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  • Tain Thistle 4 Fortrose Union 3 | Latest News | Tain Thistle AFC
  • Tain Thistle 4 Fortrose Union 3

    The Jags were pegged back three times tonight as they battled to a 4-3 victory over nearest rivals Fortrose Union in week nine of the Ross-shire Welfare league campaign. Eight points separated the sides before kick off in the league table as Thistle aimed to create an eleven point divide, and a last minute goal from Chippie Mailley secured it.<br /><br /><img border="0" align="none" alt="" src="http://www.tainthistle.co.uk/news/data/upimages/fort2015.jpg"><br /><br />Thistle made two changes to the team who played against Eastern Rose last week, with the returning Dave MacGruer replacing Daniel Christie and Brian Cameron stepping aside for Chippie Mailley.<br /><br />Chances fell to both sides in the early going. Mark Lamont teased the Fortrose defence after five minutes before sending a ball across the face of goal and at the other end Cammy Mackintosh blocked a shot towards goal that seemed destined for the back of the net. The opener was scored by Thistle though, on eighteen minutes, when Chippie Mailley sent a stinging ball into the box, but his cross-come-shot curled into the far corner, deceiving goalkeeper Martin Smith to hand Tain the lead. Fortrose were quick to retaliate however, and from a corner, Iain Mackay scored at the far post after some poor defending. It took Thistle just two further minutes to restore their first half lead when they scored from a corner of their own. Taking the corner short, Mark Lamont laid the ball off to Craig Munro who sent a perfect cross into the box for Alan Duff to power the ball into the net with a header.<br /><br />Arron Christie was unlucky with a free kick moments later when his shot flew just over the crossbar and shortly after, Craig Munro curled a set piece bound for the top corner into the hands of Smith. The score remained at 2-1 as the first half drew to a close.<br /><br />A fault with the home net delayed the restart before Thistle kicked the second half off and the game quickly descended into a one sided affair, with Thistle doing everything but scoring over a period of half an hour. Mark Lamont cut the ball back perfectly for John Maclellan with one of the best chances of the game, but clever defending denied the striker. As the half went on, Lamont also hit the post and shot just over with another chance. It seemed almost inevitable that Fortrose would hit Thistle on the break, and that they did, as a ball from the right wing made it's way into the box via Stuart Gammie and Rhys Shewan stuck the ball past Daniel Cormack to make it 2-2.<br /><br /><img class="imgleft" src="http://www.tainthistle.co.uk/news/data/upimages/fort2015a.jpg">The tide didn't immediately turn, and the Jags pushed on to take the lead once again, Mark Lamont finally getting his reward for some persistent forward play with a leaping header, getting on the end of a Chippie Mailley ball to make it 3-2.<br /><br />A calamity in goal followed, as Fortrose capitalised on the needless concession of a free kick three minutes later. From the kick, Rhys Shewan launched the ball over the wall and through the arms of Daniel Cormack, as the ball trundled in. It looked at that point that two points may have been dropped, and things seemed to go from bad to worse for Thistle when manager Robert Ross was ordered back to the pavilion. But the finale was left for Chippie Mailley. In the last minute, the midfielder sent the ball past Smith with a left foot strike from outside of the box to hand the Jags a deserved 4-3 victory in the most dramatic of fashions.<br /><br />The win puts Thistle eleven points clear at the top of the Ross-shire Welfare league. Next week, the team travel to Contin for the first time this season.<br /><br /><b>Team:</b><br />Cormack, Murray, A Christie, Farquhar, Munro, Mackintosh, Mailley, Duff, MacGruer, Lamont, Maclellan (Rostock)<br /><br /><b>Subs not used:</b><br />Smith, Scott, D Ross, Cameron<br /><br /><b>Goals:</b><br />Mailley 16, 90, Duff 20, Lamont 82<br /><br /><b>Bookings:</b><br />Lamont

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