Wick Academy 5 – Invergordon 2

Wick Academy set up a North of Scotland Cup quarter final clash with Brora Rangers after seeing off the challenge of Invergordon in Wednesday’s first round tie at Harmsworth Park.
While the 5-2 scoreline was emphatic, the evening didn’t go entirely to plan for the Scorries as they lost Davie Allan to injury mid-way through the second half and were reduced to nine men for a spell as Alan Hughes limped off for treatment.
Craig Gunn had already re-placed Gordon MacNab when Allan pulled up with a hamstring problem. Manager Tom McKenna chose not to risk either of his two other subs, Jack Halliday and Marc Macgregor, both of whom are working their way back to fitness.
It was also a night that saw MacNab produce one of the most glaring misses ever seen at Harmsworth Park, somehow managing to clip the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy after being put through by Allan.
Academy went ahead on 10 minutes when Allan latched on to a through ball and cut it back for Sam Mackay to dispatch a clinical finish past keeper Grant Beattie.
Invergordon equalised against the run of play 10 minutes from half-time when Ken Morrison placed a low shot beyond the diving Sean McCarthy.

Half Time – Wick Academy 1 – Invergordon 1

Then came MacNab’s astonishing howler, but Academy were in front again five minutes after the break when Alan Farquhar found the net with a glancing header.
Allan extended the lead with a curling strike on 57 minutes before hobbling off 10 minutes later.
Scott Houston was short with a passback on 74 minutes, allowing Gunn to nip in and play it through to Richard Macadie for the simplest of finishes.
Gunn lashed home Wick’s fifth in 87 minutes, then Cammy Houston reduced the deficit with a free header right at the end.

Full Time – Wick Academy 5 – Invergordon 2

Match report written by John o Groat Journal – Fri, August 2, 2019.