Halkirk United FC - Reports, Results & Photos - Season 2009-2010

Port Services Group League - 12/09/09
Balintore 0 - 8 Halkirk United

The Anglers had a bumper haul on their visit to Balintore on PSG North Caley League business on Saturday.

Seaboard Park has over the years proved a notoriously hard place to come away from with a win, let alone run up a score. But the Easter Ross combine had a rocky finish to last season and had initially decided against entering this campaign. By the time they had a rethink after Mike McLeod agreed to take over as manager, a number of regulars had been snapped up by rivals.

After an encouraging opening day win over new boys Fort William, they have lost their last three games, conceding 14 goals in the process.

They were nominally still in Saturday's match when they reached the interval just two behind. But their goose was by then as good as cooked as they had in the first half the considerable advantage of a blustery wind on their backs.

The goals just before the turnaround provided United with the platform to go on a scoring spree and chalk up one of their biggest wins on the road.

There was little in the way of goalmouth action in what had been a pretty turgid affair until the visitors' double strike just before the interval.

Jimmy Budge had a netbound header from Luke Sawyer's 13th minute cross cleared by an outfield defender and Alan Larnach's 20 yarder provided the first serious test for stand-in keeper Stuart Skinner.

In between, United sweeper Graham MacDonald was on hand to usher Scott Smith's 20 yarder to safety.

The opener came on 40 minutes when Sawyer's centre was nodded across goal to give Larnach an unmissable chance to open his account for his new side.

Two minutes later, Balintore were regrouping again after Lee Elder's head-flick from keeper Graeme Williamson's clearance released Budge who rounded Skinner before netting.

Florence's third goal in as many games following good work from Sawyer and Larnach two minutes after the turnaround opened the floodgates.

Soon after Larnach missed a snip before Stuart Robb's failed to exploit an inviting opening at the other end.

That was to be the home side's last chance to gain a grain of comfort from what turned into a United goal chase.

Elder had an effort well blocked by central defender Ian Sutherland before the visitors went 4-0 up on 61 minutes.

A sparky sequence begun by Sawyer and sustained by Elder and Florence was capped by a cool finish from Gavin Henderson.

Henderson went dangerously close with a 35 yard rocket-shot before Balintore's Ross Powell indulged in a spot of hari-kari when he bulleted a header from a Chris Sutherland corner past a stunned Skinner.

Twelve minutes from time, one of a string of inch-perfect deliveries into the box from Colin Sinclair allowed Sutherland to notch number six.

On 85 minutes, Elder's perseverance was rewarded when he regained possession and set up young sub Paul Mackay to slip the ball between Skinner and his right-hand post.

The scoring was rounded off in the last minute with a slick, multi-pass move which ended with Sinclair picking out Elder who netted with an unstoppable shot from just outside the box.

Halkirk manager Ian MacDonald believed his side had done a professional job against sub-par opponents.

He said: We didn't play well in the first half but once we got the third goal right after the interval, the game was over as a contest. We put together some nice moves and scored some good goals, especially the last one which was well constructed and had an excellent finish.

Halkirk - Williamson, Sinclair, Murray (Sutherland 66), MacDonald, Davidson, Henderson, Larnach, Sawyer (Mackay 66), Budge (Bremner h/t), Elder, Florence.

Balintore - Skinner, MacRae, Melville, Sutherland, Calderwood, Powell, Davis, MacKenzie, Robb, Smith, J. Clark. Subs - Metcalfe, S. Clark and Riley.

Ref - Mr J. Hasson.

report provided by Iain Grant

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