Halkirk Goal hero bags a brace
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HALKIRK UNITED 3 - 1 MUIR OF ORD ROVERS
THE Anglers’ fifth North Caley League win on the spin has put their title defence into overdrive.
Two early Chris Sutherland strikes had their tails up while the visitors’ hopes of getting their noses back in the frame were dealt a major blow with the ordering-off of midfielder Darryl Henderson shortly after the turnaround.
Muir’s goose was as good as cooked minutes later when Alan Larnach’s solo effort put them three behind.
Arch goal-getter Ewan Dance did get one back and his short-handed side surprisingly went on to enjoy at least parity of possession. But it could not make further inroads as United celebrated a win which keeps them top at the halfway stage.
Jock Mackay’s side quickly settled and went in front on six minutes. Larnach’s measured pass worked Sutherland behind the visiting outfield rearguard and, with a minimum of fuss, he tucked the ball past keeper Michael MacCallum.
They struck the jackpot with their next serious foray on 14 minutes after exploiting an undefended channel wide on the left.
Grant MacNab’s centre was swept in from close range by Sutherland. Stuart Florence came close to a third before the home camp was left aggrieved when MacNab went down under a challenge as he surged into the box.
Referee Graham John rebuffed claims for a spot-kick and rubbed salt in the wound when he booked the striker for simulation.
Muir’s moves regularly broke down in the final third but they almost got off the mark on 34 minutes when home keeper Graeme Williamson was fully extended to tip veteran Davie Ross’s header over the bar.
Six minutes after the turnaround, Muir were reduced to 10 men when Henderson picked up a second booking for kicking the ball away after a foul.
Sutherland missed a cinch from close in to bag his hat-trick on 50 minutes.
The Anglers four minutes later effectively closed out the contest when Larnach cut in from the left, jinked past a couple of defenders before stepping round MacCallum and passing into the empty net.With Martyn Cook – a half-time replacement for MacNab – complementing Gavin Henderson in the centre of midfield, United were in the comfort zone.
They almost added a fourth on 67 minutes when Henderson’s long-range diagonal unleashed Florence whose dash down the left flank ended with a last-ditch interception preventing it from finding the unmarked Sutherland.
Muir saw plenty of the ball with Gillies MacKenzie a regular outlet wide on the left. The latter romped clear on 76 minutes but his attempted angled finish lacked power and was comfortably gathered by Williamson.
A minute later, MacKenzie was again afforded the freedom to romp down his beat and cross for Dance to net from just inside the six-yard box.
Two minutes later, another eye-catching move by United saw Cook free Larnach whose accurate cross deserved better than Nigel MacKenzie’s woefully miscued header.
United finished on top with Sutherland being denied by a smother save from MacCallum and sub Jack Halliday having his powerful, low strike come back off the inside of the left post.
Seven minutes from time, Sutherland’s layback to Michael Bremner should have restored United’s three-goal advantage.
But in his eagerness to make his shot count the midfielder went for power ahead of precision and allowed MacCallum to get the merest of deflections to send the ball over the bar.
In the closing minutes, Gillies MacKenzie’s prompt was chested down by Kevin Fraser before he sent his shot just over.
The final chance came at the other end when Sutherland’s hat-trick ambitions were finally ended when MacCallum dived to keep out his close-in shot.
Halkirk United: Williamson, G. Sinclair, Florence, A. Sinclair, Davidson, Henderson (Halliday 74), Larnach, Bremner, Sutherland, MacNab (Cook h
Muir of Ord Rovers: MacCallum, J. Calvert (McKirk 82), Ross, Skinner (G. Calvert 60), Brennan, K. Fraser, Lamont, Henderson, Dance, MacKenzie, Leitch. Subs not used: Geegan, A. Fraser and Wainwright.
Referee: G. John.
