Staxigoe boss eyeing silverware after 10-goal romp
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STAXIGOE United manager Andrew Banks has his sights set on some silverware before the end of the season.
Staxigoe trounced David Allan Shield semi-final opponents Thurso Pentland 10-0 to set up a final date with Wick Groats on August 17.
The Staxigoe boss was surprised by the margin of victory.
“We were favourites to win the game but I didn't expect it to be 10-0," he said. "We were expecting a tougher game but it is a good time in the season for us to be hitting a bit of form.”
Staxigoe are in third place in the table, 12 points behind leaders Wick Groats, and Banks feels the best chance of success is in the cups.
“We obviously can't win the league and we can't get relegated,” he said.
“All we have got to play for is the David Allan Shield and the Highland Amateur Cup.”
Looking ahead to the final, he added: “It will be a tough game for us.
"We've played Wick Groats twice this season – we drew 2-2 and they beat us 2-1. Their league form is a lot more consistent than ours, but on our day in a cup game I don't think there is much to separate the two teams.”
Martin Banks scored four times, while Grant Aitkenhead and Marc Coghill got two apiece. Grant MacNab and Kyle Henderson got the rest for rampant Staxigoe.
Wick Groats' league form is a lot more consistent than ours, but on our day in a cup game I don't think there is much to separate the two teams.
Cup specialists Wick Groats joined Staxigoe in the final after disposing of Lybster 4-1.
Groats went ahead via a Ben Sinclair header. Gareth Miller equalised against the run of play but Sandy Sutherland found the bottom corner to restore Groats' lead before the break.
Graham MacNab finished off a well-worked move to put Groats 3-1 up before young Conor Farquhar rounded off the scoring with a superb back-post volley.
Groats manager Kevin Anderson said: “We pretty much controlled the game from start to finish. The main thing was to reach another cup final without picking up any injuries and we managed that.”
Halkirk are still on course for a top-three finish in Division Two after a 4-2 victory at Keiss.
Matthew Mackay scored the only goal of the first half when he got on the end of a Stuart Campbell cross to score with a left-foot shot.
Adam Sherry levelled early in the second half but Stuart Campbell restored Halkirk's lead shortly afterwards. Keiss refused to buckle and Alan Steven squared matters again.
But two goals from Mackay in the final eight minutes completed his hat-trick and wrapped up the points.
Halkirk manager Paul Lockhart said: “We've had a couple of weeks off and we were a bit rusty, but the main thing was we got there in the end.”
Runaway leaders Wick Thistle cruised to a 7-3 win against Thurso Pentland.
Ross Macleod (3), Marc Gunn, Colin Henstridge, Greg Gunn and Steven Budge got the goals for free-scoring Thistle. Scott Ross (2), and Ewan Scott netted for Pentland.
Watten came out on top in an eight-goal thriller against Top Joes. Shane Honeyman hit a hat-trick, while a Scott Macalpine strike and an own goal accounted for Watten's tally in a 5-3 win.
Martin Murray (2) and Kris Smith scored for Top Joes.
