Ken Wood enjoys looking back over an exciting record
breaking spell for our team.
Another outstanding performance at Inverurie on Saturday extended
Wick Academy's winning streak in the Scot-Ads
Highland League to ten games. No Academy team had ever gone beyond three
straight wins until this and it is gradually emerging that the ten might just
be a Highland League record.
John Grant who is in his 33rd season as League
secretary admitted on Saturday evening that although all results are available
they have not been collated to flag up this kind of record. "Wick's run is
certainly very impressive" said Mr Grant, "Buckie too had a great run earlier
this season until their bubble burst. Another one that comes to mind was Bobby
Wilson's Keith in 1980".
I checked these out and found that when Gregg Carrol took
the reins at Buckie in November the Jags notched up nine wins on the bounce but
drew the tenth game, by coincidence, away to Locos. Keith did indeed win the
title in 1980 after a long unbeaten run but their 18 wins were split by two
draws. I remember that Huntly enjoyed a similar remarkable run to win the
1997/8 championship flag. The Tigers appeared to have blown their chance when
they lost 3-0 at Harmsworth
Park in the October but
they did not lose again in the league that season. They won 19 games but also
had three draws which came at regular intervals.
Co-managers Ian Munro and Richard Hughes praised their
players not just for the results but also for the manner in which they were
achieved. Hughes said, "We have had a lot of recognition over the past couple
of seasons for the quality of our passing. Now the players have developed a
belief and confidence that even if we fall behind in a game we can keep passing
the ball and creating chances."
Munro hailed the ten wins as "great for the team, the club,
the town of Wick
and indeed the whole county". He said that the players are looking forward with
confidence to the game with title chasing Cove Rangers.
When Munro stepped in to take temporary charge of the team
in August 2000, I predicted in a preview of the season for the ‘Groat' that
Academy would ‘do well to hold Cove to a single goal win in the opening game".
He told me afterwards that the comment had helped to motivate the Academy team
who won the game 1-0. Cove went on to win the league the next May. Could
history repeat itself this weekend? The bookies will probably have Cove as
slight favourites for today's game but Academy intend to keep their own run
going. If Cove win the game they win the title but if not then they may face a
title showdown with second placed Deveronvale next Saturday at Allan Park.
Academy's "ten in a row" started with the first home game of
2009 on January 24 when Rothes were beaten at a sunny Harmsworth Park.
The ‘Scorries' had difficulty breaking down the ‘Speysiders' defence in the
first half until Nigel MacKenzie ran on to a pass from Alex Lamb and drilled
the ball into the net after 41 minutes. There were nervous moments in the
second half after a missed penalty and when reduced to 10 men after hero turned
villain MacKenzie was involved in an off the ball incident. Two late goals from
super sub Stevie Cunningham secured a 3-0 win.
Academy faced a daunting task the next week travelling down
to Kynoch Park, Keith where they had never taken a
single point during their 14 years in the league. The young Wickers produced
what must rate among their best ever performances. They outplayed the ‘Maroons'
hardly allowing them a kick of the ball in the first half but missed several
good chances. The faint hearted might have thought that the ‘hoodoo' had struck
again when Gary Nicol scored for Keith after 64 minutes. Munro and Hughes urged
their charges to keep calm and stick to their passing game and were rewarded
with two goals in as many minutes from David Cowie and Bryan McKiddie who could
not have picked a better time for his first ever first team goal. David Allan came
off the bench and he too netted his first Academy goal to tie it up at 3-1.
Hopes were high that Academy would build on this fine result
but the early February snow caused the postponement of the home game with
Lossiemouth and the eagerly awaited derby at Brora.
When play resumed on February 21 bottom team Fort William
made life difficult for Academy at Harmsworth
Park. Cunningham scored
in the 13th minute but only when Craig Shearer powered a header into
the net near the end were the points safe.
The players spent February 28, their ‘free' Saturday in the
15 team league, on the Lybster golf course and then won a Foster's League Cup
tie 5-2 at Lossiemouth.
Returning to league business on March 14 Academy outplayed
Greg Carrol's previously invincible Buckie Thistle at a windswept Harmsworth Park. "We could not have asked for a
better performance", enthused the management duo after the 4-0 win.
Richard Macadie's swerving near post corner deflected into
the Jags' net off Neil Davidson for a 27th minute opener, Gary Weir
made it 2-0 on the hour and two more goals from Macadie sent the fans home
happy.
Losing 4-2 in the Foster's Cup at home to Inverurie was a
blow especially as McKiddie and Macadie had given Wick a 2-0 lead but the
players had to focus on the midweek home clash with Brora Rangers. A goal from
Shearer in 36 minutes was equalised in 72 by Jamie Mackay before Allan's last
gasp winner. The young Thurso lad scored the only goal to beat Clachnacuddin at
Inverness on the Saturday and stretch the
winning run of league games to six.
Mid table rivals Forres Mechanics came to Wick on April 3 to
contest a thrilling ‘6 pointer'. Macadie scored with the last kick of the first
half and Weir netted on 55 and 65 minutes before Kenny Hendry's two late goals
for the Can Cans' made it a nerve-wracking last few seconds for an Academy side
short of several key players. "It's a squad game", said a delighted Munro who
had a special word of praise for striker Weir. "He was just fantastic today –
Forres couldn't handle him".
Next up was a visit to Station Park,
Nairn – not a happy hunting ground in recent years. Cunningham's 16th
minute goal was the perfect start and keeper James More was in inspired form. Martin
MacDonald equalised for Nairn after 71 minutes but Macadie steered in the
winner from the 18 yard line with only two minutes left.
More was again ‘Man of the Match' on April 18 against
Lossiemouth. The ‘Coasters' gave Academy a tough work out. Again we heard the
Harmsworth Roar on the stroke of half time to celebrate a Macadie goal and when
Stewart Ross netted a 55th minute spot kick. Shawn Scott scrambled a
late goal but Academy held on at 2-1 to claim a ninth successive victory.
The records keep tumbling. The first goal at Inverurie on
Saturday netted by Macadie was their 50th league goal of the season,
the first time that Academy have reached this milestone. Every point stretches
their already record total and this 15th win of the campaign has
confirmed a highest ever finishing place of at worst seventh.
So Cove Rangers travel up to Harmsworth Park this week
looking for win that would see them retain their championship title and then on
May 9 Academy complete their programme with a visit to Brora. Whatever the
outcome of these two games, the ‘Scorries' have become the talk of the town and
have already given their supporters a season to remember.
