| 16th February 2019 – Breedon Highland Football League | Harmsworth Park, Wick |
| Wick Academy F.C. |
2 (Cameron Bowden OG 50, Jack Halliday 63) |
|
Subs: Richard Macadie, Grant Aitkenhead, Grant MacNab, Gordon Clark. |
|
| Turriff United F.C. |
1 (Stuart Taylor 33) |
|
Subs: Calum Reid, Keir Smith, Michael Ironside, Owen Kinsella, Rory Brown, Matthew Tewnion, Euan Morrison. |
|
| Referee: | Alan Proctor |
| Bookings: | Drew Copeland (36) Ross Anderson (39) Jack Henry (51) Keir Smith (53) Danny Mackay (54) Liam Strachan (61, 77) Cameron Bowden (81) |
| Sponsors Man of the Match: | Jack Halliday |
| Match Photos: | Match Photos |
, Jack Henry
Team: Fraser Hobday, James Chalmers, Owen Cairns, Ross AndersonAn improved second half saw a Jekyll and Hyde comeback from Academy to get the better of a determined Turriff side.
Goals from Gordon MacNab – with the aid of a generous deflection (Correction – this was awarded as an own goal against Cameron Bowden) – and Jack Halliday sealed the win for Wick after Stuart Taylor had given the visitors the lead.
In a game of two halves, the Academy team that emerged after the break were unrecognisable from the sluggish outfit of the first 45 minutes. Granted the Harmsworth pitch was not at its best, but some of the passing in the first period left a lot to be desired as Academy played their first competitive fixture for almost a month.
Turriff were well organised and their keeper Fraser Hobday was called upon only once in the first half when he beat away an effort from Halliday.
Out of nowhere, Turriff took the lead. Left-back Owen Cairns was given a surprising amount of space to surge up the park, cut inside and smash a shot against the upright. With keeper Sean McCarthy helpless, Taylor – with a suspicion of offside – was left to tap the rebound into an empty net.
Whatever was said by boss Tom McKenna at half-time, it had the desired effect. It took Wick five minutes to restore parity. A long ball from the right picked out Gary Manson and his cutback was turned goalwards by MacNab, with a backtracking defender (Cameron Bowden) getting the last touch for an own goal.
Craig Gunn was then left holding his head in disbelief as his net-bound chip was saved by Hobday. However, a second goal was not long in coming – and what a sublime strike it was. MacNab, a constant thorn in Turriff ’s side, had the visitors twisting and turning with a mazy run down the middle. With the Harmsworth faithful waiting for the striker to crash one in, MacNab unselfishly squared the ball to Halliday whose side-footed shot nestled in the net via the base of a post.
The game should have been wrapped up a few minutes later when Gunn’s low cross found Richard Macadie with an empty net facing him. While more sympathetic folk will give him the excuse of the ball bobbling up after skimming a divot, those less forgiving will say that even a sneeze would have steered the ball home instead of spinning upwards onto the bar, leaving Macadie crestfallen.
A red card for Turriff ’s Liam Strachan – who had been in an ankle-biting mood all afternoon – looked to have eased Wick’s passage to three points. However, they were nearly punished in injury time when Turriff ’s Ross Anderson beat a poorly executed offside trap only to fire his shot straight into the arms of a grateful McCarthy.
Match report written by Caithness Courier – Wed, Feb 20, 2019.
Our match sponsor MM Miller selected Jack Halliday as man of the match. Jack is pictured with Perry Campbell and today’s mascot Jay Kirkwood. Happy Birthday to Jay who was 9 yesterday
