Date	Thursday, 15 August 1946
Competition	Highland League Cup
Fixture/Score	Inverness Thistle 0:2 Ross County
Venue	Kingsmills
Referee	D. Mackintosh
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: Fred Newton, 2: Willie (Wicky) Spence, 3: DD Forsyth, 4: James MacDonald, 5: Adam Forsyth, 6: Charlie Thain, 7: Frankie MacBeath, 8: Jocky (SNR) Clark, 9: Charles (Chic) Ogilvie, 10: Alick Ferguson 2, 11: Tommy Urquhart
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the North Star. Inverness Thistle 0 Ross County 2 The second leg the Rossshire side also underwent some changes. Macdonald was brought in in place of Patience, who has returned to Stornoway. This young lad came through his ordeal with flying colours, and D. Forsyth, at left back for Paterson, gave a creditable performance. One must exercise caution in distributing praise and criticism, for Thistle cannot be classified as a strong team at this stage of the season. They have too many players who are past their best. Therefore, it will be easier to judge the County defence when they are pitted against an attack as lively, cute and penetrative as their own. - (Of course, there are stalwarts in the Ross-shire rear, Adam Forsyth, centre-half, and Newton in the goal). To the management there must appear two obvious weaknesses, and it is for them to remedy the defects. Every player is entitled to get a fair trial, and no one is justified in condemning such a policy. The general deduction from these two games was—that the County have a good team. Their wingmen and inside forwards, especially Ferguson, are a powerful combination that will test any opposition, and many defences will have to concede numerous goals to these forwards, who have all goal-scoring shots in their lockers. Therefore, if this attack is supported by wing halves with the qualifications of plying the ball with precision, then the County will be an eleven that ought to figure in the forefront of Highland football. In these days, when referees come in for so much criticism, often unjustified, it is pleasing to record that Newspaper Title: North Star and Farmers' Chronicle Publication Date: Saturday, 17 August 1946 Page Number: 3 FOOTBALL MORGANT!I CUP COUNTY ENT-E; 2nd ROUND (By Spec.) ; Ross County have made a good | start. By their two successes over | Inverness Thistle at Victoria Park, Dingwall, they have qualified to meet Inverness Caledonian in the | next round. The County’s total was 6 goals to 1, a convincing margin. Sk et o dmilhiEi TiR - T A .AL caew. i e 3 ’ From a football point of view, Saturday’s game provided the most | thrills _and the better standard of | play. lln it, the Thistle did not deserve to be beaten by 4to 1. Up to the last fifteen minutes anything might have happened, for hoth teams stood on level terms, one goal apiece. Ferguson’s snappy coun.er at this | critical stage turned the tide into a flood. County did not look back. They tore on to become compleie masters; A. Forsyth and Ogilvie making the breach three clear goals. Faced with this formidabie task, Thistle made some changes in their team for Thursday’'s match, also played at Victoria Park. It can be plainly said they did not succeed in strengthening the eleven. fin fact, the switch-over had a disturbing effect. The visitors did not put up the same classy performance. They were decidedly foriunate to escape by a two clear goal deficit, scored by Ferguson, one in each half. Goodfellow, between the posts, often trustrated the homesters by his brilliant saves, but, on several occasions, luck was in his favour, while Ogilvie did not lead his line with that ability required by a capable leader. For the second game the Rossshire side also underwent some changes. Macdonald was brought in in place of Patience, who has returned to Stornoway. This voung lad came through his ordeal with flying colours, and D. Forsyth, at left back for Paterson, gave a creditable performance. One must exercise caution in distributing praise and criticism, for Thistle cannot be classified as a strong team at this stage of the season. They have too many players who are past their best. Therefore, it will be easier to judge the County defence when they are pitted against an attack as lively, cute and penetrative as their own. - (Of course, there are stalwarts in the Ross-shine rear, Adam Forsyth, centre-half, and Newton in the goal). To the management there must appear two obvious weaknesses, and 1t is for them to remedy the defects. Every player is entitied to get a fair trial, and no one is justified in condemning such a policy. The general deduction from these two games was—that the County have a good team. Their\ wingmen and inside forwards, especially Ferguson, are a powerful combinaiion that will test any opposition, * and many defences will have to concede numerous gdals to these forwards, who have all goal-scoring shots in their lockers. Therefore, if this attack is supported by wing halves with the qualifications of plying the ball with precision, then the County will be an eleven that ought to figure in the forefront of Highland football. In these days, when referees come in for so much criticism, often unjustified, it is pleasing to record that D. Mackintosh, - Inverness, proved a very efficient official, his decisions being .always prompt and accurate.