Nichol misfires in disappointing show for Thurso
THURSO 0 - 2 DINGWALL THISTLE
THE Vikings drew a rare second successive blank at home as the Ross-shire Jags posted their first North Caley League success at Sir George’s Park.
Thistle cut off the supply lines to Thurso’s front two so successfully the home men hardly had a shot of note on target all day.
Their containment tactics worked a treat while they created enough of a threat of their own to amply deserve victory.
Gary Urquhart’s late strike made the three points secure for Dingwall who had drawn confidence from Craig Stuart’s 15th-minute opener.
Thurso had been pressing hard before Urquhart’s clincher and would have fancied their chances to go on to win had Mark Nichol converted a penalty 15 minutes from time.
Thistle’s Paul Gair and Alan MacBean established an early stranglehold of the midfield as their side had a couple of half-chances before the deadlock was broken.
Thurso manager Stevie Reid was forced into a radical rejig of his defence as a result of injuries and unavailabilities.
Jamie MacKenzie, who played in central defence, was to blame for the opening goal after being caught in possession on the edge of his own penalty box. Stuart drove on before coolly slipping the ball past keeper Asa Sinclair.
The striker featured again shortly before the half-hour mark when he found space before crafting a chip which was inches from the reach of the fast-approaching Darren Goller at the far post.
Thurso’s midfield struggled to break free of the shackles placed on them by their hard-working opposite numbers.
Dingwall’s MacBean was the only booking in a first half which had a dearth of goalmouth activity.
The home side had a fright on 62 minutes when Goller, the former Tain striker, crossed for Urquhart whose header required a goal-line clearance from Sean Stewart.
Sinclair then did well to get to a vicious effort from Alan Dorrian after good work by Goller and ?Urquhart.
Thurso went on to enjoy a decent spell without particularly threatening to score until they were awarded the penalty when Martyn McAllister was yellow-carded after being adjudged to have downed Nichol in the box.
Nichol missed a couple of spot-kicks for his summer side Pentland United and he misfired again. His weak effort was comfortably saved by Neil Mackay.
That took the sting out of the home effort even after MacKenzie was pushed up front to try to salvage something from the match.Thistle wrapped up the victory with five minutes from time when man-of-the-match Urquhart netted after latching on to a deflection from sub Andrew Miller’s 25-yard free kick.
Thistle’s Paul Gair and Thurso’s Michael Petrie picked up cautions late on.
It made for painful viewing for Thurso manager Stevie Reid.
“It was very, very disappointing,” he reflected. “The only plus is that I don’t think we could ever be as bad again.”
He said his side was on the back foot after conceding the first goal. “We didn’t pass the ball well while they looked a bit hungrier than us. We may have been missing a couple of players but the side we had out played way below their potential.”
Thurso: Sinclair, Stewart, Harrold, Petrie, Innes, MacDonald, Wann (Begg 60), MacKenzie, Nichol (Morris 85), MacNab, Elder (L.A. Bremner 76).
Dingwall Thistle: N. Mackay, Wilson, Godwin, MacAllister, Pirie, MacBean, Goller, Gair, Urquhart (Fitzpatrick), Stuart (Miller), Dorrian. Subs not used: Hyslop and Masson.
Referee: G. John.