‘A terrible game of football’: Wick Academy lose out to late Keith header
Wick Academy slipped to their 10th defeat of the season in the Highland League as Keith struck late to grab a 1-0 win at Harmsworth Park on Saturday.
The Scorries’ manager Gary Manson summed up the match as one that will not live long in the memory.
Academy had been looking to build on their 3-1 success at Lossiemouth and put more distance between themselves and the five teams beneath them in the table.
The decisive moment came after 87 minutes when Keith launched a long ball to the edge of the box and 18-year-old Brody Alberts, on loan from Formartine United, directed a flashing header into the net.
Asked whether he felt the game had been heading for a goalless draw, Manson said: “You never know with us. We’re not very good at keeping clean sheets, so you’re never counting your chickens.
“I just thought it was a terrible game of football. Both sides really struggled to keep the ball for any prolonged period of time and there weren’t too many clear-cut chances.
“It wasn’t one that will live long in the memory, put it that way. I think we could still be playing and not have scored.
“It was just a flick into the box and he got a free header. It wasn’t a classic.”
Academy forced a series of corners in the dying stages and from one of them Davie Allan hit a post with a close-range shot. However, the Maroons – who had stuck the crossbar twice – managed to hold on.
Wick remain 13th in the table on 13 points, having won four, drawn one and lost 10 of their opening 15 league games.
They have no fixture this weekend, with 11 Highland League sides in Scottish Cup second-round action. It is understood Academy made enquiries about arranging a fixture against either Strathspey Thistle or Rothes but were turned down in each case.
Keith manager Craig Ewen hailed his team’s defensive qualities after their 1-0 victory over Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park.
“It was a battle between two evenly matched teams,” Ewen said after the Maroons’ first league win in Wick since February 2011.
“Even though it was a nice day in terms of the weather, the pitch was maybe a wee bit heavy from the rain up here during the week.
“You could see, certainly in the second half, when boys were making runs forward, after three or four runs they looked knackered.
“We’re obviously delighted to win the game and get three points. There was really nothing in it.
“We maybe had a wee bit of fortune – we got a cross into the box and fair play to the young loon Brody Alberts getting his first goal for Keith on loan.
“We felt it last week [against Huntly], when you concede late it’s not easy to turn things around. In a way it’s maybe the best time to score a goal.
“It has been a few years since we won here, so we’re delighted to get the three points.
“I thought defensively we were well organised and I didn’t actually feel we were going to concede. We defended quite well all the way through the game and it’s a great clean sheet up here for the lads.
“Now we’ve got a game against Clydebank in the Scottish Cup to look forward to. That’ll be a different test but the boys will be really looking forward to that and we’ll get stuck in.”
Wick Academy’s Owen Rendall picked up the sponsors’ man-of-the-match prize but the 26-year-old defender was frustrated about the result.
“There were no real chances either way,” he said. “It was a scrappy game, nobody had much control over it – they just got the break of the ball over the defence and managed to get in and score.
“It’s a bit frustrating that we don’t seem to be able to clock up two results in a row. I don’t know what it is, but that’s football.”
Rendall is enjoying the challenge of playing Highland League football despite the additional travel commitments that come with being Orkney-based.
“I’m used to the travelling,” he said. “If I wasn’t playing for Wick I’d be playing for Orkney [in the North Caledonian League] so I’d be travelling anyway for away games.
“It’s just a bit longer to travel. But it’s something I enjoy doing, so I’ll do it as long as I can.”
Brora Rangers ran riot in the North of Scotland Cup final as they thumped Clachnacuddin 6-1 at Station Park in Nairn.
Former Wick, Elgin, Peterhead and Caley Thistle striker Shane Sutherland got a hat-trick for the Cattachs with their other goals coming from Tony Dingwall, Colin Williamson and Craig Mackenzie. Clach’s Lewis Mackenzie pulled one back in stoppage time.
Rothes dropped to the bottom of the Highland League after a 6-0 defeat at home to Strathspey Thistle. The Grantown side’s scorers were James McShane, Daniel Whitehorn, Paul Brindle (2), Josh Race and Kieran Chalmers.
Forres Mechanics ended Brechin City’s unbeaten start to the league campaign with a 3-2 victory at Mosset Park. Aidan Cruickshank got the winner in injury time.
Champions Buckie Thistle are in the bottom half of the table after suffering their seventh league defeat. They lost 1-0 at Formartine United.
Huntly came from behind to beat Nairn County 2-1.
Results – North of Scotland Cup final: Brora Rangers 6, Clachnacuddin 1 (at Nairn).
Highland League: Deveronvale 4, Lossiemouth 0; Formartine United 1, Buckie Thistle 0; Forres Mechanics 3, Brechin City 2; Fraserburgh 1, Inverurie Locos 0; Huntly 2, Nairn County 1; Rothes 0, Strathspey Thistle 6; Turriff United 0, Banks O’ Dee 3; Wick Academy 0, Keith 1.
Fixtures for Saturday, October 26 – Scottish Cup, second round (ties involving Highland League clubs): Brechin City v Huntly; Brora Rangers v Formartine United; East Fife v Banks O’ Dee; Fraserburgh v Turriff United; Inverurie Locos v Dundee North End; Keith v Clydebank; Linlithgow Rose v Clachnacuddin; Sauchie Juniors v Buckie Thistle.