MATCH REPORTS

V BURGHEAD THISTLE 16TH AUGUST 2008

by Duncan McKenzie - 12:20 on 19 August 2008

Team: McGhee, P. Beaton, D Beaton, J. Fraser, K. Fraser, Stewart, Nicholson (K. Mason 56), Miller (Murdoch 74), McInnes (Mapplebeck 56), Pearce, Sanderson. Subs: Mapplebeck, K. Mason, Murdoch, MacLennan, Kerr.

CITY VICTORY OVER BURGHEAD NOT ENOUGH TO PROGRESS IN GRILL CUP

INVERNESS City might have missed out on Grill League Cup qualification to Forres Thistle, but managers Mike Pollard and Stevie Graham will take plenty of positives into the league season which kicks off in a fortnight's time.

Pollard said that the club's opening five matches have been a crucial learning curve for the junior league newcomers and that the players now know just how tough life can be at this level.

However, City proved they can hold their own at junior level as they clinched their third victory of the season at home to Burghead on Saturday, thanks to second half goals from substitute Keith Mason and Kevin Fraser.

City will use their now meaningless final Grill League Cup match away to Buckie Rovers next Saturday to blood some squad players who have not yet featured this term.

Pollard said: "The opening five games have certainly been a steep learning curve for the players before the league season starts.

"It's been a great introduction to junior football and it shows the lads that they will have to work hard this year. There are no easy games at this level."

He added: "We were poor in the first half on Saturday, but the boys redeemed themselves in the second half and the performance was far more acceptable.

"We have one more Grill League Cup game to go and although it doesn't mean anything it will allow us to try some other players and tinker with the positions before we get down to the nitty gritty of league business."

City carried on from where they left off against Strathspey in midweek and looked hungry for an early breakthrough. Gavin Nicholson was played through one on one with the keeper, but he dragged his shot just wide in the opening seconds.

However, that early promise didn't last and the match settled down into a turgid affair with neither side capable of creating anything that resembled a goal scoring opportunity. It would'nt be cruel to suggest that David Beaton's booking for deliberate handball on the half hour mark was the most exciting moment of the entire first half.

City made two changes early in the second period with Kevin Mapplebeck and Keith Mason replacing Nicholson and Michael McInnes. They turned out to be inspired substitutions as Mason's pace and guile through the middle saw him pick countless holes in the visitors' defence.

And in 58 minutes City got the breakthrough their second half application merited. The ball was flighted into the area and the Burghead keeper saved Stuart Pearce's header. It then broke for substitute Keith Mason who scrambled the ball over the line after seeing his initial header come back off the crossbar.

City continued to press for a second and both Mapplebeck and Mason were giving Burghead's defence a torrid time. Their persistence paid off in 65 minutes when City extended their advantage.

Pearce created space for himself wide on the left and his low driven cross was missed by the Burghead keeper and turned in at the back post by Keith Fraser.

Burghead's only real effort worthy of note arrived in 78 minutes with a low driven shot from distance, but Mark McGhee got down well to smother.

Three minutes later Stevie Sanderson picked out Graham Stewart with beautifully flighted ball down the right. His pinpoint cross found Pearce at the back post, but his header crashed into the side netting.

Another superb cross from the right, this time from Mason, saw Pearce's stinging volley dip just over in 85 minutes. That proved to be the last action of the game as City eventually ran out convincing winners.

Add your comment

Your Name


Your Email (only if you are happy to have it on the site)


Your Comment - no HTML or weblinks


Enter this number in the box below and click Send - why?Unfortunately we have to do this to prevent the system being swamped by automated spam