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Academy's Kirkwood wants no 'silly errors'


By Will Clark

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Manager wants side to 'get kicking boots on'.
Manager wants side to 'get kicking boots on'.

STOP making silly mistakes is what Wick Academy have to do if they are to pick up their first win of the season against Lossiemouth.

Davie Kirkwood said careless individual errors cost his side three points in their 3-3 draw against Clachnacuddin last week.

The Scorries conceded three goals in the first 15 minutes when the Inverness side took advantage of a lack of communication in defence. But Wick fought back through Michael Steven and a Gary Weir double to pull them back in the game.

Their dominance of the final 25 minutes was particularly pleasing for Kirkwood who said that all that was missing was the winner.

But he said that the defence now know the consequences of not staying alert at all times.

“We conceded the three goals through our own doing,” he said. “Silly individual errors cost us three points on Saturday. We did manage to get ourselves back into the game and earn a point. But we still have to work on learning how to shut the back door. If we do that, we are going to do very well this season.”

The Scorries head down to the Moray coast to play Lossiemouth in their first away match of this Highland League campaign.

Michael Steven is a concern after suffering an ankle injury in training on Tuesday night and David Allan will also be serving the final game of his three-match ban after being sent off in pre-season against Thurso.

The last time Wick visited Lossiemouth, they headed back to the Far North with a 5-0 victory. Despite the result, the Coasters finished two places above them in the league.

Kirkwood said that his opponents will be looking to build on last season’s success and Academy will have to be ready.

“Charlie Charlesworth has been manager at the club for a long time. I don’t know too much about them, but I’ve been told they are a compact and well-organised side so it will be up to us to break them down,” he stated.

“People might say that Lossiemouth are a team which we should travel to and be optimistic about leaving with three points. But given how they did last season, they are probably looking at us and thinking that they can win. We will focus on our own game by tightening up the defence and making sure our shooting boots are on.”

Lossiemouth got their league campaign off to a disappointing start despite an impressive performance during their 1-0 defeat to Inverurie Locos at Harlaw Park.

They have been forced to make four changes to their squad with Steven Sim injured and John Urquhart carrying a one-game suspension.

Two defenders also picked up injuries in the midweek friendly against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Secretary Alan Macintosh said they are itching to put the record straight against a side which they’ve struggled against in recent years.

“Wick Academy have won at Grant Park for six consecutive seasons,” he said. “They thrashed us last season and the lads haven’t forgotten that.

“We haven’t got the season off to a great start after getting knocked out of the North of Scotland Cup by Rothes, then losing to Inverurie.

“But we have made a few signings to bolster our attack and know that Wick haven’t had a great start to the season either. We will go into the match on Saturday and hope for the best.”


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