| 2nd September 2017 – Scottish Highland Football League | Harmsworth Park, Wick |
| Wick Academy F.C. |
6 (Steven Anderson 9, 12, 80, Marc Macgregor 40, Gordon McNab 45, Sam Mackay 87) |
|
Subs: Korbyn Cameron, Sam Mackay, Aidan Reid, Brandon Sinclair, Danny McCarthy. |
|
| Lossiemouth F.C. | 0 |
|
Subs: James Mclaren, Scott Dunn, Lewis Hendry, Connor Macauly, Murray Bushall, Logan Johnstone, |
|
| Referee: | Ben Dempster |
| Bookings: | |
| Sponsors Man of the Match: | Sean McCarthy |
| Match Photos – Mel & Bob Roger: | Match photos |
Team: Stewart Black, Ross Duncan (Logan Johnstone 45), Anthony Ross, Ally Bellingham, Ian Macrae, Aaron Mclean (Murray Bushall 65), Ross Archibald (Scott Dunn 62), Ryan Farquhar, Harry Noble, Kelvin Mackenzie, Liam Archibald
An entertaining match was played out in the sunshine at Harmsworth Park
on Saturday afternoon.
Lossie got the match underway with the first attack of the
afternoon after 2 minutes but the final
shot was deflected and went straight thru to Wick keeper Sean McCarthy.
Another attack by Lossie's Ryan Farquhar after 6 minutes as
he drove into 18 yard box but a sliding Danny Mackay managed to block his shot and
the ball went out for corner.
Academy made their first breakthrough after 7 minutes – a cross in from the right found Steven
Anderson at the left post in front of
defender Ross Duncan, and Anderson's header back across the keeper hit the back
of the net
Into the 11th minute and Academy were back on the attack, a ball
in from the left looked to have fallen to Gordon McNab but Anthony Ross recovered
well for Lossiemouth and he managed to get a toe to the ball as McNab was about
to pull the trigger.
Lossiemouth's relief was short lived as a minute later, after
good work by Marc Macgregor to hold the ball up in the penalty box, the ball
broke to Steven Anderson who's shot from the 18 yard line flew past keeper
Stewart Black and into the bottom right corner of the net.
Lossiemouth regrouped almost immediately and an attack by
Ross Archibald down the right wing needed Danny Mackay at full stretch to clear
the ball for a corner.
Twenty minutes and Wick's first substitution of the
afternoon, when Grant Steven pulled up and was replaced by Brandon Sinclair.
The fans at Harmsworth Park were being treated to good attacking
football by both teams and it was Lossie's turn to ramp up the pressure after 25
minutes when Kelvin Mackenzie drove forward and laid the ball off to Ross
Archibald, but his rasping shot was met by the outstretched hand of Wick keeper
Sean McCarthy as the ball was inches from crossing the line.
Next was a penalty claim for Wick as the ball appeared to
bounce off the hand of Ian Macrae just inside the 6 yard box. Referee Ben
Dempster waived away the appeals of the Academy players.
Straight back up the pitch for Lossiemouth and Ross
Archibald unleashed another shot, only to be thwarted once again by a diving
save to the right by Wick keeper McCarthy.
Lossie were first to the loose ball and it was returned to the middle of
the box where a goal mouth scramble ensued.
Wick eventually cleared the ball with a combination of a point blank
Sean McCarthy block and a Danny Mackay header from a close range shot from
Lossie's Kelvin Mackenzie.
Lossiemouth didn't let up and just after the half hour mark
Ross Archibald broke to the bye-line, pulled the ball back to Liam Archibald, only
for his low shot to be blocked on the goal line by the inspired McCarthy, and
cleared by Wick defender Andrew Hardwick.
Having soaked up the Lossiemouth pressure, Academy moved
forward with some crisp passing play between Gordon McNab and Richard Macadie. Macadie fed the ball through to Steven
Anderson on the left, Anderson , on a
hat-trick, saw his shot beat keeper Stewart Black but rebound off the far post and straight back to himself – this time Anderson squared the ball across
the goal for the waiting Marc Macgregor to tap in for Academy's third goal.
Wick pressed home their advantage and two minutes later
Gordon McNab found himself in space at the corner of the 18 yard box, but his
shot was well saved as Stewart Black dived to his left.
With a minute to half time Steven Anderson made another run
down the left, crossed the ball to Gordon McNab who lashed the ball past the
Lossie keeper at his near post.
Half time Wick 4 v Lossiemouth 0
Although half time score probably flattered Wick a little
they were well deserving of their four goals and Lossiemouth must have been left
scratching their heads as to how they still were not in this match and maybe
even on level terms.
Second Half
Substitutions at half time: Wick – Ross Allan off Sam Mackay on
Lossiemouth – Ross Duncan off
Logan Johnstone on
The second half started off much as the first had ended with
both sides trading attacking moves but as the match wore on Wick began to
dominate play.
Steven Anderson was finding more space down the left and went
on a strong run down the wing – but was tracked all the way by Anthony Ross
who forced the Wick man to run out of space and the ball crossed the line for a
goal kick.
On 50 minutes Richard Macadie made space for himself but his
shot just crept over the crossbar with the Lossie keeper at full stretch. This
was followed by some sharp passing between Gordon McNab and Marc Macgregor, but
McNab's cross into the box was cut out by the Lossiemouth defence. Academy were now attacking down both flanks
and had Sam Mackay surging through the middle of the field but the Lossiemouth
defense was standing firm, rebuffing every Wick attack.
Substitutions for Lossie 62 mins Ross Archibald off Scott Dunn on and 65 mins – Aaron Mclean off Murray
Bushall on
Lossie's best chance of the second half came in the 75th
minute when a cross in from the left
found no 24 unmarked in the middle of the 6 yard box but he scuffed what
looked like a simple tap in wide of the left post.
76th minute substitution for Wick: Danny Mackay off Aidan Reid on
The Lossie keeper was called into action again in the 77th
minute when a sweeping move across the pitch ended with a Steven Anderson
volley, forcing a diving save from Stewart Black.
Steven Anderson completed his hat-trick with ten minutes to
go – a drive through midfield by Sam Mackay
– pass to Steven Anderson – back to Sam Mackay – back to Steven Anderson
and a low drive that beat the oncoming Stewart Black and the ball hit the back
of the net.
Sam Mackay rounded off the scoring for Wick in the 86th
minute courtesy of a Gary Manson shot from the left hand side of the penalty
box that crashed off the bottom of the far post and rebounded into his path.
Mackay teed himself up and his shot flew past Stewart Black. Wick 6 Lossiemouth 0
