Watten cup hopes deflated as Thistle prove to be too sharp
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WICK Thistle put their derby day hiding from last week behind them to inflict a thumping of their own at Watten to advance to round two of the Eain Mackintosh Cup.
Following their 5-1 trouncing at the hands of Wick Groats, goals from Marc Gunn (2), Greg Gunn, Ross Mackay and Owen Christie gave them a 5-1 win, with Watten's late consolation coming via Shane Honeyman.
To make matters worse for the home side, player/manager Stuart Sinclair received a straight red card for a two-footed challenge 10 minutes into the second half.
Thistle will now face Pentland United in the next round.
Boss Alan Farquhar said: "Despite the scoreline, it was not easy but we deserved it.
"We moved the ball well and got our confidence back after what happened against Groats.
"Marc Gunn came back into the side recently and he has been excellent, as was Greg Gunn. Special mention too for Ross Mackay who got his first goal for us. He's 16 and still at school but that's what we're about – helping to develop young players."
Farquhar, though, will be without midfielder Ross Macadie for the rest of the campaign.
He added: "Ross has been on the waiting list for an operation to his ankle for a year now.
"Unfortunately for us, he's got a date for one during the season so he'll be out for the rest of the campaign.
"He's needing to have part of the bone in his ankle shaved so it will be next season before we see him back again."
Watten player/manager Stuart Sinclair held his hands up to the red card he received early in the second half.
He said: "It was a lazy challenge and when you go to ground these days, you had better make sure you come away with the ball.
"Ten years ago I probably would have got away with a booking but that's the way the game is now.
"To make matters worse, they got their fourth goal directly from the free kick I gave away – I got a few looks, I can tell you.
"The scoreline was probably fair. They started well and then when it was our turn to have a spell we didn't cash in on the chances we created. They did, and that helped them get the result that they did.
"I don't know if this result will affect us psychologically when we meet them in the league.
"It could play on our minds or it could inspire us not to let something like this happen again – who knows?
"One thing I will say about our boys is that, despite the scoreline, they never stopped working hard for each other. Even after the team went down to 10 men with my red card, they still kept on going."
Keiss boss left fuming after referee decisions
Keiss boss Graham Banks is on the verge of boiling point after a number of refereeing decisions went against his side.
Banks saw his young team go down 3-2 at Thurso Pentland, a result that ended their interest in the Eain Mackintosh Cup.
Thurso Pentland netted via Darren Mackay, Scott Ross and Kieran Campbell to earn an away tie against Staxigoe United.
Keiss's goals came from Adam Sherry and Kieron Davies but Banks was unhappy with the standard of officiating.
He said: "We never got one free kick in that first half, not one.
"This is becoming quite common this season and I'm starting to get fed up with this.
"I'm not going to get all controversial right now but if this continues, then I will.
"Of the game itself, we were missing around seven players but the young lads who came in did really well.
"It was a nip-and-tuck game but Pentland probably did enough to deserve it.
"I am proud of my players, though, as they've come on leaps and bounds this season as compared to last season when we were getting pumped every week."
Thurso Pentland assistant manager Ewan Scott was pleased but rued a number of missed chances.
He said: "We gelled better than we have been recently. Last week was not the greatest for us but we managed to instil some belief in ourselves to get the result.
"However, we did pass up a number of chances that could have made life easier for ourselves – especially when they clawed it back to 3-2 to set up a nervous last five minutes."
Elsewhere, Castletown set up a second-round tie at Lybster after a 1-0 away victory against John O'Groats thanks to Chris Sutherland's goal.
Boss James Robertson said: "It was a hard game. We had a good first half and they were slightly better in the second.
"We scored a very well-worked goal with Adam Grant breaking down the right, cutting it back to Chris who fired in a superb finish.
"Special mention must go to our goalkeeper Lee Clark who pulled off two tremendous saves late on."
Elsewhere in the Eain Mackintosh Cup, there was a nine-goal thriller at Halkirk as Lybster pulled off a 5-4 victory after extra time.
Gary Swanson, Paul Gordon, Bobby Gunn, Jonah Martens and Tony Miller were Lybster's heroes. Halkirk netted via Matthew Mackay (2), Owen Lockhart and Michael Bremner.
Pentland United went nap at High Ormlie Hotspur as they racked up a 5-0 win. United's goals came from Michael Petrie, Cameron Montgomery, Sean Campbell and James McLean (2).
Bryan Reid's strike ensured Staxigoe United came away from Thurso Acks with a 1-0 win.
Eain Mackintosh Cup – Quarter-final draw
Lybster v Castletown
Staxigoe United v Thurso Pentland
Wick Groats v Top Joes
Wick Thistle v Pentland United
(Ties to be played on Wednesday, June 12)
Fixtures
Monday, May 27
CAFA Division One (all kick-offs 7.15pm)
Castletown v Wick Groats
Thurso Acks v Thurso Swifts
CAFA Division Two
Keiss v Wick Thistle
Watten v Halkirk
Tuesday, May 28
CAFA Division One (all kick-offs 7.15pm)
Pentland United v John O'Groats
Staxigoe United v Lybster
CAFA Division Two
High Ormlie Hotspur v Top Joes
