Praise for improving Thurso hockey team after 430-mile round trip to Oban
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Thurso's rapidly improving hockey players were praised for putting up an "excellent fight" after travelling some 215 miles to test themselves against their more experienced Oban counterparts.
Thurso lost 4-1, but club founder Kenneth McElroy said the trip demonstrated how well the players have embraced the sport.
Since forming six months ago, numbers have grown from a handful of beginners to more than 30 attending training sessions.
Thurso's first taste of competitive hockey came at a sevens tournament in Inverness earlier this year in which they competed well against several well-drilled and more experienced teams.
McElroy says the players have made "huge strides" in their skills and ability, thanks largely to training sessions provided by coach Dom Ballisat.
This improvement may have caught their first 11-a-side opponents off guard, as a gutsy performance by Thurso ensured the game remained goalless after the first two thirds.
It was only in the third period that the deadlock was broken, after Oban's star player Theo Andrews was able to make a mazy run into the box and slide it past rookie goalkeeper – and eventual player of the match – James Matheson, who had made several crucial saves up to that point.
Though the final third looked to be going Oban's way entirely, with three more goals, a late attack from Thurso saw them rewarded with their first 11-a-side goal as club captain Ballisat was able to wrangle the ball into Oban's net.
McElroy was full of praise for the team, both on and off the pitch.
"The fact that such a newly formed club were willing to travel on a 430-mile round trip reflects the effect hockey has had on people up here," he said.
"The players have really taken to the sport and they showed real determination on the day to put up such an excellent fight against an experienced team. Everyone put their all into it, and that's all you can ask for.
"We'd like to thank all at Oban for both their sportsmanship and hospitality, and to all the players for making it such an enjoyable weekend. We can't wait for the return fixture up north."
