Academy took themselves straight back into the game with
their first attempt of the game. They won a free kick about 25 yards from goal.
Richard Macadie rolled the free-kick to Manson, who returned the ball to him
and Macadie swung a perfect ball into the box that landed in the area between
the defensive back line and the keeper for Gary Weir to run onto and smash home
a bullet header.
1 – 2
Clach's response was instant as within a minute they restored
their 2 goal lead. The ball was punted high into the Academy half where it
bounced and found its way to Brian MacLeod in the middle of the Academy box and
he had the room required to angle a shot on goal that beat Bokas.
1 – 3
The game was pretty physical with some hefty challenges coming
in and following a ruckus with several players from both sides Clach's Neil
MacLeod MacDonald was perhaps lucky that neither the referee nor linesman saw him
take a passing kick at an Academy player.
The action continued end-to end with Clach's Gordon Morrison
next to threaten when he connected with a back-post header but the attempt flashed
just wide of target. At the other end the Clach keeper Steven Dunn pulled off a
good one handed save as he tipped a Stevie Cunningham shot around his left hand
post for a corner kick. Bokas repeated the goalkeeping heroics 2 minutes later
when Morrison floated a free-kick into the Academy box and Colin Williamson
rose highest to direct his header on target but Bokas got finger-tips to the
ball and turned it over the top of the cross-bar.
In the last attack of the half Academy demonstrated their
fighting spirit as they pulled back another goal. Alan Farquhar took the ball
into the Clach half and slipped it to Manson who whipped the ball across the
face of goal and Michael Steven powered home a downward header for his first
goal for the Scorries.
2 – 3
Half Time 2 – 3
Clach almost started the second half like the first with a
goal within the first few minutes. Bruce Milne fired a back-post cross onto the
head of Allan Pollock but he sent his header over the top of the target.
On the hour mark Academy levelled the scores. Michael Steven
showed good strength up the wing holding off several tackles before crossing into
the box where Gary Weir slid onto the ball to to-poke home his second of the
game.
3 – 3
From that point Clach started to sit back deeper and deeper
into their own half and Academy could sense that the game was there for the
winning. The game began to hot-up with some rough tackling flying in, but
Academy continued to press Clach into their own half and with a minute left
Gary Weir worked his way to the left hand edge of the Clach box, twisted and
turned his defender and slid a crossed ball right along the Clach goal line,
but with bodies diving in no-one could connect with the ball to turn it in.
In a final heart-stopping moment for the Harmsworth faithful
a kick-out by Clach keeper Steven Dunn bounced between Stewart Ross and Craig
Shearer and Gordon Morrison squeezed between them, noticed Bokas off his line,
and hit the ball on the drop from about 35 yards that almost beat Bokas, but he
went air-born and got a finer-tip on the ball to turn it just wide of target.
Final score 3 – 3
Sponsor's man of the match Clach's Allan Pollock
Pictured receiving his award
from Ken Green on behalf of match sponsor "Guests of Wick Academy"
