Five minutes later Wick made it
three nil when a tremendous through ball from MacAdie found Davie Allan inside
the Orkney 18yd box and clear of the Orkney defence, as the Striker steadied
himself to shoot he was brought down by a desperate last ditch tackle by an
Orkney defender which resulted in the match official pointing immediately to
the spot. Sam MacKay stepped up to the mark and slotted the ball home inside
the Orkney goalkeeper's right-hand post to put his team three up.
Orkney AFA 0 v 3 Wick Academy FC
Wick continued to play the ball
about with purpose with the Orkney players struggling to cope and in 27mins
Wick went four up in through Wick danger man Davie Allan. Neat inter play
between Gunn, MacAdie and Sam Mackay saw the latter slip the ball between the
Orkney defence for Allan to run onto and fire low beyond the advancing Orkney
goalkeeper from 14yds.
Orkney AFA 0 v 4 Wick Academy FC
Wick continued to take the game
to Orkney and were in full flight now and Orkney had no answer to the slick
passing and in 40 minutes Wick went
five clear through Gary Weir. A tremendous through ball from Richard MacAdie found
Weir who shrugged of the challenge of an Orkney defender to fire a left foot
shot hard and low inside the Orkney goalkeeper's right-hand post from 12yds.
Orkney AFA 0 v 5 Wick Academy FC
Try as hard as they could Orkney
just couldn't get out of their on half and it was to their relief that the
Referee ended the first 45minutes
Wick Manager Kirkwood appeared
satisfied with his team's high tempo first half performance especially given
this was his players first pre-season match.
Half Time 0 – 5
Orkney started the second half
brightly and were intent on closing the Wick players down quicker and
preventing them from getting into their passing game, their pressure paid off
in 50mins
when Grant Steven under hit his pass back to keeper More who replaced Bokas in
the goal at the beginning of the 2nd Half, and this presented an
opportunity to Orkney's no 9 who rounded More to fire into the empty goal from
10yds much to the delight of the Orkney support.
Orkney AFA 1 v 5 Wick Academy FC
The goal lifted the Orkney
players and immediately they went on the attack pushing the Wick defence onto
the back foot and from 16yds out Orkney's Prindle rattled More's left hand post
from 18yds.
Wick was by now struggling too
retain the ball and were showing signs of tiredness which was expected given
their first half efforts and the heat wasn't helping matters.
However in 66 mins Wick's Ross
Allan was fed the ball out wide on the left, the pacy youngster drove at the
Orkney defence twisting and turning before firing a superb 16yd shot against
the base of the Orkney Keeper's right-hand post. The young player's involvement
in the match ended five minutes later when he went over his ankle. He was
replaced by Sam MacKay.
Orkney were pressing the game at
every opportunity and this unsettled the Wick team and only poor finishing and
good defending by Wick's central pairing of Steven and Shearer kept Orkney at
bay, however in 76 minutes Orkney got a well deserved second goal when More
came for a cross ball and failed to get a hand to it allowing the ball to fall
for Orkney's No. 11 to fire into the empty net.
Orkney
AFA 2 v 5 Wick Academy FC
Wick Manager Kirkwood made a few
alterations to his team and this appeared to have the desired effect and
allowed the Wick players more possession of the ball however during a slick
passing movement Cunningham was crudely taken out of the game with a late
challenge from behind and that ended the player's involvement in the game.
Gunn re-entered the fray and
helped his team mates see out the remainder of the match.
Full Time 2 – 5
This was a good work out for the
Wick Players and they must be heartened by their very high tempo passing game
employed throughout the first half, however tiredness started to creep into
their play which allowed Orkney to get back into the game, however take nothing
from the players they played well against a stubborn Orkney team and this will
have sharpened the Wick players match fitness ahead of their next pre-season
match away to Thurso FC on Saturday 16th July as part of the Dodo
& Clair MacLean Memorial Tournament.
Wick Manager appeared to be
delighted with his new charges, however its early days yet but the players seem
to be gelling well ahead of their SHFL Season which starts on the 30th
July at Home against Inverness Clachnacuddin.
