Golspie 2
Wick Academy 3
NOS Cup

Match Report

Academy go through to the semi-final of the ITP NOS Cup to meet ICT after a 3 – 2 win tonight over Golspie Sutherland.

Golspie were the first to threaten goal in the 3rd minute of the game when Andrew MacLeod gave the ball away carelessly in the middle of the park, and Aaron Smith broke through the middle and got a shot off on target that More saved.

Academy opened the scoring 5 minutes later when Gary Manson broke down the left wing and from a position wide of the Golspie box he swung in a cross to the back post that deceived the Golspie defence and squeezed in past an out-stretched Alan Bokas.

0 - 1

Bryan McKiddie almost doubled the Scorries lead shortly afterwards but Blair Duncan managed to clear his effort off the line.

On the half hour another good chance fell to Academy. McKiddie broke into the box and Bokas saved his shot but fumbled the ball. Henstridge snapped the loose ball up and rounded the keeper but Darren Pullen saved the day by clearing off the line.

With 41 minutes gone Golspie levelled the scores. They forced 2 corners, the second one falling to Tommy Campbell in the middle of the box and he rifled home past a helpless More.

1 – 1

2 minutes later it looked as if an upset could be on the cards as Golspie were awarded a penalty kick with Aaron Smith going down in the box with a clip to his heels under a challenge from Alan Sinclair and Stewart Ross. Pullen took the spot-kick and sent More the wrong way.

2 – 1

Half Time 2 – 1

Academy started the second half on the attack and Gary Farquhar hit a 35 yard drive that just whistled past Bokas’s right hand post.

A minute later and Farquhar this time found the net. Gary Manson supplied a cross into the box from the left, Henstridge got his head to it to flick it on, and Farquhar ran in at the back post to drill it home from 12 yards out.

2 – 2

In the 68th minute Gary Manson almost had a repeat of his earlier goal, when he curled a shot from wide on the left, but this time it went just past Bokas’s left hand post.

Gary Farquhar got his second of the game a minute later after Golspie failed to clear a ball delivered into their box by Davie Cowie, and Farquhar pounced on the loose ball and stuck it home from 4 yards out.

2 – 3

Golspie kept battling, and to their credit had 3 good chances to take something out of the game before referee Fraser blew the final whistle. Cooper got a touch on the ball from a Golspie corner that More saved well with his feet, and More again made a good save to deny Scott Wilson who had cut in from the right wing and had a good effort on target. Golspie’s final attempt came with a minute of play left, the Academy defence napping on a ball sent deep into the box and Wilson ghosted in unmarked and got a shot on target, but More again denied him as he smothered the ball.

Academy had the last of the action when referee Fraser awarded an indirect free-kick inside the Golspie penalty box, after John Smith was adjudged to have made a pass-back to Bokas, but Academy couldn’t capitalise from it.

Full time 2 - 3

Match report written by John Briskham