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    Halkirk United FC - Reports, Results & Photos - Season 2008-2009
League - 27/09/08
United got back on the rails on Saturday after their sobering 5-0 reverse in Golspie the previous week. Manager Ian MacDonald is already plotting revenge against the defending MSS North Caley champions in the return fixture on November 8. In the meantime, his side cannot afford to lose more ground on Golspie, who have won their four opening fixtures. There was no chance of a slip-up on Saturday when Halkirk completed a routine victory over mediocre opponents. Mark Nichol added two to his early opening strike and Luke Sawyer made it four with his second of the season before Jamie MacLeod weighed in with a last-minute consolation for the hosts. United's injury hex has spread off the field with two players picking up knocks at their work. A badly bruised ankle following a fall prompted a Friday evening call-off by joiner Stuart MacCulloch. Tyre-fitter Chris Sutherland meanwhile wrenched a knee at work but felt fit enough to deputise for MacCulloch in goal. Sutherland's adult career has been spent on the wing but he did have a spell in the youth ranks of Ross County as a keeper. He had a rude introduction on Saturday as he watched helplessly as Ashley Mills broke free and crossed to MacLeod whose firm header came back off the bar.
The close shave gave early encouragement to the Ross-shire outfit but it was to prove one of the few occasions when the United goal was put under real threat. The opener came on eight minutes when Sawyer's threaded pass just over the halfway line gave Nichol a head start on his pursuers. The striker retained the advantage over them before fast-footing his way past keeper Steven Campbell and passing into the net. Soon after, a Colin Davidson assist enticed Nichol to try his luck again though this time Campbell was equal to his strike. With Gavin Henderson restored to the midfield, Halkirk were comfortably on top and would have gone two up had Kyle Ross's goalbound effort not been bravely blocked by Robbie MacCormack. Chris Sutherland was in the wars again on 19 minutes when he was crudely taken out as he jumped to claim a cross in a reckless challenge from Scott Wilde. He hirpled on after treatment and was relieved that he was seldom called into combative action again. He was required to hold a tame shot by Chris Ross after the latter worked an inviting opening for himself on 32 minutes after a crisp exchange with Scott Wilde.
A minute later, Davidson released Nichol who turned sharply before bulleting a shot which flew past Campbell into the left-hand postage stamp corner of the net. The pressure continued and in the last serious action of the half, Sawyer set up Lee Elder for a lusty volley which Campbell did well to hold. The visitors continued where they left off after the break with good work from Stuart Florence and Elder creating another chance for Nichol. He fired narrowly wide, as he did shortly afterwards in an opening created by Sawyer. Nichol's hat-trick duly arrived on 61 minutes when Elder's cross was helped on by Sawyer to Nichol whose finish blurred past Campbell. Invergordon's attacks were few and far between though they did come very close to getting one back on 68 minutes when Scott Wilde's half-hit shot dribbled past Sutherland and came back off a post. Campbell was kept on his toes and sure handling was required from him four minutes later to keep out Elder's first-time strike from sub Stevie Reid's lay-off. Reid was soon to be wishing for the ground to swallow him up after he missed two snips in as many minutes.
On 78 minutes, he was at the end of a sweeping move when he horribly miscued after Nichol's cutback gave him a six yard shoo-in. He had a repeat bout of contrition when he botched a similar chance created by Sawyer and Nichol. Reid did have a part to play in Halkirk's 85th minute fourth scored by Sawyer after he ran through to blast the ball past the helpless Campbell. United's defensive radar was down two minutes from time when MacLeod was allowed to steal in unmarked and side-foot the ball past Sutherland. The win was welcomed by Halkirk manager Ian MacDonald. He said: "It was good to put the Golspie game behind us though we actually played better against them than we did on Saturday," "It was the poorest Invergordon side I've seen in a long time. "They didn't really threaten us even when we had a keeper who was a passenger for most of the game." Invergordon - S. Campbell, Ogilvie, MacCormack, Kennedy, Stone, Stevens, Mills, MacLeod, Legge, S. Wilde, A. Campbell. Subs - Ross and R. Wilde. Halkirk - C. Sutherland, C. Sinclair, Florence, A. Sinclair, Miller, Henderson (Bremner 80), Davidson, Sawyer, Nichol, Ross (Reid 66), Elder (S. Sutherland 80). Ref - Mr M. Dalton, Nairn. report provided by Iain Grant
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