City manager switches focus to cup test

INVERNESS City take a break from league action when they travel to Dufftown for a North Regional Cup second round tie on Saturday.

City will tread warily after they slipped up at Dufftown last season, but manager Steve Graham is demanding some more of the same after a return to form over the last couple of weeks.

He explained: "We ended a bad run with a couple of decent results and we will need to show the same type of performance we showed against Burghead if we are to get a result at Dufftown.

"Matches against them have always been close, there is never much more than a goal or two in it. It’s a distraction from the league, but we reached the semi-final of this competition last season before going out to Sunnybank.

"It would be nice to do even better this season."

City will be without Michael MacKenzie, who suffered a suspected broken ankle in the 6-0 romp over Burghead Thistle last weekend. Kevin MacLeod is unavailable, but Charlie Fonweban returns.

It was certainly a case of sweet revenge for an early season reverse when City produced a clinical performance against Burghead Thistle at Forest Park to move into second place in the table.

City started brightly and the slick passing that had been missing in previous games was evident as the home side struggled to gain possession of the ball. A City corner on the 10th minute was cleared, but gathered by Kevin Fraser who quickly released Ross Thomson. The big defender drifted past his marker and smashed a piledriver of a shot which Payne in the home goals did well to save.

But the opener arrived two minutes later. Andrew Fraser and birthday boy Kelvin Mackenzie combined in the build-up and MacKenzie’s cross into the box was lashed into the roof of the net by Steve Sanderson.

City felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 23rd minute when Thomson was sent sprawling in the box, but instead of pointing to the spot the referee booked Jordan MacDonald for arguing with the decision.

However, the visitors doubled their lead in the 42nd minute when a poor clearance from Payne landed nicely for Sanderson, who rounded the keeper to score.

City were flying now and they went further ahead just before the break. Payne failed to hold a powerful shot from Thomson and Sanderson nipped in to tuck away the rebound for his hat-trick.

City were out of sight within a minute of the restart when Kelvin MacKenzie forced the keeper into another poor clearance and after he gained control of the ball the diminutive forward picked his spot for goal number four.

The same player should have added to his tally four minutes later when he received a pass from Sanderson six yards out but his snatched at his shot and the ball crashed off the crossbar and away to safety.

It was one-way traffic, and Gary Miller was not far away with a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box which flew narrowly over the crossbar.

But MacKenzie was on target again on the hour mark when he shrugged off his marker and beat Payne with a low drive.

City completed the rout when Thomson punished yet another poor clearance from Payne to slot home.

However, City’s magnificent display was tarnished somewhat when sub Michael MacKenzie was carried off the field with a suspected broken ankle.

City: Young, MacDonald, K Mason, J Fraser, K Fraser, Miller, Thomson (MacGregor), C Mason (Hughes), A Fraser, Sanderson, K MacKenzie (M MacKenzie).