The last chance of the first half fell to Deveronvale from a
free kick just outside the box after Danny Mackay had brought down Robert Scott
– shot went over the wall but was comfortably saved by Wick keeper Sean
McCarthy.
Half time Wick 1 v Deveronvale 0
Wick started strongly again at the beginning of the second
half – Craig Gunn capitalising on a slip by Vale's Paul Sutherland – Sutherland looked to have the ball under
control when he lost his footing on the ever increasingly slippy pitch and Gunn
latched on to the loose ball,but his drive and shot was unable to beat Grant
Pennet.
A minute later Steven Anderson drove down the left – cut into
the box and the Academy man thought he had a good penalty claim as he was
tripped by defender Michael Dunn as he fired his shot towards goal. Nothing doing from referee Alan Proctor.
In a dominant Wick spell Richard Macadie was next to try his
luck from 20 yards out but he didn't gather the ball as cleanly as he would
have liked and the ball went well wide of the post.
The next chance fell for Vale's Paul Sutherland – but his
shot from outside the box was gathered by Sean McCarthy.
Next in the book was Vale's Harry Noble who brought down
Jack Halliday on the far touchline as
the Wick man was racing away from him.
It was then Harry Noble's turn to drive down the touch line
but his run was halted by a well timed tackle by Wick's Gary Manson.
Substitution for Wick on 60 mins – Craig Gunn off and
replaced by Alan Hughes.
Deveronvale came more into the game as the half went on and
possibly their best chance of the match came in the 65th minute when
a through ball to Robert Scott at the far post looked destined to find the back
of the net – until Ross Allan arrived to hook the ball away with the Deveronvale
played poised to pull the trigger.
Substitution for Wick on 66 mins – Robert Scott off and
replaced by Matthew Wallace
Substitution for Wick on 71 mins – Jack Halliday off and
replaced by Alan Farquhar
Next chance for Vale fell to the Vale substitute after he
had beaten Ross Allan at the corner flag, cut towards goal and fired a shot that
McCarthy saved at his near post.
The Wick defence were finding themselves under increasing
pressure as Deveronvale pushed forward for an equaliser – Andrew Hardwick was
on hand to head clear a high ball into the box and Ross Allan was forced into a
saving tackle as Kyle Gauld powered into the box.
Wick relieved the pressure on the defence when Alan Hughes
and Steven Anderson combined down the right and Anderson released a rasping
shot from inside the penalty area that was blocked by Vale's Lewis Dunbar
before it could do any damage.
Academy again they thought they had a good claim for a
penalty in the 75th minute when Davie Allan latched on to a ball in
to the centre from Alan Hughes, Allan powered toward the 18 yard box, keeper
Pennet rushed out the edge of his 18 yard box and, as the Wick man knocked the
ball around him, appeared to catch Allan's right thigh and knock him off
balance. Davie Allan carried on with his
run, reached the ball but could not steer the ball into the net.
Wick were once again in the ascendancy – a cross in from
Richard Macadie was acrobatically cut out by Grant Pennet before it could reach
Steven Anderson's head – Macadie then had penalty shout No 3 when he had picked
up the ball on the byline inside the 6 yard box – shifted the ball to his right
taking the ball around the keeper – looked to have had his legs clipped as he
rounded the keeper – but got his shot away only to see it shave the cross bar
instead nestling in the back of the net.
Deveronvale were not out of the game yet though and surging
run and pass by Paul Sutherland laid the ball on for shot by Kyle Gauld – but
his swerving shot was well watched and saved by Sean McCarthy.
And then the fireworks – a corner in from the right headed
downwards by Wick's Danny Mackay – the high bouncing ball was then met by the
boot of Wick's Davie Allan and the fists of Vale keeper Grant Pennet simultaneously
, sending the ball high into the air – Pennet and Allan then challenged again
for the ball, the keeper falling
backwards into the Wick man – and the
Scorrie striker managing with a combination of what looked like hand and head forcing the
ball into the path of Danny Mackay who wasted no time in slamming the ball into
the net amid loud claims of handball by the Vale defenders.
The Vale protests were as long as they were vociferous and
eventually referee Alan Proctor lost patience and issued a straight red to Vale's
Michael Dunn. The protests were not finished
though and Ross Aitken and Grant Noble found themselves issued with yellow
cards for their continued arguments.
Substitution for Deveronvale 83 mins – Grant Noble off and
replaced by Jody Munro
Fired up Vale were straight on the attack and had a chance
to pull a goal back when the ball was fired across goal only for Kyle Gauld to
be just too far away to get boot to ball.
A minute later Wick keeper Sean McCarthy had to be sharp to collect ball
from a corner under pressure from Steven Davidson.
With the game going into additional time tempers looked
about to flare again when Steven Anderson and Steven Davidson clashed over a
tackle on the left touchline. Handbags
at dawn – sense prevailed and the game finished with a hard fought 2 nil win to
Academy.
