ opponents in the final will be Lybster, who defeated Swifts 2-0.
Results – Division One – Halkirk 4 Staxigoe United 5; John O’Groats 3 Acks 4; Pentland United 3 Wick Groats 4; Wick Thistle 1 Castletown 1.
Steven Cup semi-finals – Lybster 2 Swifts 0; Thurso Pentland 1 Rovers 2.
Fixtures – tonight – Division Two (7.30) – FSC v Swifts.
Monday – David Allan Shield semi-finals (7.15) – John O’Groats v Staxigoe United; Pentland United v Wick Groats.
Wednesday – Division Two (7.30) – Keiss v Ormlie Hotspurs; Lybster v Swifts; Rovers v Thurso Pentland; Top Joe’s v Watten.