Reid averts his gaze as Vikings edge injury-time thriller
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"I couldn't look," admitted Thurso boss Stevie Reid following Michael Petrie's injury-time winner from the penalty spot against Inverness Athletic on Saturday.
The Vikings looked to have blown their 100 per cent record in the North Caledonian League when in the third minute of added time they conceded a penalty to allow their hosts to level at 2-2.
Stevie Morris had given Thurso a third-minute lead only for Athletic's Phil MacDonald to peg them back.
David Hale restored the Vikings' advantage just before half-time and it looked as if the outcome would remain 2-1 in Thurso's favour before MacDonald struck again – this time from the spot.
However, 60 seconds later Thurso were awarded a penalty of their own which Petrie converted to give them three points and do Reid's blood pressure no good.
Reid said: "I didn't look – I just couldn't. I had my back turned to it because this was the last kick of the game with so much riding on it.
"Given what had happened a minute before, I went from looking at having to accept going back up the road with just one point only to then get the chance to take all three.
"Thankfully Michael put it away and not only are we level with top and second, with only goal difference separating us, we still have our 100 per cent record intact.
"Regarding the two penalties, with Inverness's we were victim of there being no linesman.
"This sometimes happens in the [North Caledonian] league and I appreciate how hard it is for them to get a full quota of officials for every game but we really do need linesmen out there.
"I'm sure had there been one for this game, the referee could have been helped out because Michael [Petrie] didn't make any contact from what I saw. In fact he himself said afterwards that he never touched their guy.
"As for the one we got, I thought their man handled the ball – although the ref took a good long look at it before deciding to award the penalty. Thankfully he made the right call and we got the winner.
"Five goals sounds like a thrilling game but it wasn't a nice one to watch – it was very scrappy."
Reid has long been a critic of all-weather pitches and his gripes about them were not soothed during this game.
He added: "It's well known I don't like them but with good reason. We had Scott Bell having to come off after jarring his back thanks to running about on that surface.
"Then there was their first goal. Inverness took their chance well but we've got players who, having had plastic-pitch-related injury issues in the past, don't want to go in aggressively on any challenges for fear of inflaming those knocks again.
"As a result, we were caught far too square and lost the lead we had taken earlier in the game.
"However, we got a result and now we've a trip to Golspie to look forward to on Saturday. Despite their slow start to the season, they are a very good side who will make it tough for us."
Elsewhere in the North Caledonian League, Thurso's opponents this weekend, Golspie, got some target practice in for Saturday as they hammered Bonar Bridge 13-0.
Liam Bremner led the way with four goals with other strikes coming from Grant MacNab (3), Sandy Sutherland (2), Danny Coghill, Ally Macleod, Lukasz Geruzel and Eoghann Davie.
Orkney picked up the first piece of silverware of the season as they beat St Duthus 3-1 to win the Jock Mackay Cup.
A John Skinner own goal just before half-time set them on their way, with Liam Delday and Callan Jessiman adding in two more in the second half. Liam Rostock grabbed a consolation for St Duthus.
North Caledonian League fixtures
Saturday, November 16
Bunillidh Thistle v Inverness Athletic (1.30pm)
Golspie Sutherland v Thurso (1.30pm)
Halkirk United v Orkney (2.30pm)
St Duthus v Bonar Bridge (1pm)
