| 21st April 2007 – League | Harmsworth Park, Wick |
 Wick Academy FC |
1 (Gary Manson 57) |
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Team: James More, Shaun Sinclair Subs: Alex lamb, Stuart Sinclair, Bryan McKiddie, Murray Coghill, Graeme Williamson. |
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 Brora Rangers |
2 (Gary Perks 14, Kevin MacLeod 87) |
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Team: Michael Gray, Aaron Smith, Aaron Christie, Iain Innes, Brian Gray, Gary Perks Subs: Blair Duncan, Steven Clark, Kevin MacLeod, Michael Steven, Alistair Budge. |
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| Referee: | Craig Sim |
| Bookings: | Andrew MacLeod (Red) 46, Gary Perks 46, David Cowie 64, Shaun Sinclair 83. |
| Sponsor man of the match |
David Mowat |
, Gary Manson, David Mowat, Andrew MacLeod
, Richard Macadie, Stewart Ross, Gary Farquhar, Shane Sutherland, Gary Weir(Stuart Sinclair 56), David CowieYet again it’s been proved that when it comes to a local derby form counts for nothing. Wick went into this match with 3 wins on the spin, and they were 11/10 favourites, but it was the Cattachs that won the game, thanks to a late goal from substitute Kevin MacLeod.
Brora had the first opportunity of the game in the 3rd minute when Shane Sutherland latched onto a ball that bounce over the top of Mowat. He took it down well and fired a shot across goal that went just over the top of the intersection of cross-bar and post.
A minute later and Wick ventured into Brora territory and Gary Weir had a crack on goal from the edge of the box, but his shot took a deflection off Gary Perks and went over the top for a corner-kick.
Brora’s Shane Sutherland made the brighter start than his Wick name-sake, and just before the quarter hour he had a good run up the left wing and fired a dangerous ball into the Academy box. It evaded everyone and Gary Perks stormed in at the back post to fire home under the body of More from 8 yards out.
0 – 1
Academy then had a good period of possession and in the 21st minute great work by Mowat in midfield release Macadie and from 25 yards out he sent a dipping shot whistling just past Gray’s right hand post.
Academy kept pressing and just before the half hour Macadie and Sutherland linked up well advancing play into the Brora box but Sutherland was crowded out by the Brora defence who snuffed out the threat.
Academy’s next attempt came with 4 minutes left in the half. Gary Farquhar floated a good ball into the Brora box from a free kick, and it was half-cleared by Aaron Smith. The ball fell to Stewart Ross just inside the box and he had a good shot on goal but Gray got down well and smothered the ball.
2 minutes later and Gary Manson gave the ball away with a slack pass to Gary Perks deep in the Wick half. Perks had a pot at goal but his shot was deflected off Gary Farquhar for a corner.
The last action of the half should have seen Brora double their lead when Shane Sutherland blasted over the top of the Academy cross-bar from 8 yards out, after getting onto the end of a Waldrop cross. Sutherland should have at the very least worked the Academy keeper.
Half time 0 -1
Within 3 minutes of the re-start Andrew Macleod and Gary Perks collided in a tackle. Perks went over but MacLeod managed to stay on his feet but stood on Perks back as he went over the top of him. Referee Sim saw it as a stamp, and gave MacLeod a straight red card. In my opinion this was a total over-reaction, as it seemed to be an unfortunate accident with no malice intended.
In a bizarre way this seemed to spur Academy into life, and they then started to play with more penetration in their attacks.
This was demonstrated in the 56th minute when David Cowie had a fantastic run up the right wing, hit the bye-line and sent in a great cross that saw Wicks Shane Sutherland rise high above the Brora defence but his header flew just wide of Gray’s right hand post.
This was followed by Academy’s first change of the game with Stuart Sinclair coming on for Gary Weir, and Gary Manson pushed further up-field.
This change was rewarded within a minute. Shaun Sinclair crossed into the Brora box and Farquhar set the ball up for Cowie to have a crack. Cowie sliced his shot, but the ball fell kindly to Gary Manson and from 12 yards out he produced a composed finish to curl the ball home past Gray, game on!!
1 – 1
3 minutes later and Brora almost produced the perfect reply. Ricky Waldrop was released through the middle, beating the off-side trap. He ran in on goal and More came to meet him and deflected his shot wide for a corner kick with a first class save.
Academy then forced 3 corners in a row and really pushed in an attempt to take the lead. The 3rd one saw Manson blast a 20 yard shot on goal, but Gray was up to it and managed to get a hand to the ball and parried it out to safety.
Brora took on Kevin MacLeod for Ricky Waldrop in the 67th minute.
4 minutes after the substitution Brora won a soft free kick about 35 yards from the Wick goal. Christie fired the free kick into the back post, and just as it looked as if it would fall to Mackay-Steven Stewart Ross managed to get a foot in and he turned it just around the post for a corner kick.
The game was going end-to-end by this stage and in the 74th minute good play by Brora released Mark Kennedy who managed to sneak in behind Shaun Sinclair and he rifled in a shot that went right across the face of Mores net from 20 yards out.
7 minutes later and Wick again found themselves on the attack, and this time David Cowie was unlucky as his powerful shot at goal from 20 yards took a flick off defender Brian Gray and with the Harmsworth crowd on their feet the ball whistled inches past the Brora post.
With 3 minutes left on the clock Mark Kennedy showed really good close control and with ball at feet he drove at the Academy defence before unleashing a shot from 16 yard out. To the anguish of the Brora bench More produced a diving save and got a hand to the ball to divert it around his post for a corner kick.
From the corner the Brora substitute MacLeod found himself room at the back post and he headed home past a helpless More in what was a sucker-punch after 10 man Academy’s second half battle.
1 – 2
In the last kick of the ball Shane Sutherland got to the Brora by-line and crossed into the heart of the Brora box. Shaun Sinclair met the ball on the run but just couldn’t get a clean contact on it and his first time snap-shot went just wide of goal.
Full time 1 – 2
So a real battle of a local derby and Academy were, in my opinion, very unlucky to lose Andrew MacLeod to go down to 10 men so early in the first half. Academy did really well in the second half and made a good game of it despite being a man down. I thought they would have deserved a draw, but this defeat ends Academy’s good run and the win sees Brora advance into 12th place above Forres. Academy remains in 11th, but must win both remaining games against Fraserburgh and Fort William in order to over-take Rothes for 10th place, and Clach for 9th. Rothes have a better goal-difference, so a win and a draw would see Academy stay in 11th spot.
Sponsors Man of the match David Mowat
Seen here receiving his award from Lewis Harrold, on behalf of Match Sponsor Harrold Brothers Butcher
