Relentless display by Staxigoe as they put 17 past Top Joe's in cup tie
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Staxigoe United manager Colin Sinclair acknowledged there is a gap in quality between the Caithness AFA first and second divisions after his team scored 17 without reply against under-strength Top Joe's in their Eain Mackintosh Cup quarter-final tie on Tuesday night.
Staxigoe were eight up by half-time at the Upper Bignold and they added nine more goals in the second period in a relentless display of attacking football characterised by quick movement and clinical finishing.
The rout began with an own goal and the others came from Morgan Kennedy (2), Alan Larnach (2), Darren Malcolm (2), Matthew Aitkenhead (3), Chrissy Green (3), Martin Banks, Michael Steven, Darren Sheppard and Hasheem Bremner.
Sinclair said: "The Top Joe's boys kept their shape, they never got nasty, they never got dirty. They worked away. We just got goals from everywhere.
"I would say there is a bit of a gulf between the first and second divisions.
"But fair play to them – we've played against a few of the lower ones and they dig in, they work away. There's no nastiness about them. They keep trying to do what they can.
"To be fair, it looked like it was going to be difficult in the first 20 minutes – there was just the one goal in it. But then three or four came and it just sort of opened up.
"I said to the boys you will get a lot of the ball and it's about working on things for other games as well.
"After a hard game on Saturday [a 4-2 victory over Lochbroom in the Highland Amateur Cup] we were rotating the squad and getting young boys in that are turning up week in, week out.
"Matthew Aitkenhead scored three excellent goals. He didn't panic with them, he just slotted them into the bottom corner. He is a really good player.
"It was just about trying to rotate the squad because we've got another big game on Friday [versus Wick Groats in the league].
"We were resting players as well. It's looking like our next five games are Wick Groats three times and Pentland United twice.
"It was a good run out, some good goals scored and some good football played, and game time for a bunch of young boys."
Top Joe's had 15 players unavailable and they fielded three 14-year-olds, two of whom played the full match and the other almost an hour.
Manager Bruce Cormack said: "Unfortunately we were up against a very strong team. They were fitter, sharper and quicker to almost every ball and relentless in their finishing, scoring some superb goals.
"We had a lot of boys missing. We also had to put an outfield player in goals again.
"But, even if we had half of those players back, I don’t think we would have gotten close to this team. Huge congratulations to Staxigoe and I hope they do well in the next round of the cup.
"They will be a match for anyone in a one-off game if they can continue this form."
Results – Highland Amateur Cup, round two (ties involving Caithness clubs): High Ormlie Hotspur 4, Lochinver 1; Loch Ness 2, Wick Groats 4; Pentland United 4, Kirkwall Thorfinn 0; Staxigoe United 4, Lochbroom 2; Watten 0, Iochdar Saints 4 (Bught Park, Inverness); Wick Thistle 2, Ardersier 0.
Eain Mackintosh Cup, quarter-finals: John O'Groats 1, Pentland United 7; Staxigoe United 17, Top Joe's 0. Colin Macleod Memorial Cup, quarter-final: Castletown 0, Wick Groats 5.
Fixtures – Thursday, June 9 – Caithness AFA Division One: Wick Thistle v High Ormlie Hotspur. Division Two: Pentland v Keiss; Watten v Swifts (all 7.30pm).
Friday, June 10 – Division One: John O'Groats v Acks; Pentland United v Lybster; Staxigoe United v Wick Groats. Division Two: Castletown v Top Joe's (all 7.30pm).
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