Silverware would be perfect way for Sinclair to end his time as Staxigoe boss
Staxigoe United manager Colin Sinclair admitted the closing stages of their David Allan Shield semi-final victory over Pentland United felt like “probably the longest 10 minutes of my life”.
Graham MacNab’s fine early strike for Staxigoe was cancelled out by Sean Campbell in a sometimes heated first half at Ham Park on Tuesday. MacNab grabbed his second of the night with another great finish around the 80-minute mark and the visitors held on to secure a showdown with holders Wick Groats in Thurso a week on Saturday.
Sinclair is standing down as Staxigoe manager at the end of the season and says lifting silverware would be the perfect way to round off his time in the dugout.
“With 10 minutes to go it was probably the longest 10 minutes of my life,” Sinclair said. “We were just holding on towards the end and running it into the corners.”
Staxigoe reached this year’s Eain Mackintosh Cup final but lost 2-0 to High Ormlie.
Sinclair said: “It’s good to be in a cup final. If we’re going to win it we’re going to have to do it the hard way by playing High Ormlie Hotspur, Pentland United and Wick Groats. And yet it took us until extra time to beat Halkirk in the first round.
“I couldn’t fault the boys on their effort and work rate – it was unbelievable. They kept their shape and stuck to their task and just made life difficult for Stabbs because they couldn’t really break us down.
“The players put everything into it and they just need to carry that on to the final. It would be a great way to end our season but Wick Groats are flying now too, so you couldn’t ask for a more difficult game.”
Staxigoe will be hoping to replicate the form they showed in a 5-0 league win against Groats in June.
“If we can play like that then it gives us a good chance of possibly beating them,” Sinclair said. “But it’s a big chance for them to win something this season too.”
Staxigoe brought in two players from Helmsdale, Austin Keith and Aaron Grant, for the midweek clash.
“It was good of them to come up and help us out because we were short of numbers,” Sinclair said. “I’m hoping everyone will be available for the final, but you can never tell.”
Family and work commitments were key factors in Sinclair’s decision to stand down as manager and the search is on to find a replacement.
Sinclair (40), a farm worker, said: “I’ll still be helping in the background but I’m done with management. I can’t do it any more.
“It’s too much with work, family and everything else. I’ve done what I can with it but I’ll still be there helping out.”
Winning a trophy would be “a perfect way” to finish his time in the dugout, he said, adding: “It could also be a disastrous way to end it if my brother [Wick Groats’ Alan Sinclair] beats me!”
This year’s Caithness AFA cup competitions will all have different winners. Pentland United won the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup and High Ormlie Hotspur retained the Eain Mackintosh Cup but both were knocked out of the David Allan Shield by Staxigoe.
Meanwhile, the final of the Steven Cup for second division clubs will be played this Saturday, with Acks taking on Keiss at Lybster.
Wick Groats were pushed hard by Keiss in the other David Allan Shield semi-final before the holders secured a 4-3 victory.
Groats’ scorers were Liam Bremner, Korbyn Cameron, Sean Stewart and Jonah Martens. Olly Manton scored twice for Keiss and Tony Miller netted a penalty.
Manton’s double brought his tally to eight goals in three games in the space of seven days.
Acks produced a remarkable turnaround to come out on top in a nine-goal thriller against Top Joe’s in one of two all-Thurso second division fixtures on Monday night. Trailing 4-1 at the break, Acks ran out 5-4 winners.
Swifts beat Pentland 2-0 and Stevie Reid’s side are now two points behind long-time leaders Keiss. The top two meet in a crunch game in Thurso on Thursday, August 8, with each team having one more league fixture after that.
Results – David Allan Shield, quarter-finals: Staxigoe United 4, High Ormlie Hotspur 1 (at Lybster); Swifts 2, Keiss 6; Wick Groats 4, John O’Groats 1; Wick Thistle 0, Pentland United 7.
Division Two: Swifts 2, Pentland 0; Top Joe’s 4, Acks 5.
David Allan Shield, semi-finals: Wick Groats 4, Keiss 3; Pentland United 1, Staxigoe United 2.
Fixtures – Wednesday, July 31 – CAFA Division One: Castletown v Lybster (7.15pm).
Thursday, August 1 – CAFA Division Two: Pentland v Halkirk.
Saturday, August 3 – Highland Amateur Cup, semi-finals: High Ormlie Hotspur v Avoch (at Culbokie, 3pm); Stornoway Athletic v Pentland United (at Culbokie, noon).
Steven Cup final: Acks v Keiss (at Lybster, 3.30pm).
