Wick Academy looking to extend five-game unbeaten home run
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Wick Academy will be looking to continue their strong home form this weekend while putting a dent in Buckie Thistle's Highland League title challenge.
The Scorries, who are 13th in the table, lost 2-1 at Huntly on Saturday but are unbeaten in their last five matches at Harmsworth Park – a sequence that has brought wins against Strathspey Thistle, Lossiemouth and Formartine United and draws with Rothes and Brora Rangers.
Buckie are fourth, seven points behind leaders Brechin City with two games in hand.
Academy will be glad to be at home again after a run of three away fixtures in eight days. Before the Huntly trip they were beaten 3-1 at Inverurie before picking up their first away win of the campaign with a 6-1 success against Strathspey Thistle.
Manager Gary Manson said: "This season at home we've shown that we're a match for anyone.
"Formartine are going really well in the league this season. They came up and we comfortably dealt with them and beat them 3-1.
"You've got to respect Buckie because of what they've done in recent years and where they are in the table. But we'll be looking to cause them a lot of problems and see what we can do on the day.
"We've given them really good games in recent seasons, not just in Wick but down in Buckie as well. We've been unlucky not to win a couple of times in the last two or three seasons.
"Even this season when we went down there, we were 3-2 down and pushing to get the equaliser and then there was Owen Rendall's unfortunate sending off."
Wick went on to lose 5-2 at Victoria Park and Rendall's red card was downgraded to a yellow after an appeal.
Manson added: "They'll know that they're coming up to participate in a competitive game. We'll just need to make sure we turn up on the day and do ourselves justice."
Buckie kept in touch at the top with a 2-0 victory over Formartine United at Victoria Park on Wednesday night, with Lyall Keir scoring both goals.
There was late drama at Christie Park where Robbie Foster put Huntly ahead against Keith with two minutes of the 90 remaining, only for the Maroons' keeper Craig Reid to score in stoppage time to earn a 1-1 draw. Reid netted with a bicycle kick after coming up for a corner.
A first-half goal by Martin Maclean was enough to give Brora Rangers a 1-0 victory over Clachnacuddin at Dudgeon Park.
Highland League results – Saturday: Banks O' Dee 4, Forres Mechanics 0; Brora Rangers 1, Formartine United 4; Buckie Thistle 1, Inverurie Locos 1; Clachnacuddin 0, Brechin City 2; Deveronvale 0, Strathspey Thistle 3; Huntly 2, Wick Academy 1; Keith 1, Lossiemouth 0; Nairn County 0, Fraserburgh 3; Rothes 1, Turriff United 3.
Wednesday: Brora Rangers 1, Clachnacuddin 0; Buckie Thistle 2, Formartine United 0; Forres Mechanics 1, Fraserburgh 2; Huntly 1, Keith 1.
Fixtures for Saturday, March 23: Brechin City v Turriff United; Formartine United v Banks O' Dee; Forres Mechanics v Nairn County; Fraserburgh v Rothes; Huntly v Brora Rangers; Inverurie Locos v Keith; Lossiemouth v Deveronvale; Strathspey Thistle v Clachnacuddin; Wick Academy v Buckie Thistle (3pm).
