Richie Taylor had headed the visitors into the lead midway through the first half before his team were reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of defender Simon Scott for violent conduct. Stewart Ross put Academy on level terms with a fearsome free kick just before the hour but when the game went into extra time it was 10 against 10, skipper Martin Gunn seeing red for a wild tackle.

There was a cup-tie atmosphere from the word go with play surging from end to end. Gary Manson, Sam Mackay and Allan were involved in some impressive passing moves up the Academy left but Richard Macadie and Gunn both miscued shots over the bar.

A great tackle from Gunn stopped a sortie by Taylor before Macadie found space on the right only to pull his shot low past the back post.

Macadie took a couple of corners on the Academy right and, when Myles Brownhill's headed clearance fell to Gary Weir, the striker's drive was charged down.

At last around the 20-minute mark both keepers were tested. When David Booth lobbed a high cross in from the Huntly right, Alan Bokas jumped above a clutch of white shirts to catch it at the back post while at the top end Neil Hastie was alert to hold a well-struck 20-yard effort from Craig Shearer.

The visitors made the breakthrough when Colin Robertson swung the ball in from the left and from 10 yards Taylor directed his header firmly into the net to the left of Bokas.

Huntly immediately survived a narrow squeak when Weir's size 12 right boot missed the ball by a matter of inches as a pass from Macadie went across the six-yard box. Macadie soon drove in another low shot from the right corner of the penalty area and Hastie dived to turn it wide.

Huntly won a corner on their right and Bokas did well to turn a close-range effort from Martin Skinner over the bar.

A 20-yard looping header from Mackay looked easy for Hastie but the former Clach keeper fumbled it.

Allan and Scott clashed as Hastie retrieved the loose ball and referee Craig Sim had no hesitation in brandishing his red card at the Huntly defender while the Wick striker was shown yellow.

In first-half stoppage time a Manson free kick was deflected wide. From Mackay's corner on the left, a powerful downward header from Ross was blocked on the line by Robertson and grabbed by Hastie.

Academy tried to keep up the pressure after the break and their efforts were rewarded when Mackay was brought down as he controlled the ball near the 18-yard line. Ross stepped up to drive the free kick low through the defensive wall and into the net to Hastie's left.

When Allan was fouled on almost the same spot a minute later, Manson chipped the free kick over the wall and it dipped behind the bar.

Huntly hit back and Bokas came off his line to smother the ball as Skinner tried to force it in from eight yards. Alan Farquhar was booked for tripping Brownhill, who had sprinted 40 yards up the right, and Bokas fisted away Robertson's free kick.

A spell of three corners ended when Shaun Sinclair blocked a close-range effort.

Gary Manson of Wick Academy is caught late by Huntly's Mike Ewen in Saturday's hard-fought cup clash. John Baikie / Captiv8

Mackay raced forward and set up Manson, who appeared to be tripped but ended up being booked after the ref refused to award a penalty.

The 10 men showed no sign of tiring and Bokas had to be brave, diving to smother the ball at Mike Ewen's feet.

With 75 minutes played Academy were pushing for a winner. Allan was fouled and Mackay fired the free kick into the side netting.

Cutting in from the left, Farquhar was tripped outside the corner of the box but Mackay's free kick just eluded Macadie at the back post.

In a hectic final minute of normal time Mackay was booked and saw a volley go wide while Gunn raced back after losing possession to make a crazy challenge and his rush of blood earned a red card.

Huntly had a good spell in the first period of extra time and substitute Andrzej-Slawomir Kleczkowski twice went close.

The pace slowed a little in the second period. David Allan was held back 20 yards from goal and his brother Ross, off the bench early in extra time, curled the free kick over the bar.

Huntly looked the stronger side now but their shooting was wildly off target until Guild raced into the crowded box and steered the ball into the net from 10 yards. Far-side assistant Alex MacDonald had spotted Guild tugging an Academy sleeve and alerted the referee, who disallowed the goal.

A penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable when Bokas saved a shot from Redford, but the keeper launched his clearance deep into the Huntly half. David Allan ran into the box, shrugged off a defender and drove the ball firmly past Hastie to spark jubilant scenes among the 300-plus crowd.

Wick Academy: Bokas, Sinclair, Manson (R. Allan 94), Farquhar, Ross, Shearer (McKiddie 38), Gunn, Mackay, D. Allan, Macadie, Weir. Subs not used: Macleod, Lamb, More.

Scorers: Ross (59), D. Allan (119)

Huntly: Hastie, Brownhill, Scott, Skinner (Redford 80), Booth, Gray, Guild, McGinlay (Kleczkowski 82), Ewen, Taylor (McKenzie 82), Robertson. Subs not used: Soane, Bremner.

Scorer: Taylor (23)

Referee: C. Sim.

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