Thurso Acks vs Portree (6-0)

George Dunnett hands over new training tops sponsored by Dunnett's Transport

Jack Halliday fires in the first goal

Chris Sutherland on the attack

Craig Trueman fires in a cross in front of a busy grandstand

Jack Halliday scores his third from a free kick

Paul Wares ready to pounce

Jack Halliday closes down Portree's Andrew Wilson

Portree's Angie Grant flies in on Kuba Koziol

Jack Halliday and Chris Rose tussle for the ball

Andrew Burns beats Allan Munro

Alex MacDonald beats Chris Sutherland

The first round of the Highland Amateur cup was played today and Thurso Acks played host to Portree at the Dammies in Thurso. Portree had 8 players missing and replaced them with a handful of youngsters and a couple of veterans. They were no match for a powerful Acks side and Acks easily won 6-0.

Jack Halliday was the star with 3 first half goals and two assists in the second half. Chris Sutherland scored two and Graham Bremner the last goal.

After only 8 minutes Jack blasted the ball from the edge of the box and low into the corner of the net. 5 minutes later he did the same again, but got a helping hand from keeper Malcolm Nicolson who let the ball slip between his legs.

Gordon Clark had one cracking save when he had to dive full length to push a shot around the post. This was the only real effot on the Acks goal in the whole game.

Acks had to wait until 40 minutes to finish the game. Jack smashed a free-kick from 25 yards and again got a helping hand from the keeper who let the high ball slip through his fingers.

With the strong wind behind their backs in the second half, Acks were totally dominant. Gordon Clark had no saves to make. Early in the half, Jack fired in a high ball from the bye line and Chris Sutherland rose like a majestic stag to thunder a header high into the roof of the net from 12 yards out.

Chris got his second a few minutes later when he clipped a low cross from Craig Trueman past the keeper. The last goal was late on and was scored by sub Graham Bremner. He was lurking at the back post and cooly slammed home a fast daisy cutter of a cross-ball from Jack Halliday.

It was a clean game with no bookings from ref Bob Gunn.

Acks are to play Kirkwall Hotspurs in Orkney for round two.