On Saturday Avoch (Highland Amateur Cup holders) were beaten by Golspie Stafford 2-1 up in Golspie. Opening up the tournament for others. Avoch at one point were the Dundee United of the Highland Amateur by choking everytime they got to a final but finally won it. They lost six finals before winning.

The other results were:

Rendall 2 Castletown 3
Halkirk 1 Carloway 5
Wick Thistle 1 Ness 5
Kirkwall Rovers 2 Thurso Swifts 3
John O’Groats 3 Kirkwall Thorfinn 0
Golspie Stafford 2 Avoch 1

Two games will be played this weekend. Back (Stornoway) Vs Dingwall Thistle on Friday. This is played on a Friday early afternoon as Dingwall Thistle are banned from staying overnight after some shenanigans. Maryburgh will travel up north to play Pentland on Saturday. If both Thistle and Maryburgh go through they will be a "big" derby as they will meet in the quarter finals. Although both Back and Pentland will be favourites to go through.

QUARTER FINAL DRAW (to be played by 12th July)

John O’Groats v Thurso Swifts
Golspie Stafford v Ness
Carloway v Castletown
Pentland United or Maryburgh v Back or Dingwall Thistle

As a Fortrose Union fan I'm delighted. I heard a rumour recently that Avoch are signing Craig Brewster which seems bizarre and ridiculous if true. Are there any Avochies left in the team or is it all paid mercenaries recently retired from full time professional football?

They are still a good number of Avochies in the side, but they still have the mercenaries. They signed the McAllister brothers from Dingwall Thistle last season and had Ross Jack playing for them last season as well. This year they have a couple of ex Clach players the most notable being Ian Polworth.

I doubt anybody from Back would thank you for that .

Avoch had Bruce McCraw playing for them last year, he seemed to be their key man at that point.

Yeah I reckon that will be my banned from the islands as well now. It's close enough!

ah the good old days!!! playing in the Highland Amateur Cup , remember playing in those games when i was 14 , certainly a footballing education playing against people like Frazie Taylor who was 19 stone even back then, never mind the ball when the man will do!!!

grew up watching Maryburgh be the dominant force for a number of years , ah the good old days

Yeah he's still playing for them

Pretty sure Charlie Christie has played for them this year as well,dont know about being the star man though Maybe thats how they lost!!!

Did Charlie Christie play for Avoch? I know Charlie sometimes plays on a Tuesday night in a Six a Side league at Bucht Park. Brian Irvine and Steven MacKay have also played for teams in that league.

Anyway in other news Dingwall Thistle lost 3-1 to Back FC today.

To be honest i don't know if he played against Golspie but he is definitely a signed Avoch player and has played for them this season

Pentland scraped past Maryburgh 3-2 this afternoon. A mistake in the last five minutes gifted the northern side the win against the under strength Maryburgh team. If they got the replay I think Maryburgh would have beaten them with their full squad. Home advantage is more important in this competition.

Gordon Connolly played for Maryburgh today.

Off topic a bit but can anybody tell me what has happened to Cromarty ?? Heard rumours they'll be back next season ??

First post here, just to say that Golspie Stafford beat Ness 3-0 today.

Does anyone know how the other ties finished? I heard Pentland United v Back and Castletown v Carloway both went to extra time.

If I hear I will let you know by posting here.

Cheers.

Castletown game sounded good, 2-2 quite early on, think it finished that way but didn't hear what happened after that.

Pentland and Back are 2 good teams though, winner plays Golspie.

Pentland and Back drew 1-1. With Pentland winning on penalties. I won't be able to hear how the other game finished as I don't know of anyone with connections to that two teams.

Glad Pentland won, means the Semi should be in Helmsdale.

Should be a decent game, all the best for the semi.

4th ROUND RESULTS (12th July)

John O'Groats 0 Thurso Swifts 2

Carloway 3 Castletown 4 - AET (FT 2-2)

Golspie Stafford 3 Ness 0

Pentland United 1 Back 1 - AET (FT 1-1);Pentland won 4-3 on pens

Looks like an all-Caithness final unless Golspie can beat Pentland.

Last time we got this far was a few years ago now, played Pentland in Brora, great crowd that day, lost 1-0.
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The Semi-final between Castletown and Swifts will be played on the 26th of July.

Golspie v Pentland will be in Brora on either the 2nd or 9th of August. Since Brora are at home in the HFL on the 2nd and will be at home in the Challenge cup on the 9th if they beat Lossie, then I assume it will be a 5.30pm KO, like the last time Golspie played Pentland in Brora.

01dc07: I don't suppose you have a list of past winners of the Highland Am and the years they won it in?

Not to hand no, sorry.

Off the top of my head that I know for sure:

2007: Avoch
2006: Avoch
2005: Dingwall Lochs
2004: Back
2003: Dingwall Lochs
2002: Pentland United
2001: Wick Thistle
2000: ??
1999: Contin

I know that Pentland United have the most wins with 5 in total, Ness have 4 wins.

I know they are from the Islands, I just saw them mentioned as 2003 and 2005 winners and their name was given as Dingwall Lochs, which I just assumed was their full name. Always known them as Lochs.....

Take it Stafford must be very strong this year judging by the teams they have knocked out?(Avoch/Culbokie etc)



Will the final be in Brora?

The final will be in Brora yes, probably on the 16th, though if it's 2 Caithness teams maybe it would make more sense to play it in Wick.

Stafford are very strong, though quite fortunate to get past Avoch. The whole team is from Golspie, with a few having HFL experience with Brora, and a few others playing for Golspie Sutherland. The team is very young too, every player is 25 or under apart from Darren Pullen.

All the best of luck then, its good to hear that all the boys are locals,thats how amateur football should be, certainly was when i played
That makes the victories over Avoch & Culbokie all the more sweeter as they are the opposite

a bit late for this season but

http://caravanhires.com/hacup/hacup_home.htm

Pentland United beat Stafford 1-0 yesterday, first half penalty.

Good crowd at the game, not really a great game though.

Final is Castletown v PU, not sure when.

its a week saturday i think.

I was hoping pentland would lose, so the final would be in brora

Terrible game on Saturday not one bit of football played but the better team won in the end.

The Golspie fans were certainly a site worth seeing with the French maids and the Williams sisters in attendance

It was after the wheelbarrow race then!

Certainly was a terrible game, thinking about it I can't remember either keeper having to make even a semi-difficult save.

Definitely must have been a sight when the bus arrived just after K.O

You a 3pm k.o this sat?

Yep.

Where's the final being played then?

Harmsworth Park, Wick, Saturday at 3pm