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  • Tain Thistle 1, Alness Athletic 4 | Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Tain Thistle 1, Alness Athletic 4

    Thistle's hopes of defending the Ross-shire Welfare league title took a turn for the worse tonight against league leaders Alness Athletic, losing 4-1 despite hard battling and perhaps the team's best performance of the season. <br /><br />With manager Darren Mackay returning from holiday, there were just a handful of changes made to the side. Assistant Martyn Farquhar dropped out of the side due to the limit on North Caledonian players, while Liam Rostock and Darran Goller both returned up front. In midfield, Paul Cowie returned to the starting eleven, with Brian Cameron and Martin Smith dropping to the bench.<br /><br />The game was always going to be toughly contested, as has been the theme for Tain and Alness in recent, but for the away side, the Links had always been something of a hoodoo venue, having never won a competitive game at Tain. It looked as though they may suffer a similar fate during the first half, as Thistle dictated play, forcing the Alness defence with frequent possession and clever running from Liam Rostock and Darran Goller. John Maclellan up front was first to test Andrew Maitland in goal for Alness with a stunning overhead kick that the 'keeper had to tip onto the crossbar. Maclellan again found himself clean through on Maitland shortly after, forcing a tremendous save. A penalty claim shortly after for a foul on Darran Goller was turned down, and Arron Christie was desperately unlucky with a free kick which sailed just wide of Maitland's left hand post.<br /><br />At the other end, Donald Sutherland clipped Johnny Allan's inside post following an incisive break, and the Tain stopper was called into action a couple of times soon after, but largely it was the Jags who would have gone in at the break feeling like they had missed an opportunity to take the lead.<br /><br />Tain followed the pattern that has seen them punished often this season, starting the second half badly, and within thirteen minutes of the restart, Alness took the first second half chance that was presented to them; Donald Sutherland nodding home a cross at the far post to put Alness 1-0 ahead. The goal appeared to take the steam out of Thistle, who had worked tirelessly during a fruitless first half.<br /><br />The forward threat of Alness became increasingly apparent as they began to pass with flair and continue to threaten and within ten minutes they had gone 2-0 up; Shaun Robertson getting on the end of a Ross Thomson pass to slot home.<br /><br />It took until the second goal for Tain to pick up the pace and that they did. Dragged out of his goal but an on-running Darran Goller, it took Dave Murray in the Alness defence to rescue the situation. Moments later, Liam Rostock had the ball in the back of net with a turning drive, but the referee adjudged that the striker was off-side, much to the consternation of the Jags' players.<br /><br />The goal for Tain finally came on 80 mins, as Chris Mailley foxed the Alness defence with a long range effort that sailed underneath Maitland to reduce the deficit to 1-2.<br /><br />With three minutes left on the clock, Thistle had pushed for an equaliser, but a combination of tiredness and moving higher up the park ultimately took its toll as Alness scored twice late on to record a very flattering scoreline of 4-1, Ross Thomson and Ally Rose the scorers.<br /><br /><b>Team:</b><br />Allan, Davis, Duff, A Christie, Brand, Cowie (Sutherland), Mailley, D Christie, Goller, Rostock, Maclellan (Smith)<br /><br /><b>Subs not used:</b><br />Cameron, Durrand<br /><br /><b>Goal:</b><br />Mailley 80

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