GAFFER Davie Kirkwood praised Wick Academy's 3-1 win at Fraserburgh as the best team performance of the season.
Despite claiming his side has played better in other games, the manager said every player on the pitch received a tick in the box.
Going into the game as underdogs, Kirkwood said the confidence at the club is in no danger of dropping and predicts it will continue its good form in the closing stages of the season.
"It was the best overall performance from our defence, midfield and striker as everything gelled together," he said.
"I still think that we've played better football this season as the pitch wasn't in great condition, but they adapted to the conditions and got a great result.
"Fraserburgh are a very fit side and I knew that they would come out and try to attack us from the off like they did when they beat us earlier on in the season. But our game plan stopped them playing the way they wanted to and they couldn't get into the match.
"Each department of the team had a role to play in the win and we will take a massive boost into the Forres game at Harmsworth Park."
Davie Allan continued his excellent form by scoring his 13th of the season as well as creating Stevie Cunningham's goal.
Praising his striker for another terrific performance, Kirkwood said he is far from the finished the article.
"In the match he was trying to play far too much on the left foot which gave the ball away and he missed a few opportunities. If he used his right foot more he would be an even more deadlier player in front goal than he is now and I told him that in the dressing room at full-time."
Fraserburgh manager Kris Hunter was furious with his team's performance, saying it was played completely out of the game. He said it has been happening all too often in recent matches and changes are afoot.
"At Bellslea for us to have hardly a shot at goal sums up the day," he said. "We gave away a goal and the other two were avoidable as well. People haven't done their jobs again which is concerning us as our defensive record is shocking.
"We might need to look for other players for next season as people are not taking in what we're saying. Mistakes are happening too often, not just by the back four players but all over the park.
"We've been good in the league against Buckie Thistle and against Keith in the Aberdeenshire Shield where we've faced probably the league's top striker in Cammy Keith. But the inconsistency is too often and we cannot use the excuse of being a young team any more."
HIGH FLYING BROCH BROUGHT CRASHING DOWN TO EARTH
Fraserbrugh........... 1
Wick Academy....... 3
Scorers - Fraserburgh: Cowie (90). Wick Academy: D. Allan (5), Cunnningham (52), Macadie (63).
ARGUABLY giving their performance of the season, Wick Academy upset the odds to score a magnificent 3-1 victory at Bellslea on Saturday.
Straight from the kick-off, the visitors dominated high-flying Fraserburgh with their brand of attractive passing football which has won them so many admirers.
Kris Hunter's side - which has not been out of the top five since July - could only watch in frustration as the Scorries sent out a warning to title chasers Forres Mechanics who they will meet this weekend.
Davie Kirkwood's men have picked up seven wins in their last 11 games, with only two defeats - meaning they now sit ninth on 33 points.
Wick made their attacking intentions known early and took just five minutes to break the deadlock through man-of-the-moment Davie Allan.
Sam Mackay played an exquisite pass down the middle of the park that split the Broch defence as the lone striker sprinted onto it and collided with keeper Paul Leask in their efforts to be first to the ball. But Allan was the first to his feet and tapped in the loose ball from six yards out.
Fraserburgh almost replied immediately when Willie West's header came back off the underside of the bar.
A minute later it could have been 2-0 when Davie Allan got onto the end of Ross Allan's cut-back but for Ryan Christie's intervention, the defender was well placed to clear the effort off the goal line.
The half-hour mark saw a major talking point when Christie appeared to have fouled Davie Allan in the box and initially it looked as though Calum Spence had pointed to the spot, but he subtly altered the direction of his arm to signal a corner having looked at his assistant.
Before the break, Richard Macadie passed up a great chance to double the Scorries' lead. Davie Allan drove up the left channel and threaded him into the box. He went one-on-one with Leask but he fired his shot onto the feet of the advancing keeper.
Academy doubled their tally seven minutes after the interval when Davie Allan screamed down the right wing to tee the ball up for Stevie Cunningham who shot low and hard from the front corner of the box to beat Leask at the bottom of his far post.
The game was put beyond Fraserburgh's reach on 62 minutes when Ross Allan scorched down the left wing before being tripped by Bryan Hay.
Mackay chipped the free kick deep into the area and Michael Steven rose and powered a downward header off the back post. Macadie reacted to the rebound and from 15 yards out he picked his spot and did well to keep the ball down, steering a well-judged shot into the corner of the net.
Wick goalkeeper Michael Gray was to be denied his clean sheet in injury time after Shaun Sinclair cut down Allan Hale in the box for a clear penalty.
Dean Cowie converted the spot kick to grab some consolation for the hosts, but it still couldn't take the gloss off one of Academy's best results on the road in the last two seasons.
Fraserburgh: Leask, Hay, Cooper, Cowie (Chalmers 77), Christie, Cowie, Morrice (Main 46), West, Hale, Johnston (McBride 56), Barbour. Subs not used: Bremner, Bruce.
Wick Academy: Gray, M. Steven (Sinclair 77), Manson, Farquhar, G. Steven, Shearer, Cunningham, Mackay (McKiddie 80), D. Allan, Macadie (Weir 71), R Allan. Subs not used: Mackay, Hughes.
Referee: Calum Spence.
SEVEN PLAYERS SIGN NEW DEALS
THE optimism surrounding Harmsworth Park has been reinforced at the ground after seven players agreed to extend their contracts with the Scorries.
Grant Steven, Michael Steven, Ross Allan and Stewart Ross have all signed long-term professional contracts while Stevie Cunningham, Alan Farquhar and Richard Macadie have also put pen to paper to continue their stints at the club.
The board has not revealed the length of duration of the contracts, but said the players will have a vital role to play to fulfil Academy's ambitions in the next few years.
Club secretary Alan Farquhar said the good spirit among the squad is the reason behind the players committing their future to the county's Highland League club.
He said: "The signing of these players will sustain the long-term future of the club. We feel that the signings illustrate that the club are fully supportive of our manager, Davie Kirkwood, and his coaching team of Richard Hughes and Rab Mulheron in their attempts to bring success to the club.
"They definitely appreciate how the management team's efforts have resulted in the club going forward again after last season's disappointing campaign. The players appreciate that Kirkwood is the right man to develop their game and help them become better footballers, which can only be good for the club."
Mr Farquhar said the board was delighted with the manager's performance since arriving at the start of the season. He said the professional attitude Kirkwood has displayed since arriving in the Far North is progressively achieving the club's aims of becoming a major force in Highland League football.
"The squad know themselves that with the manager's help he can only help develop their talent further," he said.
"He has high expectations for the club, which has played an integral part in the club's improvement and is looking for the players to maintain those standards. He has a lot of belief in the players, which is rubbing off on the lads as it has driven them on to achieve the best of their abilities.
"The success of any club is down to confidence and that has definitely risen in recent months as shown by the results, as we are not losing the same amount of goals any more.
"The board has been delighted with his performance since taking over at the start of the season and he will continue to have our full support to help achieve those aims."
