Post by Michael Gray on Jun 30, 2005 8:59:21 GMT
With the exception of Hamish Boyd, United had more or less their full compliment available for selection on Saturday for this historic first meeting between the Dunnet side and a team from Shetland. The islanders set about trying to establish an upper hand in the early physical confrontations with referee Anderson very busy sorting out the early skirmishes. However Tony Farquhar served Whalsay early notice when he rose highest to flick Brian Gray’s long throw just over the bar with Thomson beaten. United suffered a huge blow on the ten minute mark when Willie Inrig on the comeback trail for the second time this season suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury and is set for another frustrating spell on the sidelines as he recuperates, club skipper Ryan Farmer replaced him in the centre of the park. The home side looked to step up the pressure and Gavin Bremner was only marginally off target with a superb long range freekick that just dipped over with Thomson scrambling to his left. Playing up the slope United still seemed the more likely team perhaps no surprise given the visitors mammoth journey to get to these shores and the hosts again came close when Tony Farquhar charged down Thomson’s attempted clearance from an Irvine pass back but the big striker perhaps should have taken another touch before attempting an audacious left foot volley from a difficult angle with the keeper stranded. The front pairing of Nichol and Farquhar were working the visitors back line very hard and so nearly created a scoring opportunity for Beattie after Farquhar had found his partner in the box a nice flick released the wideman but he was closed down rapidly before a real opportunity appeared for a shot and Jamieson cleared away. The breakthrough finally came on the half hour mark and it came in exactly the same way as the first chance had come about a Gray long throw and once again Tony Farquhar climbed highest to notch his first goal of the season to the delight of the home crowd. The Shetland side slowly started to get to grips with the game after that and persistent play down the left from K Williamson earned his side a freekick and Beattie a booking for two quick offences. From the dead ball Sandison swept in a dangerous inswinging cross that the stretching M Williamson could only head back into the arms of Gray who had come into no-mans land for the final action of the half.
Half time
Pentland United 1-0 Whalsay
United got the proverbial dream start to the second half barely five minutes into the second period when a delightful Bremner freekick wrong footed the Whalsay defence and Tony Farquhar doubled both his own and his teams tally with a deft flick of the head. The home side then seemed to become a little edgy and this was emphasised after Skinner and M Gray got into a fankle trying to deal with a through ball the keeper seemed to shout for the ball but Skinner decided on the safety first approach but only succeeded in chipping the ball over the Gray however the sweeper did extremely well to recover under intense pressure from M Williamson in his own area. But the tide had changed and Whalsay were now in the ascendancy and missed a good chance after 65 mins when K Williamson broke clear on the angle his powerful drive beat Gray before Baker’s touch conceded a corner whether the effort was going was debateable but the defender couldn’t take any chances. The goal was only delayed momentarily as when the flag kick came the first challenge never cleared the ball and Simpson wheeled 8 yards out to force the ball home via a post. The cut in deficit didn’t last long as United kick started their second half performance Brian Gray rose at the back post with Montgomery as the ball broke to the centre half he fired in a shot that came off the inside of the post to the handily placed Farquhar who duly completed his hat-trick with the simplest of tasks. The game started to become stretched leaving more room for the United forwards to attack into and substitute Cassidy only the park a matter of seconds raced clear onto a Nichol through ball but just as he seemed poised to kill the game the ball bounced up wickedly and he his shot cleared the bar. With fifteen minutes left the Shetland side survived huge appeals for a penalty when great work by Cassidy saw him rob Arthur on the bye line before feeding Nichol who looked set to round the grounded Montgomery who appeared to stop the ball with his arm but referee Anderson waved away the claims. Thomson then brought of the save of the game when he tipped away a shot from Makhouli that looked destined for the top hand corner until the keeper clawed it away. With five minutes remaining Cassidy had another half chance as he latched on to another loose ball in the box but once again the ball jumped up and he could only find the mid drift of Thomson. In the dying minutes the keeper once again showed good hands this time holding onto a downward header from Nichol after Makhouli had done well down the left.
Full time
Pentland United 3-1 Whalsay
1. M Gray 2. B Gray 3. J Skinner 4. M Baker 5. G Bremner (c) 6. R Sutherland 7. W Inrig (R Farmer 12) 8. M Makhouli 9. M Nichol 10. T Farquhar 11. R Beattie (L Cassidy 70)
Subs not used:
B Thorburn, G Mackay, D Manson
View from the goal
A cracking performance from the lads and arguably our best of the season we knocked the ball around well and created chances. However I don’t think that it was any coincidence that we had managed to get near enough our full team on the park for the first time this season. We are now going into a spell where the big games are coming thick and fast and we need everyone to stand up and be counted. The Acks on Wednesday now awaits and they don’t come much harder than the league leaders on their own patch.
Half time
Pentland United 1-0 Whalsay
United got the proverbial dream start to the second half barely five minutes into the second period when a delightful Bremner freekick wrong footed the Whalsay defence and Tony Farquhar doubled both his own and his teams tally with a deft flick of the head. The home side then seemed to become a little edgy and this was emphasised after Skinner and M Gray got into a fankle trying to deal with a through ball the keeper seemed to shout for the ball but Skinner decided on the safety first approach but only succeeded in chipping the ball over the Gray however the sweeper did extremely well to recover under intense pressure from M Williamson in his own area. But the tide had changed and Whalsay were now in the ascendancy and missed a good chance after 65 mins when K Williamson broke clear on the angle his powerful drive beat Gray before Baker’s touch conceded a corner whether the effort was going was debateable but the defender couldn’t take any chances. The goal was only delayed momentarily as when the flag kick came the first challenge never cleared the ball and Simpson wheeled 8 yards out to force the ball home via a post. The cut in deficit didn’t last long as United kick started their second half performance Brian Gray rose at the back post with Montgomery as the ball broke to the centre half he fired in a shot that came off the inside of the post to the handily placed Farquhar who duly completed his hat-trick with the simplest of tasks. The game started to become stretched leaving more room for the United forwards to attack into and substitute Cassidy only the park a matter of seconds raced clear onto a Nichol through ball but just as he seemed poised to kill the game the ball bounced up wickedly and he his shot cleared the bar. With fifteen minutes left the Shetland side survived huge appeals for a penalty when great work by Cassidy saw him rob Arthur on the bye line before feeding Nichol who looked set to round the grounded Montgomery who appeared to stop the ball with his arm but referee Anderson waved away the claims. Thomson then brought of the save of the game when he tipped away a shot from Makhouli that looked destined for the top hand corner until the keeper clawed it away. With five minutes remaining Cassidy had another half chance as he latched on to another loose ball in the box but once again the ball jumped up and he could only find the mid drift of Thomson. In the dying minutes the keeper once again showed good hands this time holding onto a downward header from Nichol after Makhouli had done well down the left.
Full time
Pentland United 3-1 Whalsay
1. M Gray 2. B Gray 3. J Skinner 4. M Baker 5. G Bremner (c) 6. R Sutherland 7. W Inrig (R Farmer 12) 8. M Makhouli 9. M Nichol 10. T Farquhar 11. R Beattie (L Cassidy 70)
Subs not used:
B Thorburn, G Mackay, D Manson
View from the goal
A cracking performance from the lads and arguably our best of the season we knocked the ball around well and created chances. However I don’t think that it was any coincidence that we had managed to get near enough our full team on the park for the first time this season. We are now going into a spell where the big games are coming thick and fast and we need everyone to stand up and be counted. The Acks on Wednesday now awaits and they don’t come much harder than the league leaders on their own patch.