| 16th March 2019 – Highland League Cup – Semi Final | |
| Cove Rangers FC | 3 (Mitchel Megginson 31, 50, Jamie Masson 32) |
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Subs: Chris Herd, Colin Charlesworth, Joe McCabe, Connor Rennie, Daniel Crisp, Josh Bolton, Morgan Cook. |
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| Wick Academy FC |
1 (Sam Mackay 52) |
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Subs: Alan Hughes, Jack Henry, Marc MacGregor, Mark Macadie, Ross Allan. |
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| Referee: | Liam Duncan |
| Bookings: | Alan Farquhar (64) Connor Scully (86) Gordon MacNab (86) |
| Sponsors Man of the Match: | |
| Match Photos – Mel & Bob Roger | |
, Scott Ross, Ryan Strachan, Daniel Park, Jamie Masson, Mitchel Megginson, Sam Burnett (Jordan MacRea 86), Jordon Brown (Martin Scott 72).
Team: Gordon Clark, Michael Steven, Andrew Hardwick, Danny Mackay, Gary Manson, Alan Farquhar (c)Academy’s Highland League Cup dream may be over for another season but they gave a good account of themselves on their first visit to Cove’s Balmoral Stadium.
Ultimately the clinical finishing of the league’s top scorer Mitch Megginson was the difference between the sides in Saturday’s semi final.
Cove had an early chance with a corner from Daniel Park which Jordon Brown headed powerfully towards goal but Sam Mackay was on the line to head it away.
Gordon MacNab caused a scare when he broke clear but the Cove defenders quickly recovered to chase him down, MacNab then won a corner on the left and Andy Hardwick’s header also created momentary panic before it was scrambled away.
Then a double whammy just after the half-hour mark put Cove in charge.
Megginson ran up the Cove right onto a clever flick from Brown and rifled the ball into the far corner.
Two minutes later Jamie Masson seized on a rebound to fire the ball into the net from 15 yards.
Five minutes into the second half Megginson scored again, this time after cutting in from the left.
That appeared to be game over but three minutes later Sam Mackay fired low into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to give Academy a lifeline.
Within a couple of minutes former Academy favourite Grant Campbell unleashed a 25-yard effort which was too hot to handle for Gordon Clark. The keeper parried it and Danny Mackay completed the clearance. Academy enjoyed a good spell around the hour mark. A shot by MacNab was pushed away and just eluded substitute Marc Macgregor in the six-yard box.
Macgregor fired across goal to MacNab who could not control it quickly enough. Martin Scott crossed from the Cove right and from 10 yards Megginson scorned the chance of a hat trick by volleying just over the bar.
Academy hadn’t given up but time was running out. MacNab pulled a shot wide and Gary Manson had a drive saved by Stuart McKenzie.
Match report written by Caithness Courier – Wed, March 20, 2019.
