Highland League Fixture – Brora Rangers v Wick Academy

The eagerly anticipated first Highland derby match of the season took place at Dudgeon Park this afternoon with the home side going into this one with high hopes of another home win.

Nevertheless it was Wick who were first out of the traps and they almost went ahead in the first minute of the game. Nigel Mackenzie put Murray Coghill through goal but his 12 yard shot was charged down by Michael Gray and the danger was cleared.

Wick were on the attack again and this time Gary Manson supplied the cross which found Jamie Mackenzie in space, with only the keeper to beat he dragged his left foot shot across Gray’s  goal and wide of the lefthand post from 10yds, however he was to atone for the miss shortly after.

Just before the half hour mark Wick went ahead. A deep cross into the box by Gunn was met at the back post by Murray Coghill who headed the ball back across goal for Jamie Mackenzie who buried a left foot shot beyond Gray from 12 yards.
Brora 0 v 1 Wick

With Wick dominating the half, Brora were rarely seen as an attacking force, however Wick spurned several goal scoring opportunities to increase their lead.

However Brora did manage a foray into the Wick half when  on he stroke of half time youngster Shane Sutherland drove up the left wing before cutting inside onto his right foot to strike an 18yd shot which was deflected by MacMillan’s lefthand post for a corner by Alex Lamb’s outstretched leg.

Half-Time: Brora 0 v 1 Wick
Having tested his range before the break Sutherland then went even closer with a carbon copy of his first half effort just three minutes after the restart, however his 18yd right foot shot rattled Don MacMillan’s right hand post.

At the other end Martin Gunn played the ball out to the left for the lively Murray Coghill. He played it down the line for Jamie Mackenzie whose first time low delivery into the box saw Nigel Mackenzie clash with Michael Gray leaving the two players requiring medical treatment.

Wick doubled their advantage with just 15 minutes remaining and once again Murray Coghill was involved, this time he sent in a dangerous inswinging cross between Goalkeeper and defence to catch the forward run beyond the Brora defence of Jamie MacKenzie who rattled a left foot shot inside Gray’s righthand post from 10 yards out.

Brora 0 v 2 Wick
Brora made some tactical changes thereafter and those changes caused WIck problems with Sam MacKay and Arron Smith at the heart of everything good from Brora.

And their pressure was to pay off ten minutes from the end when Sub Aaron Smith drove to the byeline on the right and his low cross to MacMillan’s near post was cleverly flicked into the net by the heel of Connor Campbell from 2yds.

Brora continued to take the game to Wick in search of the equaliser and only desperate defending and poor finishing from Brora prevented them from doing so.

Wick made one last surge forward when Nigel MacKenzie and Martin MacGregor found themselves two on one with a Brora defender, however MacKenzie failed to spot his team mate getting up to assist him and in an attempt to go around the Brora defender he lost possession and the chance was gone to go further in front.

Back came Brora and a deep throw in from the right by Campbell cause panic in the Wick defence and a poor clearance landed at Sam MacKays feet 18yds out however he could only watch his hurried shot rising high over MacMillan’s bar and with it Brora’s last opportunity of clinching a point for his team.

On hearing the final whistle the Wick players and management were jubilant as were the Wick Supporters in the crowd, in a match that Wick fully deserved on the balance of play.