SQC – WAFC 0 – Buckie Thistle 0

16th September 2006 – Quarter Final Scottish Qualifying Cup	Harmsworth Park Wick
Wick Academy	0
Team:  James More, Graeme Reid, Neil Traill(Shaun Sinclair 86), Stewart Ross, Andrew Macleod, Craig Shearer, Martin Gunn, Gary Farquhar, David Cowie, Richard Macadie(Gary Weir 80), Gary Manson.  Subs: Shaun Sinclair, Gary Weir, Stuart Sinclair, Bryan McKiddie, Daniel Bell(GK).
Buckie Thistle	0
Team: Kevin Main, Neil Murray(Lewis Mackinnon 76), Paul Lamberton, Kevin Small, Ritchie Davidson(Jamie Shewan 68), Michael Grant, Andy Matheson, Donnie Munro, Stephen Bruce, John Coutts(Andy Low 55), Neil Davidson.  Subs: Jamie Shewan, Andy Low, Lewis Mackinnon, Matthew Edmond, Darren Strong(GK).
Referee:	Matt Northcroft
Bookings:	Buckie: Davidson 47.
Match Sponsor:	Town & County Club
Ball Sponsor:	Plowman’s Carpets
Sponsors man of the match:	James More

A battling Academy performance against a very physical Buckie side today, saw the game end in a 0-0 draw. It’s been over a year, 20th Aug 2005 v Clach, since the last 0-0 draw at the Harmsworth Park, and this one wasn’t a dull affair by any sense of the imagination.

Before kick-off Peter made a change between the sticks. Daniel Bell was on the team-sheet, but he was changed for James More before the game started.

Academy got the first sniff of goal within 7 minutes. Neil Traill, who was just signed this week and was playing in place of Alex Lamb, made a surging run up the left wing and whipped in a great ball to the Buckie back post. Defender Kevin Small just managed to get his head to it and turned it for a corner, otherwise Richard Macadie was free at the back post.

Buckie then threatened for the first time in the 13^th minute. Graeme Reid gave away a free-kick about 20 yards from goal, but John Coutts bending free-kick attempt went just over the top of the Academy cross-bar.

With both teams cancelling each other out in midfield the next chance didn’t come until the 28^th minute. This time Buckie No 9 Stephen Bruce, who put himself about the whole game, out-jumped Graeme Reid for a crossed ball and his header flashed just wide of Mores left hand post.

5 minutes later Academy pushed into the Buckie half and David Cowie almost picked out Martin Gunn in the middle of the Buckie defence, but the ball was intercepted by Neil Murray.

The 35^th minute saw action at both ends of the pitch. Richard Macadie turned his defender on the edge of the Buckie box and made enough room to get in a good shot on goal that keeper Main saved. The ball was punted up-field and Stephen Bruce had a straight race for the ball with keeper More. James reached the ball first, right on the edge of the Academy box, but he was crunched by a head-on tackle by Bruce, who followed right through into him. The consensus of the Academy support was that Bruce should have at the very least been booked, but referee Northcroft chose not to even speak to him regarding the tackle. More was fortunately ok.

Half Time 0 – 0

The physical side of Buckies game continued in the second half, this time however Neil Davidson was given a yellow card, after he came straight through the back of Neil Traill with only 2 minutes on the clock.

After 10 minutes of the re-start Duncan Shearer made his fist change with Andy Low coming on for John Coutts.

4 minutes later David Cowie again made a good run up the wing and his crossed ball fell to Richard Macadie, but Richard just couldn’t connect properly with his shot, and the ball was cleared from danger.

Academy were having a spell where they closed the ball down well, and weren’t giving Buckie time to settle. This was emphasised on the hour mark by a series of two or three great blocks by Craig Shearer.

4 minutes later and Craig turned defence into attack, running onto a through ball he dropped his shoulder and fired in a 25 yard cracker that whistled inches over the top of the Buckie cross-bar.

Academy continued to press and at this stage looked the more likely to score. They had two chances in a space of two minutes. The first in the 66th minute when David Cowie again supplied the cross from the right side of the field and the ball was cleared off the head of Gary Farquhar by Neil Murray. 2 minutes later the same player, David Cowie, crossed a little deeper to the back post where Richard Macadie slipped his marker, but unfortunately his header went straight into the arms of keeper Main.

Duncan Shearer continued to ring the changes when in the 68^th minute he took off Ritchie Davidson for Jamie Shewan.

In the 72^nd minute it was Buckies turn to get a couple of chances on goal. The first was a powerful shot from the edge of the Academy box, by the Buckie number 7 Andy Matheson, that James More got down to really well and turned round his post for a corner kick. The resulting corner was fired into the Academy box and half cleared by Andrew Macleod. It fell to Donnie Munro at the edge of the box and he rifled in a right foot shot on the half-volley that found its way through the crowded Academy box, but James More was there again to parry the ball out.

Shearer made his last change in the 76^th minute in an attempt to steel the game, taking on Lewis Mackinnon for Neil Murray.

2 minutes after the substitution Buckie won another corner following good work from Andy Low. The corner kick fell to Stephen Bruce but his hooked shot went over the top of the Academy cross-bar.

With 10 minutes left Peter made his first change, with Gary Weir coming on for Richard Macadie.

A minute later Andrew Macleod found himself up-field following a corner kick that was cleared by the Buckie defence. David Cowie whipped the ball back in and Andrew had a free header but he couldn’t direct it on goal and it went well wide.

The ball was pumped back into the Academy half, and the Buckie substitutes almost combined to bring a goal, when Jamie Shewan picked the ball up, crossed to Lewis Mackinnon who thought he’d scored from his header, but James More scrambled across his line and got finger-tips to the ball to save it low down at his left hand post.

Peter made his last substitute in the 86^th minute when he took off Neil Traill, who’d had a really good game, for Shaun Sinclair.

With 2 minutes on the clock left the Academy supporters had their hearts in their mouths, when Buckie so nearly stole the game. A high ball into the Academy box was cleared out by Andrew Macleod as far as Andy Low. Low took the ball forward and whilst on the run unleashed a thunder-bolt shot from 25 yards out that cannoned off the under-side of the Academy crossbar, bounced on the line, and was cleared to safety.

The referee played 4 or 5 minutes of injury time, and the game ended 0 – 0.

Full-time 0 – 0

So an entertaining game today for the large crowd, and both teams are still in the cup with a chance of going into the semi-final of the Qualifying cup, and also into the first round proper of the Scottish cup. The replay will be next Saturday the 23^rd at Buckie, and it looks as if it could be a cracker.

Young James More was plunged in at the deep-end today, and he certainly performed some heroics between the sticks. He was given a great cheer when it was announced that he was the sponsors man of the match.