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Half dozen for Jags in pre-season opener

• 09 Mar 2015

Tain Thistle strolled to a 6-0 victory over North West Sutherland amateur side Brora Wanderers yesterday afternoon to kick off their pre-season campaign. The match saw new manager Robert Ross introduce a handful of new players as efforts to build a new squad for the season ahead continue. All fifteen players included in today's squad were used.<br /><br />Liam Rostock opened the scoring for Tain in eleven minutes when he applied the finishing touch on a Chippie Mailley layoff. And he could have doubled his tally just moments later following good work from Brian Cameron, but his right footed curling effort flew well over. Thistle's second arrived courtesy of Martin Smith, who turned the ball underneath the 'keeper at his near post. The Jags went 3-0 ahead with six minutes of the first half remaining, in a packed goalmouth; Dave MacGruer the man with the final touch as the ball found the net. A minute later, Liam Rostock was withdrawn having suffered an ankle knock. Chippie Mailley rounded off the first half scoring with a long range strike, from fully 30 yards, leaving the Brora 'keeper standing.<br /><br /><img border="0" align="none" alt="" src="http://www.tainthistle.co.uk/news/data/upimages/8_3_15_brora.jpg"><br /><br />Tain made two further changes to start the second half. Almost instantly, Brora tested Daniel Cormack in the Tain goal, but the flurry of pressure was short lived as Tain went on to enjoy twenty minutes of sustained pressure. New to the side, Stephen McGaw and Cameron Mackintosh were impressive going forward, and substitute Michael Newlands was unfortunate not to score on a couple of occasions. It was the other of the second half subs who found the net next. Receiving a cross, Ben Brown hit the ball first time to expertly place it beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner. Tain introduced young substitute goalkeeper Iain Ross on 71 minutes for Daniel Cormack, who had had a quiet afternoon of it. Within minutes, it looked as though Brora may have found the net, but they could only hit the post before shooting a rebound wide, leaving Ross's goal unscathed. Joe Sutherland made it 6-0 for Tain with nine to go by simply nodding home the freest of headers from a corner. Ross was finally called into action on 85 minutes but held well as Brora hit the target following a counter.<br /><br />Thistle now turn their attention to fellow Ross-shire Welfare side Contin, who they will entertain at the all-weather pitch at the Tain Royal Academy Community Complex on Tuesday evening. The match kicks off at 7.10pm.<br /><br /><b>Team from:</b><br />Cormack, I Ross, Duff, MacGruer, A Christie, McGaw, Cameron, Sutherland, Mailley, D Christie, Mackintosh, Rostock, Smith, Brown, Newlands