Home   Sport   Article

League challenge put to one side as Anglers go safely through in North Caledonian Cup





Halkirk United forward Kieran MacGregor is congratulated by Sean Campbell after lashing in the second goal at Morrison Park. Picture: James Gunn
Halkirk United forward Kieran MacGregor is congratulated by Sean Campbell after lashing in the second goal at Morrison Park. Picture: James Gunn

Halkirk United showed they were “up to speed” in their first outing since the winter break as they progressed comfortably to the second round of the North Caledonian Cup.

First-half goals by Sean Munro and Kieran MacGregor gave the Anglers a 2-0 victory over St Duthus at Morrison Park on Saturday.

It was United’s first taste of competitive action since beating Bonar Bridge 5-1 on December 14 to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the North Caledonian League.

The cup clash was played in perfect conditions after the recent disruption caused by snow and frost.

Munro opened the scoring after 14 minutes with a close-range glancing header from a free kick by Innes Mackintosh.

Kieran MacGregor added the second after 24 minutes when he lashed the ball into the net after St Duthus failed to clear from a corner.

The Anglers controlled the rest of the game but the closest they came to increasing their lead was when a shot from Aaron Wilson clattered off the bar with seven minutes to go.

Halkirk United midfielder Grant Aitkenhead battles with Neil Moir of St Duthus. Picture: James Gunn
Halkirk United midfielder Grant Aitkenhead battles with Neil Moir of St Duthus. Picture: James Gunn

With manager Ewan McElroy away, coach Liam Sutherland was in charge and he was delighted with the way the squad performed.

“I was really happy with everyone – the boys that came off the bench as well got plenty of minutes,” Sutherland said.

“It was good to get everyone up to speed in the first game back. The boys looked comfortable. I thought they dictated the game for the full 90 minutes, grabbed the two goals early, possibly could have had a couple more, but overall I'm really happy.”

Sutherland had made it clear that the Anglers want a late-season cup run after going out of the Football Times Cup in the first round.

“We told the boys to put the league to the back of your mind,” he said.

Halkirk United goalkeeper Kieran Macleod saves from Sean Reid-Nicol. Picture: James Gunn
Halkirk United goalkeeper Kieran Macleod saves from Sean Reid-Nicol. Picture: James Gunn

“We want to have a really good cup run. We want to challenge for everything, so the league was put to the side for one day, and it was a really good performance in our first game back.

“You could see around the 50 to 60-minute mark there was always going to be a couple that were tiring. They did a lot of running in the first half and pressed well, so it was really good to use the squad.

“We welcomed back Sean Munro to the squad for the first time in a while – he got 90 minutes and a goal. We welcomed Andrew Mackay back as well, and he got 35 minutes under his belt.

“It’s brilliant, using the whole squad and getting everyone back into it.”

Halkirk United will switch their focus back to the league this weekend as they welcome Orkney to Morrison Park. The Anglers won 3-0 when the sides met in Kirkwall in September.

“They’re a good squad overall and it’s always difficult to play against them, especially when you go over there,” Sutherland said. “You never really know what kind of squad are going to come over the water.”

A double by Bradi Hulme inside the opening 20 minutes set Inverness Athletic on their way to a 5-1 victory in their tie at Bonar Bridge.

Invergordon hammered Clachnacuddin “A” 7-0 with goals from Michael Rodgers (2), Blair Morrison, Kyle Maclean, Calum Brown, Ben Bruce and Oscar Campbell, while Alness United were 3-1 winners over Bunillidh.

Halkirk United defender Stewart Atkins heads the danger clear from Scott MacDonald. Picture: James Gunn
Halkirk United defender Stewart Atkins heads the danger clear from Scott MacDonald. Picture: James Gunn

Results – North Caledonian Cup, first round: Alness United 3, Bunillidh Thistle 1; Bonar Bridge 1, Inverness Athletic 5; Clachnacuddin “A” 0, Invergordon 7; Halkirk United 2, St Duthus 0.

North Caledonian League: Golspie Sutherland 7, Fort William 0; Orkney 4, Thurso 0.

Fixtures for Saturday, January 25 – North Caledonian League: Alness United v Bonar Bridge; Bunillidh Thistle v Inverness Athletic; Halkirk United v Orkney (1pm); Invergordon v Golspie Sutherland; St Duthus v Fort William; Thurso v Clachnacuddin “A” (1pm).

Wednesday, January 29 – North Caledonian League: Alness United v Invergordon; Golspie Sutherland v Bunillidh Thistle.

Saturday, February 1 – North Caledonian League: Alness United v Halkirk United (1pm); Bunillidh Thistle v Orkney; Inverness Athletic v Clachnacuddin “A”; St Duthus v Bonar Bridge. North Caledonian Cup, quarter-final: Invergordon v Thurso (1pm).

Saturday, February 8 – North Caledonian League: Bunillidh Thistle v Bonar Bridge; Clachnacuddin “A” v Alness United; Halkirk United v Fort William (1pm); St Duthus v Invergordon; Thurso v Inverness Athletic (1pm). North Caledonian Cup, quarter-final: Orkney v Golspie Sutherland.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More