Wick Academy boss warns players of season struggle if defensive collapses continue
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WICK Academy manager Gary Manson has warned his players they will struggle in the Highland League if they carry on conceding goals the way they have.
The manager is determined to sort out problems in his defence after a second half implosion saw them go down to a 5-1 defeat against Turriff United at Harmsworth Park.
The defeat followed their exit from the North of Scotland Cup three days previously when they were thrashed 8-0 by Ross County.
Manson says Wick Academy had plenty of chances in the first half against Turriff and could have established a comfortable lead.
But he says if they continue to let in goals in the manner they have been doing it will be a worrying season.
"In the second half the standard of goals we conceded was just criminal.
"I said to the boys after the game if you concede the amount of goals like in the last couple of games, then we are going to struggle.
"Until we rectify that problem, we won't take too many points out of games."
Ross Gunn gave Wick Academy the lead on the half hour mark, but John Allan equalised for Turriff on the stroke of half time.
Turriff ran riot in the second half when Allan gave them the lead in the 56th minute.
Max Foster scored shortly after the hour mark with Ewan Clark extending their lead in the 72nd minute and Dylan Stewart making it five in injury time.
Manson says Wick created enough chances to be out of sight at half time and were guilty of allowing their heads to drop in the second half.
"It was a game where we should never have lost by that margin," he said.
"The sheer amount of gilt edge chances we missed before half time we should have been out of sight.
"In the first half we scored our goal, but we also hit the crossbar, Jack Halliday had three one on one chances with the goalkeeper, Richard Macadie should have scored from four yards out but the goalkeeper made a miraculous save.
"We by far had the better of the first half, but they scored with the last kick of the ball in the first half which got their tails up.
"In the second half it was 50/50 for the first 10 minutes. But our heads dropped again and we can't allow that to happen. Goals are part of football, it is not the end of the world if you concede.
"But the heads dropped after the second and the third, we are going through a sticky spell and we need to rectify that."
Wick Academy are not playing this weekend and will return to action at home to Fraserburgh on Saturday, September 16.
Manson is determined to sort out his team's defensive problems.
"We will train on Saturday, so it won't be a weekend off.
"Fraserburgh is next up and we have two weeks to work on a plan and we will try not to concede in the manner which we are at the moment.
"Because watching that on Saturday was dreadful."
