Wick Academy aiming to tighten their grip on eighth place in Highland League as Nairn visit Harmsworth Park
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Wick Academy player/manager Gary Manson reckons a win against Nairn County on Saturday would almost guarantee a top-eight finish in the Highland League.
Nairn, who will be visiting Harmsworth Park for the first time in almost three years, are one place below the Scorries but 11 points separate the teams – albeit Wick have played three games more.
Manson's side will be looking to build on last weekend's 2-2 draw at Brora when they led twice against the champions only to be pegged back by a header that appeared not to have crossed the line and a stoppage-time equaliser.
“We go into every game looking to win, and certainly in our home games against teams that are below us in the table we should be looking to get three points," Manson said.
“But we're under no illusions. We only managed a draw with Nairn down there earlier in the season and they've strengthened their squad since then, so it'll be a tough game.
“They're directly below us in the league. If we make that gap 14 points, it would be not inconceivable but it would be extremely surprising if they did claw it back.
“So that's the incentive for the boys on Saturday. If we do win then it'll almost guarantee that eighth-place finish for us.
“It'll be a different kind of test, I would imagine, to what we faced against Brora. We'll just need to adapt and try and get the better of them.”
Andy Hardwick is set to return, while fellow defender Danny Mackay looks likely to miss out again through injury.
“I think Saturday might come too soon for Danny but Andy is back available,” Manson said.
When the sides met at Station Park in October, County led twice through a Ciaran Young double but Academy responded with goals from Steven Anderson and Gordon MacNab and it finished 2-2.
“The game could have gone either way that day," Manson recalled. "A draw was probably a fair result – they were two evenly matched teams."
Saturday's match will be Nairn's first visit to Harmsworth Park since a midweek clash in March 2019 when Marc Macgregor and Sam Mackay were the scorers in a 2-0 win for Wick.
Nairn manager Ronnie Sharp said: “It’s a difficult place to go at any time but they are playing particularly well. They’re probably one of the form teams in the league, if you take away the top two or three.
“We’re playing quite well ourselves. Recently we’ve been beaten by Buckie [4-1] and Inverurie [3-2] but we played well in both games. We just have to cut out the mistakes we’ve been making.
“Everywhere has its challenges, but Wick are always good at home.”
An under-strength Brora side reached the last four of the Highland League Cup with a 2-0 away victory over Brechin City on Wednesday.
Dale Gillespie (penalty) and Jordan MacRae got the goals for the Cattachs, who were down to the bare bones with no substitutes available. They brought in goalkeeper Josh Gorton from Lochee United on an emergency loan.
The other three quarter-finals were postponed because of waterlogged pitches, as was the league match between Keith and Fort William.
Forres Mechanics or Clachnacuddin will play Buckie Thistle or Inverurie Locos in the semi-finals on March 12, while Brora will be away to the winners of the Rothes/Fraserburgh tie.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, February 26: Deveronvale v Forres Mechanics; Formartine United v Lossiemouth; Fort William v Clachnacuddin; Fraserburgh v Turriff United; Huntly v Brechin City; Inverurie Locos v Buckie Thistle; Rothes v Keith; Strathspey Thistle v Brora Rangers; Wick Academy v Nairn County.
