Having been involved in a large number of cup games this season, those sides above Carnoustie have played at least four more games so it was interesting to see how The Gowfers measured up against early pace setters Kirriemuir Thistle and Phil McGuire’s side were dominant against a disappointing Kirriemuir Thistle.
McGuire had to make a late change during the warmup, with Danny Millar coming in for Greg Warwick, adding to the changes already made that saw Gordon Macdonald, Ryan Roche and Dylan Stephen coming in for Ryan Dignan, Jamie Winter and Kieran McWalter.
The Gowfers started well and deserved to take the lead on 11 minutes, although it had an element of the bizarre about it. Dale Reid was adjudged to be offside and the Kirrie keeper put the ball down in the correct position but then proceeded to kick the ball straight to Reid, who finished with aplomb. The Kirrie players claimed that the keeper was kicking the ball forward for the free kick to be taken but the referee dismissed their protests and awarded the goal. If the first goal was bizarre, the second was pure class as Ross Fraser danced through the Kirrie defence, who seemed reticent to make a challenge, before slotting the ball into the far corner.
The visitors made a change at the break bringing Bryan Duell on for Marc Ogg who had been given a torrid time by Fraser but his addition failed to ignite anything threatening towards the Gowfers defence and it was no surprise when Danny Millar made it 3-0 on 57 minutes, rifling the ball home at the back post for his second goal in two games.
The third goal took any remaining sting from the game although with tempers flaring on a couple of occasions it wasn’t an easy game to handle for the referee.
Carnoustie are in no mood to relinquish their hold on the Midlands League title and the comfortable victory and a clean sheet indicate that Phil McGuire’s side will continue to do their thing and not worry about other teams around them, taking a measured approach and one game at a time.
