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  • Invergordon SC 1 Tain Thistle 3

    In the most relaxed of fashions, Thistle bounced back from a first half deficit to record a 3-1 victory in Invergordon last night. With gaffer Robert Ross taking a well deserved holiday before Saturday's Cordiner Cup Final, Arron Christie and Scott Drylie took the managerial reigns for the club's final league game of the season. Mark Lamont (holiday), Neil MacDonald (suspended) and Daniel Christie (illness) were all missing from the starting eleven, as Cammy Mackintosh, John Maclellan and Chippie Mailley stepped back in. <br /><br />Dave Macgruer was first to offer a chance on goal in the second minute when his curling free kick rattled Philip Brannen's cross bar. But it was Invergordon who were first to take the lead two minutes later. A simple cross into the box was headed past Allan by the leaping Steven Christopher, formerly of Eastern Rose, and the Social men were 1-0 up.<br /><br />Buoyed by their early lead, Social continued on the attack and were unlucky not to extend their lead after ten minutes when Gavin Maclachlan capitalised on a defensive slip to force a save from Johnny Allan. Lewis Macleod then produced the miss of the season as he burst past Johnny Allan only to tap the ball wide of the empty net. A miserable first half for Thistle was capped off with a dissent booking for Craig Munro as they went to the touchline at half time to regroup.<br /><br />Thistle emerged a different side in the second half and after just seven minutes they equalised. In what was his 150th game for the club, Liam Rostock completed some clever passing with a curling drive from just inside the eighteen yard box over the top of Brannen and into the net. Two minutes later, Thistle had the lead and it was thanks to another injury comeback man in Mikey Dunnett. The ball fell to the defender fully thirty yards out from goal and without hesitation he rifled the ball with authority through a gathering of players to beat Brannen.<br /><br />John Maclellan was unlucky not to increase Thistle's tally on a couple of occasions, shooting just over after cutting inside and moments later forcing Brannen into a one-on-one save. Liam Rostock also got in on the action looking for a second, forcing the Social stopper into action again. Rostock's second eventually arrived with five minutes remaining as he calmly lifted the ball over the top of Brannen into the far corner to wrap up the points for his side.<br /><br /><b>Team:</b><br />Allan, Dunnett, A Christie, Murray, Munro, Mackintosh, Mailley, Macgruer (Scott 76), M Farquhar (D Ross 76), Maclellan, Rostock<br /><br /><b>Goals:</b><br />Rostock 52, 85, Dunnett 54<br /><br /><b>Booked:</b><br />Munro 42

  • Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Thistle reach Cordiner Cup final

    A superb second half performance from the Jags saw off Alness United at the Links on Friday night, as they booked their place in next Saturday's Cordiner Cup Final in Inver. <br /><br />It looked as though Tain may continue to run riot the way they have in recent games, when, after just eight minutes, Neil MacDonald shot Thistle into the lead with a 30 yard drive that flew past Jodie Campbell into the net. Just moments later, Arron Christie had been unlucky not to score with a right foot volley at the far post after a sweeping cross from Neil MacDonald.<br /><br />Liam Rostock should have scored on the quarter hour mark after yet another great ball from MacDonald, but the makeshift wing back's first touch could only send the ball trickling wide.<br /><br />A series of contentious decisions left the Tain men riled, despite their lead, and before long the game became disjointed with neither side able to gain a foothold. Dave Murray was first to see yellow, collecting a booking midway through the first half. A headed chance for Evan Murray flew just over Johnny Allan's crossbar in Alness's best chance to equalize.<br /><br />A second half regroup saw Thistle come out a different side, and within five minutes they had doubled their lead. Fouled just inside the box after cutting along the byline, Mark Lamont converted the spot kick awarded by referee Mike Stainke to make it 2-0. Three minutes later it was 3-0 and Lamont scored again, this time at the second time of asking after battling to send the ball into the Alness net following a rebound from a Liam Rostock shot.<br /><br />Despite all of Thistle's work to put the game to bed, it seemed amidst all the heat in the game that a red card was inevitable and for a challenge from behind, Thistle's scorer Neil MacDonald was dismissed.<br /><br />The Jags continued undeterred and just five minutes later it was 4-0. Collecting a ball just inside the eighteen yard box, Arron Christie spun a right foot shot towards the far post and the midfielder's shot curled beyond the reach of Campbell.<br /><br />Just under fifteen minutes later, substitute John Maclellan was next to score, as he completed a superb move, converting a Lamont cross by heading home at the far post for his fifth goal of the season. Capping off a man of the match performance, Lamont secured his hat-trick seven minutes later with a tremendous solo effort, retaining the ball under pressure from several Alness defenders before guiding the ball into the box and beating Campbell in style. The goal sealed Lamont's fifth hat-trick of the season and his 27th goal in just 14 games for Thistle.<br /><br />Three minutes later, Lamont was provider again, this time working well to cut back for Cammy Mackintosh to net from close range, bundling the ball past Campbell.<br /><br />The victory sends Thistle into the final of the Inver Inn Cordiner Cup - a trophy which the Tain side have won just once before in 2009. In the other semi final, played today, Dingwall recorded a comfortable 4-0 victory over Fortrose Union, setting up an Inver final between Tain and Dingwall. The game will be played next Saturday, August 1st with a 3pm kick off.<br /><br /><b>Team:</b><br />Allan, M Farquhar, Dunnett, Murray (Smith 77), MacDonald, Munro (Mackintosh 61), A Christie, Macgruer, Rostock (Maclellan 64), D Christie, Lamont<br /><br /><b>Subs not used:</b><br />T Farquhar, D Ross<br /><br /><b>Goals:</b><br />MacDonald 8, Lamont pen 50, 53, 81, Maclellan 74, Mackintosh 84<br /><br /><b>Booked:</b><br />Murray<br /><br /><b>Sent Off:</b><br />MacDonald

  • Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Tain Thistle 4 Dingwall 0

    Having secured the Ross-shire Welfare league championship last week with a 3-0 win in Alness, the Jags welcomed Dingwall to the Links for the very first time last night, in what turned out to be a game played in friendly spirits, with Tain running out 4-0 winners.<br /><br />Robert Ross made a number of changes to his side with Friday's Cordiner Cup semi final tie in mind. Michael Dunnett returned to action for the first time since his ankle injury in the League Cup Final in May, slotting into the back three in place of Dave Murray, who dropped to the bench. Neil MacDonald was reinstated in the middle of the back line while Arron Christie reassumed the role in between the midfield and attack, and in place of the USA bound Alan Duff, Cammy Mackintosh returned to the midfield. Liam Rostock also returned to the starting eleven, in place of Daniel Christie.<br /><br />Liam Rostock made it a scoring return after eleven minutes when he turned the ball into the net with his first touch following some excellent persistence from Mark Lamont, who battled past several defenders before sending a low cross into the path of Thistle's all-time scorer.<br /><br />Lamont himself got on the score sheet just four minutes later with a similar goal. Neil MacDonald sent a looping cross into the way of the onrushing Arron Christie who broke down the left side to rifle the ball into the six yard box for Lamont to direct it home. A second for Lamont arrived after 26 minutes, the prolific forward foxing Ali Smith in the Dingwall goal with a standing header which flew over his head and into the net at the back post. <br /><br />Dingwall replaced Smith with Reece Reid at half time, and the stand in keeper Craig Morrison did well to keep Thistle at bay during the second half, blocking shots from John Maclellan on two occasions and thwarting Dave MacGruer who directed a curling effort towards the top corner. Mark Lamont was denied his third hat-trick in as many games on a couple of occasions, most notably rocking the cross bar with a cross come shot on the hour mark.<br /><br />Celebrating his 33rd birthday, Chippie Mailley added the fourth and final goal of the evening when he collected a ball over the top of the defence before twisting and turning the goalkeeper a handful of times and calmly slotting the ball into the net with his less familiar right foot.<br /><br /><b>Team:</b><br />Allan, M Farquhar, MacDonald, Dunnett, Munro, Mackintosh (T Farquhar), A Christie, Mailley, Macgruer (D Ross), Lamont, Rostock (Maclellan)<br /><br /><b>Subs not used:</b><br />Murray, R Ross<br /><br /><b>Goals:</b><br />Rostock 11, Lamont 15, 26, Mailley 73<br /><br /><b>Cautions:</B><br />MacDonald

  • Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Balintore forfeit Cordiner Cup tie

    Balintore have forfeited their Cordiner Cup first round tie with Tain Thistle, which was scheduled to be played this afternoon, Saturday, July 18th. Tain Thistle will automatically advance to the semi final, awaiting the result of Alness United v Contin to determine their opposition.<br /><br />The Graham Jardine Memorial Quaich, which would have been awarded to the winners of today's game, will now be contested in a friendly match in September.

  • Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Remembering Graham Jardine

    Ahead of tomorrow's Cordiner Cup first round tie, to be played between Tain Thistle and Balintore for the Graham Jardine Memorial Quaich, Tain club secretary Niall Harkiss looks at Graham's footballing days, speaking to a number of his former team mates, family and friends. Link: <a href="https://kandnpub.wordpress.com/2015/07/15/remembering-graham-jardine/" target=blank>K & N Publishing - Remembering Graham Jardine</a><br /><br /><img width=95% src="http://www.tainthistle.co.uk/news/data/upimages/grahamjardine2015.jpg">

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