Thistle's hopes crushed

FC Stoneywood 3 Forres Thistle 1

For the second week running Forres Thistle were undone by a hat trick hero as on form Stuart Skinner sent the Jags crashing out of the McLeman Cup, allowing them to focus on Super League survival.

Thistle found it difficult to threaten the home team’s goal in the opening forty-five minutes with a Davie McIvor shot that flew well wide in the 15 minute and a free kick from the same player that only just evaded Lee Davidson at the far post late in the half being the sum total of the Jags attacking threat.

At the other end Simon Bremner was doing his best Cammy Bell impression to keep the Aberdonians at bay. In the 20 minute a shot flew toward the top left hand corner from Skinner but Simon Bremner moved quickly to his right and dived to touch it away for a corner. Then a header from the same player flew towards the bottom corner but it was also saved by Bremner.

Lee Davidson then joined in as he cleared off the line when Stevenson’s effort looked netbound. Despite this determined rearguard action the visitors did concede shortly before half time. A great ball in from Gordon Farmer evaded Bremner and Skinner headed home.

Early in the second half a McKechnie effort flew just past the post as Stoneywood’s slick play continued to see them create chances. The second goal duly came just before the hour mark when a cross from full back Lamb picked out Skinner once again and he guided his header into the bottom corner.

To their credit Kevin Walker’s men showed a great deal of resilience and Jon Fraser brought the first save of the game out of S Goodbrand before the visitors pulled themselves back into the game with a fine strike.

Sub Bob Mackinnon began the move with a great ball to Matty Milne and the number two did well to pick out another sub, Charlie Sopp. Having replaced Andy McIvor shortly before this Sopp wasted no time in drilling his shot through a ruck of players and into the net.

Just when it seemed there was hope the outstanding player on the field, Stuart Skinner, distinguished it a minute later. He collected the ball just inside the penalty area, wheeled his man and then fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net to claim his hat trick.

There was no way back for Thistle who went down to the better team on the day. They now travel to Culter away before hosting Stonehaven at Logie Park a week on Saturday.

Stoneywood: S Goodbrand, L Bain, D Lamb, S Strachan, A Brown, S Rintoul, D McKechnie, J Cromar, S Skinner, D Stevenson, G Farmer Subs: N Anderson, L Chowman, A Ogston, L McLuskie, A Elphstone, R Goodbrand, B Marwick

Forres Thistle: S Bremner, M Milne, A McIvor (C Sopp), L Davidson, C Ross, D McIvor, J Ross, C Beck, J Fraser, B Henderson (R Mackinnon), C Gemmell (K Grant)

Forres Thistle boss Kevin Walker has challenged his players to pick up nine points from five games as they look to secure their place in the North Juniors Super League for a second successive season.

Talking to the Gazette the former centre back made it clear what he expects from his players.

“We have five league games left that has to be the focus from now until the end of the season. We have set ourselves the target of nine points from those games and hopefully that will be enough to keep us up.

Breaking down the tally further he added, “Lewis United have one game in hand and are three points ahead of us so it will be a big game when we face them at home. We also have Longside at Logie Park and Sunnybank away so we are looking to try and win all three of those matches.

“This weekend we have Culter away and we were unlucky not to take anything from the home game against them when they scored seven minutes into injury time and then we have Stonehaven to play and we were lucky to take the win down there as they battered us but we produced a smash and grab to take the points.

“These games are tougher ones and anything we take from them is a bonus, but the lads know they are capable of it”

Looking at the loss to Stoneywood on Saturday he added, “We scraped together a team once again. Jon Fraser and John Ross played after last minute decisions while Bryan Henderson started but only lasted ten minutes.

“I thought we contained them quite well in the first half but the real positives we can take out if it was that Chrissy Ross and Calum Gemmell gained their first starts in a long long time. It is good to get them back in and as far as I am aware neither of them have any adverse reaction.”