Craig Shearer then had a goal chalked off as he just failed
to stay on-side, before Academy again broke after defending a Forres free-kick.
Sam Mackay turned the Forres defensive back line as he dinked the ball over
their heads and onto Cunningham whose volley at goal was cleared for a corner.
Just before the half-hour
Academy had a good series
of passes working the ball to the edge of the Forres box before Michael Steven
had a crack that went straight to keeper Knight.
Academy continued to press and Allan again had a run up
wing before combining with Macadie who teed up Cunningham but he leaned back on
his shot 20 yards out and fired it over the cross bar.
Academy were restricting Forres to longer range efforts and
Archibald had an effort that was well gathered by More.
Forres had another pop on 38 minutes when Duncan Jones had
a shot that flashed across goal and just wide of the back post.
Half Time – Wick
Academy 1 – Forres
Mechanics 0
Academy flew out of the bocks at the start of the second
half and in the first attack doubled their lead. Cunningham controlled a pass
before sliding Gary Weir into the penalty area wide on the left and from a
tight angle he rifled his shot low past Knight into the far corner of the net.
2 – 0
After a few tough tackles Michael Steven and Graham Fraser
squared up to each other and they both picked up a yellow card for their
troubles.
On 53 minutes Stevie Cunningham scored a contender for goal
of the season. He met a falling ball on the volley 40 yards from goal and fired
a rocket on target that dipped over the top of Knight, who got fingers on it,
but the ball crept under the cross-bar and bulged the net.
3 – 0
Forres kept plugging and Lee Fraser broke into the box, got
a yard on Alan Farquhar and shot on target but More made a comfortable save.
Macadie then tried to emulate the feat of Cunningham when
he smacked a shot from about the same distance from goal but he put just too
much on it and the ball went over the top of the target.
Forres pulled back a consolation goal 2 minutes from full-time. Lee Fraser broke free and ran into the box. More came and narrowed
the angle but Fraser chipped him putting just enough on it to cross the line despite
a last ditch attempt by Alan Farquhar to keep it out.
3 – 1
Academy ran down the clock and referee Billy Baxter blew
for full time, allowing all concerned to go and get thawed out.
Full Time – Wick
Academy 3 – Forres Mechanics
1
The win retains Academy's 2 point lead at the top of the table.
The 3 points also clocked up Academy's highest ever points total since we
joined the league, surpassing last year's total of 55 with 9 games still to
play. An away tie to Clachnacuddin on Wednesday night follows in what should be
yet another cracker.
Sponsor's man of the match Stevie Cunningham
Pictured receiving his award
from match sponsor Darren Licence
