Academy trounce Halkirk underdogs
Scorers – Wick: Macadie (16, 85 pen), McKiddie (21), Cunningham (39), Mackay (50, 64), Manson (57). Halkirk: Sutherland (81).
UNDERDOGS Halkirk United were outplayed on Tuesday night as Wick Academy progressed to the second round of the North of Scotland Cup.
The Scorries secured seven goals with only one consolation going to the North Caledonian League side.
Richard Macadie and Sam Mackay scored doubles in a game which was anything but a repeat of last year when the Anglers beat Academy 2-1 in the same tie.
Scorries manager Davie Kirkwood was glad his squad avoided the same mistake – going into the game expecting to win rather than trying to win.
"We had a really good pre-season last year until we played Halkirk and it was the banana skin," said the manager.
"It’s one of those things where you can be sucked in by the fear factor and it’s probably our guys’ pals they are playing against – but there are no pals on the pitch.
"I’ve told them that it doesn’t matter if you win 1-0 or 10-0, you treat them as opposition and they certainly did that."
Halkirk started the game looking fiery but it was Academy that pulled the first punches.
Davie Allan set up the first goal when he broke up the right wing 16 minutes in and passed to Macadie who slotted a low shot past Halkirk keeper Neal Clark.
Five minutes later, Macadie’s corner caused mayhem in the visitors’ box but Bryan McKiddie was ideally placed outside the chaos to knock the ball home for the second goal.
A hard tackle by Wick’s Michael Steven in the 26th minute saw Academy reduced to 10 men.
Minutes later Halkirk’s spirited young Jack Halliday responded with a free kick straight at keeper James More who parried the danger away.
Academy’s Stevie Cunningham was next to score – breaking up the exposed right wing in the 39th minute to cooly slide the ball past Clark.
A faux pas by Academy’s keeper three minutes before the break kept up the tension.
More collected the ball and then moved out of his box. Luckily for him he collected the subsequent free kick punted at him to take the Scorries into the interval 3-0 up.
Three minutes after the turnaround Halkirk went down to 10 men when Colin Davidson attempted a reckless tackle on Mackay.
Two minutes later and Mackay showed his wrath, sending a thunderbolt of a shot straight into the top right-hand corner from 30 yards out.
Halkirk’s Martin Banks nearly got one back for the visitors on the 55th-minute mark but his shot across goal kissed the far post.
Wick’s Gary Manson put his right foot to great use two minutes later, curving the ball across goal and into the back of the net from a near-impossible angle to make it 5-0.
With 64 minutes played Academy made it 6-0 after McKiddie chipped the ball onto Mackay who made his brace.
With nine minutes left on the clock Halkirk got one back after a determined Chris Sutherland smacked a consolation prize home from close range.
A foul by Halkirk keeper Clark on Davie Allan in the box gave Macadie the penalty needed to put the final nail in Halkirk’s hopes of repeating last year’s upset. The Scorries now travel to face Clach in round two next week.
Halkirk co-manager Michael Bremner said his side would leave Harmsworth Park proud of their display.
"We were scraping a team together all week to be honest," he said. "We got a team together on Tuesday morning while Wick are a good team and have been in pre-season training for a while.
"I’m proud of the boys and we’re definitely walking away proud and looking forward to the start of next season."
Wick – More, Sinclair, Manson, M. Steven, G. Steven, Ross, Mackay, McKiddie, D. Allan, Macadie, Cunningham. Subs not used – Shearer, Farquhar, R. Allan.
Halkirk – Clark, Munro (M. Mackay 76), Howden, Budge, Davidson, Sawyer, MacKenzie, Halliday (Coghill 81), Sutherland, Budge, Banks (Murray 58). Subs not used – Malcolm. Referee – Graham Elder.