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Harmsworth victory has United under-13s feeling gr-eight!


By Staff Reporter- NOSN

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Hat-trick hero Morgan Kennedy homing in on goal. Picture: Gareth Watkins
Hat-trick hero Morgan Kennedy homing in on goal. Picture: Gareth Watkins

With Wick Academy's first team away on Highland League duty, Caithness United under-13s accepted the opportunity to play their home fixture against Inverness Balloan at Harmsworth Park on Saturday. Scoring eight goals without reply, Caithness ensured they maintained their 100 per cent record for the season in the Moray Firth Youth Development League while playing some impressive attacking football.

Caithness won the toss and opted to attack the South Road goal in the first period. Most of the action was in the Balloan half.

The opener came within 10 minutes as Owen Bain played a well-weighted forward pass between two defenders for striker Morgan Kennedy to run onto. When Kyle Jeffery in the Balloan goal started to advance, Kennedy despatched the ball into the net.

The second was quick to follow as Matthew Robertson placed a ball over the top of the opposition back four and Lee Gordon set off to get on the end of it. Jeffery was quick off his line but was unlucky to spill the ball into the path of the grateful Gordon, who stroked it into the empty goal.

Sam Shearer and Owen Bain in the centre of the park were working tirelessly, gaining possession and distributing the ball to willing runners.

Matthew Mackay was released on the left of midfield and he skipped past the covering full-back before zipping the ball across goal only for a retreating Balloan defender to deflect it into the back of his own net while under pressure from Gordon.

Owen Bain stepping inside two defenders with Sam Shearer watching on. Picture: Gareth Watkins
Owen Bain stepping inside two defenders with Sam Shearer watching on. Picture: Gareth Watkins

Caithness were relentless and 20 minutes into the game they scored their fourth when Kennedy set up his strike partner Gordon, who found himself one-on-one with Jeffery. Gordon shot low past the keeper's despairing dive.

At the restart of the second period a change of personnel and positions gave Robertson a more advanced role on the left. Early in the period Robertson made inroads down the left and after leaving a couple of defenders in his wake he cut the ball back to Jayden Bremner who, eight yards from goal, slotted the ball home.

Inverness's rare forays towards the United goal made sure home keeper Tom Armitage was on his toes. Balloan's struggles were made harder by the industrious home defence, which was marshalled well by sweeper Lewis Swan.

Gordon turned provider for Kennedy by setting the latter clean through on goal. Kennedy made no mistake, prodding the ball home for his second and Caithness’s sixth.

Number 9 Morgan Kennedy congratulates Jayden Bremner on his first Caithness United goal. Picture: Gareth Watkins
Number 9 Morgan Kennedy congratulates Jayden Bremner on his first Caithness United goal. Picture: Gareth Watkins

In the final period a Caithness corner was swung into the box by Owen Bain and the ball broke for Finlay Bain, who stepped neatly inside his marker and curled a left-foot shot into the net.

United rounded off the scoring when Jeffery tried to smother the ball at Bremner's feet only for it to pop out to Kennedy, who was more than happy to accept the gift and wrap up his Harmsworth hat-trick.

Morgan Kennedy and Owen Bain were selected by to share the man-of-the-match accolade.

Caithness coach Derek Shearer said: "It was difficult to pick a fault with our performance. The lads' workrate and quality of passing were first class. Morgan Kennedy terrorised their defence all game and Owen Bain's quality shone throughout the game which earned them joint man-of-the-match award."


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