Orkney draw felt like a defeat, says Thurso boss
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Thurso manager Stevie Reid said his team's 2-2 draw in Orkney felt like a loss after the Vikings blew a two-goal lead.
Orkney are the only unbeaten team in this season's North Caledonian League and that title was hanging by a shoogly peg at half-time.
Reid's men had played their hosts off the park and were rewarded with goals from Connor Macintosh and Andy Mackay.
However, things went haywire after the interval as Orkney hitman Liam Delday struck twice in a five-minute spell to ensure the Vikings sailed back home with only a point.
Reid lamented: "I know if I had been offered a draw at Orkney – always a tough team to play against – before kick-off, I would have taken it.
"However, given the way the game transpired, a two-all draw feels like a loss.
"Despite the plastic pitch – which I have to say makes me see the one we're using at Naver in a whole new light given how hard the Orkney pitch was – the boys knuckled down and played some really good stuff.
Had we started the second half the way we ended it, we would have won.
"Connor and Andy put us in front and had an Innes Mackintosh free kick not gone just wide before half-time we probably would have been home and dry.
"At the start of the second half we looked a different side and, to be fair to Orkney, they went for it and drew level.
"That seemed to spark us into life again and we put Orkney on the back foot.
"One of the positives I can take from this is that we didn't fold when the game went to 2-2. We came back at them.
"However, despite creating chance after chance, we couldn't get a third. Even the Orkney manager agreed with me afterwards that had we started the second half the way we ended it we would have won."
Reid did single out Orkney goal hero Liam Delday for praise.
"Delday is a superb player and once again he showed how dangerous he can be," Reid said.
"I'm actually surprised he's still playing in the North Caledonian League because I would have thought by now that either Wick Academy or Brora Rangers would have snapped him up for Highland League football."
