Not a happy start to the new year for Inverness Athletic
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INVERNESS Athletic were left in need of some belated festive cheer after they were soundly beaten 4–0 by Golspie Sutherland in the North Caledonian League.
Athletic were left playing catch up against a well-drilled Golspie side in their first outing of 2020 after falling behind in the 13th minute, and never recovered to register anything on the scoreboard.
“We didn’t start well, there was too many poor touches and slack passes,” said Athletic manager Jason Golabek.
“We were killed by three balls into the box which we didn’t defend.
“We need to be better – we can’t afford to give away goals like that. But the three-week break didn’t help.”
Athletic showed early signs of intent with efforts from Ben Hosie and Lewis MacLeod flew over the Golspie crossbar in the opening 10 minutes.
But it was the visitors who took the lead.
Ally MacLeod pounced on an inviting cross from Liam Bremner to stab the ball past Athletic keeper Sandy Stephen from eight yards.
Golspie took a firm grip on proceedings from there.
Grant Budge was not far away with a header which flew narrowly over.
Athletic were seen in flashes as Phil MacDonald and DJ MacPhee sent shots wide of the upright.
But Golspie struck again nine minutes from the break, with Bremner applying the finishing touch at the back post to Martin Banks’s diagonal ball.
The nearest Athletic came to scoring in the second half was in the 53rd minute when Hosie fired a shot just wide of Golspie keeper Graeme Williamson’s left hand post.
But it was all over as contest four minutes later when Grant MacNab scored with a glancing header after he got on the end of a Blair Duncan throw-in.
Golspie substitute Eoghann Davie added a fourth goal in the 89th minute when he bundled the ball over the goal-line from close range.
Invergordon opened up a three point lead at the top of the table after an 8–0 romp at Bonar Bridge.
Bunillidh Thistle picked up their first points of the campaign in a 2–0 victory against Halkirk United, while a James Murray penalty gave Thurso a 1-0 win over Orkney.
