Macadie was soon in the clear again near the 18 yard line
but this time he had to hurry and volleyed his shot over the bar.
Iain MacRae on the Rothes right had not given up the fight
and after a 25 yard run he fired a tantalising cross to the back post but there
were no tangerine shirts within 20 yards.
In the 28th minute came perhaps Academy's best move so far.
With a neat shimmy in a crowded centre circle McKiddie created the time and
space to measure a pass to the right for Weir. He stroked it on to Davie Cowie
who made a determined 20 yard run, stopped suddenly to dodge a tackle from
Kevin Shortreed and drilled the ball low along the 18 yard line to the feet of
Mackenzie who, confronted by three defenders twisted and turned to create an
opening but saw his shot blocked by legs.
MacRae's perseverance on the Rothes right was rewarded in
the 30th minute when he drove in a low cross towards Ross Duncan who
fooled the Wick defence by leaving it for Donald Horsburgh who netted from 10
yards.
Can a goal after only half an hour be termed a consolation
or would this be the start of a remarkable fight back? Within three minutes
Michael Grant was clean through near the penalty spot but shanked his shot
seriously wide.
The play was now more end to end. Bell, making his Rothes debut, anticipated a
close range flick from MacKenzie to make a smart catch and then Academy keeper
Don MacMillan had to make his first real save of the game when Ross Duncan shot
from 10 yards. Kris Duncan cut inside on the Rothes right on to a pass from
MacRae and Shearer tackled him at the expense of a corner.
When the ball was passed first time from Shearer to Manson
to McKiddie to Mackenzie very close to the halfway line it was mainly to evade
tackles and retain possession and the final touch almost sent the ball out of
play on the left. However Weir stretched a size 12 boot to push it on and at
the same time hurdle Sim's sliding tackle. Weir ran on and turned the ball
inside to Shearer who struck a swerving volley which flashed past the advancing
Bell's
outstretched right hand high into the net.
Rothes became more aggressive, particularly in the midfield
exchanges and Sim was booked for a bad foul on Shearer.
Seconds before the break MacKenzie almost scored to complete
a surging solo run on the left. The ball was deflected for a corner from which
Macadie picked out Weir at the back post only for his header to flash past the
upright.
Disappointed maybe at these misses but surely happy at 5-1,
Academy's followers may have wished that one of the five could have been
transferred to the Scotland account at Hampden with the ease that our Council
Tax is switched to frozen Icelandic banks! Text messages from absent fans urged
record breaking attempts in the second half.
It was soon obvious that Rothes would now challenge for
every ball and Michael Dunn was booked for clattering through the back of
Weir's legs. Manson's free kick was volleyed first time back down the park by
Michael Grant and bounced in the Academy area where MacMillan came off his line
and with a flailing fist punched it off Smith's head.
In the 53rd minute Gary Burr was booked for
tripping McKiddie and Stevie Cunningham came off the bench to replace MacLeod
who had taken a couple of knocks in the first half.
Although unlikely to save the game Rothes appeared to
believe that they could win the second half. Smith crossed from the right and
Burr's glancing header drifted just wide. A free kick from Shortreed on the
left was met at the back post by MacRae whose shot was blocked by MacMillan.
On the hour mark after a 10 yard burst by Weir, Macadie and
Cunningham swapped passes and Weir ran on for a shot which was blocked by
Dunn's foot. Moments later Weir was booked for a dangerous high boot as he
challenged for a 50-50 ball.
Bell
sent the free kick the length of the pitch where it bounced to the right of the
Wick box and when MacRae chipped the ball into the goal mouth Ross headed it
safely over the bar for a corner on the left from which MacMillan made a clean
catch.
The fourth yellow card for Rothes in the 74th
minute also incurred a red as Dunn was the culprit. Macadie picked out Greg
Shearer but Bell
stopped the youngster's 8 yard shot with his feet. Shearer junior was then halted
by a fine challenge just inside the area by Shortreed but the Rothes defender
was soon to be booked for a wild lunge at Cowie on the right touch line.
Academy had shown only occasional glimpses of their dazzling
passing but if the second half display did not match that of the first then
credit the more determined approach shown by the Speysiders.
Overall this was a far better game than in similar circumstances
at Fort William four weeks earlier. Macadie
missed that game to attend the funeral of his grandfather Bill Mackay. Bill netted
a double hat trick for Academy against Brora in February 1959 but now almost 50
years on, grandson Richard had to settle for a single hat trick though it is
almost certainly Wick
Academy's fastest ever.
