Buckie Thistle 1
Wick Academy 0
League

Match Report

Buckie played the last 5 minutes of the game with only 10 men, but managed to scrape past the post today with a 1-0 win over the Scorries and in doing so retained their top spot in the league table.

The first chance of the game came in 9 minutes when David MacRae headed a crossed ball straight into the arms of Alan Bokas. 5 minutes later Donnie Munro had a similar chance that he too headed over the top of the cross-bar.

Academy's first chance came with 18 minutes on the clock. Macadie and Gunn combined well on the left for Gunn to cut the ball back to Manson on the edge of the box but he sent his shot wide of the target.

In a fairly even first half both teams had further sniffs at goal as the half time whistle approached, David Angus stole the ball from Manson inside the Buckie half and drove forward before unleashing a powerful right foot shot that was deflected for a corner. From the corner kick for the second time in the half Donnie Munro got his head to the ball but again header over the top of Bokas's cross-bar.

Academy then threatened when Farquhar played a long ball to Macadie who slid David Allan into the box bit his shot was blocked by keeper Strong. The ball was half cleared by the Buckie defence and Farquhar played the ball back into the mix for Macadie but he blazed a half-volley from 10 yards out over the top of the Buckie goal.

The last chance of the half also fell to Academy when Sinclair drove down the right wing and crossed to Macade at the edge of the box but he again fired his shot over the top of the target.

Half time 0 - 0

It took 11 minutes into the second half before either team threatened the goal. David MacRae for Buckie found a chink of space and fired a shot on target that Bokas managed to block.

3 minutes later Kevin Small was booked for fouling McKiddie on the edge of the Buckie box and Manson fired the resulting free-kick inches wide of Strong's left hand post.

Strong was called into action again minutes later when Manson set Mackay off down the left flank. He squared along the 18 yard line to Cunningham and Strong did well to block his first time strike low to his right hand post.

With just over an hour played Greg Carol rang the changes brining on veteran Charlie Brown and Martin Charlesworth. The were on the park for 14 minutes before they combined to open the scoring. Brown broke and hot the bye-line, cutting the ball back into the Academy box for Charlesworth. He was given time to turn and curled his shot just inside the right hand post.

1 - 0

Weir came on for Mackay and he was involved in a build-up that saw Macadie slide the ball to David Allan but the ex-Academy keeper Strong yet again made the save.

5 minutes from time Graeme Stewart picked up his second booking of the game and received his marching orders, but Academy couldn't muster up the equaliser.

Full time 1 - 0

Match report written by Colin Stewart