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V WHITEHILLS 6TH SEPTEMBER 2008

by Duncan McKenzie - 12:00 on 09 September 2008

Scotscoup League Division 2

Whitehills 5 Inverness City 2

Team: McGhee, MacLennan, D. Beaton, J. Fraser, K. Fraser (75), C. Mason (85), Stewart, Miller, Mapplebeck (50), Turner, Sanderson. Subs: Nicholson (50), Pearce (75), P. Beaton, Murdoch (85).

CITY BROUGHT BACK DOWN TO EARTH IN WINDY BANFFSHIRE

INVERNESS City co-manager Mike Pollard insists a break from league duty next weekend will give him time to work on the team's weaknesses, which surfaced during their heavy defeat at Whitehills on Saturday.

After the highs of their 6-0 victory in the league opener against Fochabers last weekend City suffered the lows at the weekend on a windy and difficult day in Aberdeenshire.

The only bright spot of an utterly forgettable day was a memorable strike from recent signing Stevie Sanderson.

Pollard said: "After the great result last weekend we were bitterly disappointed with the performance this time around.

"Each game brings its own trials and tribulations and we have to learn to adapt if we are going to overcome these when it matters.

"Luckily we don't have a game next weekend and this will give us time to have a look at the mistakes we made on Saturday and try and put things right."

He added: "It's easy to take negatives from the game, but we must try and take the positives and build on them."

The match was only 2 minutes old when the home side edged in front. A cross came in from the left, which held up in the howling wind and the ball fell right at the feet of the striker who couldn't miss.

The conditions were affecting both sides and they struggled to carve out any clear-cut openings during the first half.

However, Whitehills did extend their lead in 37 minutes. City keeper Mark McGhee failed to clear his lines properly and when the ball landed at the feet of the Whitehills striker he couldn't miss from the edge of the box with the keeper stranded on the edge of the area.

And things went from bad to worse two minutes after the interval. The home side swung in a free kick from the right, which City's defence failed to clear properly. When the ball was played back in it was tapped home from close range.

It was a bad day at the office for City and it took them 55 minutes to register their first shot on target, a drive from outside the box from Kevin Fraser, which was held easily by the keeper.

Whitehills added a fourth on the 58 minute mark and again poor marking from City cost them dearly. But a minute later the visitors did finally find the net and it was worth the wait. A long-range pass found Sanderson 40 yards from goal and he rifled a shot into the top right corner.

But just 9 minutes later City conceded again and this time poor marking inside the area allowed the striker to tap home a cross from the left.

In 75 minutes Michael Turner sent in a long ball for Sanderson to chase and he coolly slotted past the keeper to make it 5-2. And Sanderson could have grabbed a hat trick and some consolation for City in 93 minutes. The ball was sent in from the right and Sanderson's cleverly guided effort beat the keeper but clipped the post before being cleared.

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