Wick Groats and Staxigoe to battle for cup
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WICK Groats added another notable feather to their cap when they became the first visiting side this year to win at Pentland United’s Ham Park.
United saw plenty of the ball in the Eain Mackintosh Cup semi but struggled to break down a defence spearheaded by Wick Academy favourites Stewart Ross and Andrew Macleod.
Macleod provided the match-winner on 25 minutes when he prodded home after United keeper Michael Gray could not hold a steepling cross from Kyle Ross.
Gray ensured the visitors did not add to their tally before the interval. United dominated the second period without creating much in the way of clear openings.
The cup final is an east of Caithness affair after Staxigoe United cruised past Thurso Pentland in the other semi.
The young visitors were three down within 15 minutes as Staxigoe turned on the heat from the kick-off.
Colin Sinclair fired them in front in two minutes before Alan Sinclair opened his account for the season with a volleyed finish from a corner.
Colin Sinclair then added a penalty before Stevie Reid grabbed a hat-trick either side of half-time. Pentland shipped a seventh near the end when young keeper Connor Jackson upended Colin Sinclair in the penalty box. The Staxigoe player dusted himself down before converting the spot-kick to complete his hat-trick.
Wick Groats have meanwhile gone five points clear at the top of division one in the county league after their 5-0 win in John O’Groats while their closest challengers were dropping points.
JOG were under the cosh throughout with Garry MacGregor notching the opener before Grant MacNab doubled the lead before the interval.
The home side did well to absorb sustained pressure before shipping three more in the closing 15 minutes.
Larnach struck twice before James Mackay rounded off another impressive display by the defending champions.
Pentland United felt aggrieved after conceding late on to draw away to Staxigoe United.
The visitors made the livelier start and deservedly went ahead on 22 minutes when James Murray broke clear and survived an offside appeal to score.
That is the way it stood until just before the hour mark when Ritchie Budge netted a lob to bag his fourth in five games.
Jamie MacKenzie looked to have clinched all three points for the Dunnet men when he reacted fastest to the aftermath of a corner to lash the ball past keeper Daniel Budge. United were furious when they were then not awarded a penalty when Ross Allan appeared to be balked as he ran in on goal. Ref Graham John rejected the chorus of appeals and instead booked Allan for simulation.
The game was drifting into injury time when Peter Niwa cheekily nutmegged an opponent before crashing an unstoppable shot low into the bottom-right corner.
Swifts are battling to save their first-division skins, having scored last goals to salvage draws in their last three matches. On Wednesday, they featured in a cracking town derby versus Acks which finished 2-2.
Stephen Clark missed two early sitters for the Black and Whites early on in a low-key first half. Acks struck first 15 minutes after the break when a raging long-ranger from Murray Mackintosh was touched onto the bar by keeper Asa Sinclair and Jack Halliday netted the rebound.
Swifts finished off a long spell of pressure when defender Michael King scored in the aftermath of a corner.
Halliday then forced a fine stop from Sinclair before Swifts were desperately unlucky when a peach of a strike from Liam Mackay thumped off the crossbar and Johnnie Mackay’s follow-up hit the inside of the post.
Acks retook the lead with eight minutes left when Alan Munro fired home after meeting a corner.
Swifts had the final say on 90 minutes when Stevie Morris’s vicious shot was parried by keeper Neal Clark and young sub Marc Coghill coolly netted the rebound.
Earlier Swifts got a fighting draw at JOG. Again, the game came to life in the latter stages with Andrew Richardson scoring at the second attempt with 20 minutes left after his first effort was beaten away by keeper Sinclair.
Swifts missed a glorious chance to level when centre-back Blair McIntosh blazed over from the penalty spot after Mackay was floored in the box.
The Thurso side equalised with just under five minutes remaining after defender James Mill worked space for himself before netting with a cracking right-foot drive.
Chris Sutherland scored a hat-trick and James Harris the other as Castletown scored their first three pointer of the season with a 4-1 victory in Halkirk.
Wednesday night was not a good evening for technical area discipline with Swifts manager Nigel MacKenzie and Pentland United co-manager Martin Nicolson ordered to leave the playing area for abuse directed towards match officials.
In the only second-division match, Keiss bounced back from their Highland Cup hammering to score six without reply away to Francis Street Club.
Eddie MacGregor grabbed two with the others falling to Calum Campbell, Perry Campbell (pen), Andrew Shearer and Andrew Harris.
Results – Eain Mackintosh Cup semi-finals: Pentland United 0, Wick Groats 1; Staxigoe United 7, Thurso Pentland 0.
Division one – Acks 2, Swifts 2; Halkirk 1, Castletown 4; John O’Groats 0, Wick Groats 5; John O’Groats 1, Swifts 1; Staxigoe United 2, Pentland United 2; Swifts 2, Acks 2.
Division two – FSC 0, Keiss 6.
Fixtures – tomorrow: Intercounty: Orkney v Caithness. Monday (7.30pm): Division two: Rovers v Ormlie Hotspurs; Top Joe’s v Keiss. Tuesday (7.30pm): Division one: Castletown v Acks; Pentland United v John O’Groats; Swifts v Staxigoe United, Wick Groats v Halkirk.
Wednesday (7.30pm): Division two: Thurso Pentland v Lybster; Wick ? Thistle v FSC.
