Pre-Season Friendlies Roundup
Orkney AFA 0 – Wick Academy 6 –
Every year Wick Academy play Orkney for the Ken Green Cup. The venue alternates
each year between Orkney and Caithness. This year it was played at the
Pickaquoy Centre and Academy ran out 6-0 winners. Gary Weir bagged a hat-trick,
Richard Macadie got a brace and Grant Campbell also got on the score sheet. The
squad is pictured opposite with the Ken Green cup.
Wick Academy 2 – Clyde 1 – Wick
Academy entertained Barry Ferguson's Clyde in a Wednesday night fixture and a
battling performance against the League 2 side saw the Scorries run out
deserving 2-1 winners
Academy
took the lead on 20 minutes when Michael Steven whipped in a cross from the
right wing which Weir nodded past John Gibson with a great header.
Four
minutes later, Wick were awarded a penalty when James Pickles was hauled down
in the box by Chris Mitchell as they competed to reach Michael Steven's free
kick. Richard Macadie sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to double the
hosts' lead.
Mitchell
almost made amends shortly afterwards when his 30-yard strike forced Sean
McCarthy to divert the ball around the post.
Clyde
pulled one back just after the half-hour when Mark Roberts played Mitchell's
corner into the six-yard box to give Ross Fisher a simple tap-in from close
range.
Clyde
could have equalised minutes later when Scott McLauchlan darted through the
heart of the Academy defence before his powerful shot from 12 yards cannoned
back off the post.
The
second half exploded into life when David Marsh clattered Sam Mackay with a
tough tackle. A melee ensured which resulted in Marsh and Gary Weir picking up
bookings from referee Simon Maclean.
In the
next attack Davie Allan could have made it 3-1 for Academy when he broke free
of the defence to run onto a route one punt from goalkeeper McCarthy but Allan
shot straight at Gibson.
Clyde
threw everything at Academy in the second half and almost found an equaliser
when Scott Ferguson capitalised on Wick indecisiveness in defence, stealing the
ball off Grant Steven but his shot hit the post from close range.
Clyde
continued to press for an equaliser when Scott Linton's inch-perfect cross
found the diving head of Archie Campbell who headed just wide from six yards.
Ten minutes from time, Sean Higgins thought he had restored
parity when he smashed home Steven Brisbane's cross from close range but was
ruled to be offside. The Academy defence stood strong against the onslaught and
deservedly took the scalp of their league 2 opponents.
