Halkirk United FC - Reports, Results & Photos - Season 2008-2009

Jock MacKay Memorial Cup Quarter Final - 21/03/09
Bonar Bridge 3 - 5 Halkirk United

Having avoided each other for over three-quarters of the North Caley season, United and Bonar Bridge find themselves squaring up three times within a month.

Saturday's Jock MacKay Memorial Cup quarter-final came between the two league matches after the Sutherland side turned down United's suggestion that it count as a double-header.

Both the pattern and outcome of the tussle was not dissimilar to the previous week's joust in Halkirk.

Again, the Anglers missed opportunities to put the contest to bed by the interval and saw a comfortable lead come close to evaporating before pulling clear late on.

Bonar have proved difficult opponents this season with the resourceful veteran Billy Ferries directing traffic and Caithnessian Sean Henstridge adding potency up front.

But after enjoying parity in the opening exchanges, Bonar were run ragged in the first half.

They were lucky not to concede a penalty in seven minutes when United striker Mark Nichol looked to have been felled in the box by Jason Gunn.

Nichol could not be contained eight minutes later when his raking volley from Colin Sinclair's assist beat keeper David Crombie all-ends-up.

Visiting keeper Shaun Henderson's one dodgy moment of the first 45 minutes came a minute later when he watched Ferries' dipping 30 yarder clear the crossbar by the finest of margins.

The Anglers, for whom central midfielder Alan Farquhar and Nichol stood out, doubled their lead on 27 minutes.

Farquhar had struck a post and Nichol shot narrowly wide before Graham Macdonald pounced to score after Kyle Ross's powerful shot was half-stopped by Crombie.

Lee Elder wasted a decent opening he had created before he set up Nichol to grab his second on 34 minutes.

There was no real change to the pattern of play after the resumption with Nichol going close twice more.

Bonar were gifted a way back into the tie on 54 minutes when keeper Henderson and Kevin Miller got into a tangle.

A messy sequel ended with Henstridge being upended before recovering to pot the resultant spot-kick.

Incredibly, the home outfit halved the deficit five minutes later when Tim Catley converted a far-post cross.

From seemingly coasting to a routine win, United were now seriously rattled.

Ross missed a decent chance to restore their two goal lead when he wasted his own classy build-up by firing straight at Crombie.

Farquhar then was narrowly off-target after being set up by Nichol.

Nichol's hat-trick goal on 72 minutes when he headed Ross's cross beyond Crombie looked to have settled things.

But Bonar rallied again when Shaun Henderson's block of Catley's shot was seized on by Henstridge to make it 4-3 for United with seven minutes left.

The visitors could not relax until Farquhar and sub Michael Bremner combined to allow Miller to net a goal in the 90th minute.

Bonar Bridge - Crombie, Sutherland, Munro, Gunn, MacLean, Catley, Matheson, Morrison, Rostock, Ferries, Henstridge. Subs (both used) - Fulton and Clark.

Halkirk - S. Henderson, C. Sinclair, Davidson, A. Sinclair, Miller, Farquhar, G. Henderson, MacDonald, Ross (Bremner 77), Nichol, Elder (Sutherland 70).

Ref - Mr G. John.

report provided by Iain Grant

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