Just passed the half hour Academy pulled a goal back. Keeper
Pennycook got down well to his right to get a hand to an Anderson shot but he
could only palm it into the path of the on-rushing Marc MacGregor who finished
from close range.
1 – 2
Grant Steven looked to be struggling with a reoccurring
hamstring injury and he had to be replaced by Danny Mackay with 5 minutes of the first
half left.
A minute before the break Sean McCarthy went air-born and
tipped a strike from Jordan Morrice over his crossbar. From the resulting
corner Sean Webb had a free header and he duly nodded home.
1 – 3
Half Time – Wick Academy 1 – Huntly 3
Manager Connelly made a change at the start of the second
half. Andrew Mackay came on for Ross Allan and Academy went to three at the
back.
Three minutes after the re-start Academy won a penalty.
Richard Macadie hammered it down the middle. Keeper Pennycook looked to have
set off to his left but somehow managed to stick out a foot and made the save.
Keeper Pennycook was earning his corn and he was again in
the action this time saving a pile-driver from Gary Manson.
Academy were throwing everything at the Huntly defence.
Anderson had a shot that rattled off the crossbar and looked to have won a penalty
when he was taken down but referee Fraser adjudged the first contact to have
been made just outside the box. From the free kick Michael Steven found the net for his second goal of the season, game on!
2 – 3
Academy's equaliser three minutes later was a thing of
beauty. From all of 35 yards Richard Macadie peeled the ball off his lacers and
not even the giant keeper Pennycook could get anywhere near it as it almost burst the net, an early contender for goal of the season.
3 – 3
Huntly broke up-field and won a corner. That was swung in
and after ping-pong in the box a Huntly player got a strike on it. Gary Manson
was standing on the line near the left hand post. His hands were tight by his
side but he looked to move his body towards the ball and it struck him high up on
the armshoulder preventing a certain goal. Referee Fraser flashed the red card
and Huntly had a penalty. Wyness stepped up to take it but dragged his effort
wide of McCarthy's right hand post.
A minute from the final whistle Huntly went down to 10 men
when Sean Croll picked up his second booking of the match.
Two minutes into injury time Anderson went on a surging run
through the middle of the Huntly defence, before finding a yard and he rifled
home a screamer that beat Pennycook down low to his right. The Harmsworth roar
must have been heard half way across the town!
4 – 3
With the last kick of the ball however Huntly earned a
point. The ball was played up the Huntly right to substitute Elliot Duff.
Andrew Mackay ran over to try to stop him just inside the box but Elliot left
him on the floor and curled a great strike passed the outstretched hand of
McCarthy into the right hand corner of the net.
4 – 4
With no more time left on the watch referee Fraser blew for
full time with both sets of fans in need of a lie-down!
Full Time – Wick Academy 4 – Huntly 4
