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Campbell hoping Wick Academy can have another strong finish to season





Ryan Campbell is hauled back by Jack Mitchell during Wick Academy's 4-1 defeat to Deveronvale at Princess Royal Park last month. Picture: Mel Roger
Ryan Campbell is hauled back by Jack Mitchell during Wick Academy's 4-1 defeat to Deveronvale at Princess Royal Park last month. Picture: Mel Roger

Ryan Campbell is hoping Wick Academy can emulate what they did in the last Highland League campaign by staging a revival after the turn of the year.

Last weekend’s 3-0 loss at home to Buckie Thistle was the seventh defeat in a row for the 15th-placed Scorries. However, Campbell says the players have been competing well and he is confident they can finish the season strongly.

The 25-year-old midfielder, who can also play at left-back, has made more than 140 competitive appearances for the club and recently signed a two-year contract extension. He came through the Academy youth ranks and played summer football for Wick Groats before stepping up to Highland League level in 2019.

The first half on Saturday looked set to end goalless until Buckie’s Joe McCabe headed in from a corner a couple of minutes before the break. McCabe struck again seven minutes into the second half when his cross from wide on the right flew over Wick goalkeeper Lewis Gallacher and landed in the net, with the Buckie player admitting afterwards that it was a fluke.

Substitute Liam Harvey added the Jags’ third in stoppage time.

“We’re lacking a wee bit of luck,” Campbell said. “Set-pieces are probably our main problem – every game we are conceding.

“If we can get to half-time at 0-0 then the second half is a different game.

“They got a lucky goal from a cross that went in. It just seems to be the way it’s going just now.

“We kept going and we still created chances. It’s just that wee break, that wee bit of luck, to get everyone’s heads up.”

Academy’s last win was the 3-1 victory at Lossiemouth on October 12. Since then they’ve lost six times in the league and were knocked out of the Highland League Cup by Huntly.

“We started off the season quite well but we’ve kind of dropped off,” Campbell admitted.

“We know we’re good enough to compete with all those teams. We’re in most games but we’re just lacking that wee bit of edge to get ahead, to get a lead. We always seem to be chasing it.”

Ryan Campbell, celebrating a goal here with Richard Macadie, is hoping for an improvement in Wick Academy's results in 2025. Picture: Mel Roger
Ryan Campbell, celebrating a goal here with Richard Macadie, is hoping for an improvement in Wick Academy's results in 2025. Picture: Mel Roger

Seven of Wick’s 15 league defeats this season have been by a single-goal margin. They were also knocked out of the North of Scotland Cup by a stoppage-time goal from Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park and were beaten on penalties at Huntly in the Scottish Cup.

“A lot of the games have been close, but getting beaten by one goal is not good enough,” Campbell said.

“We need to be able to win a game, or even if we get a point – just something to get the boys going, because it has gone flat.”

Seven of the Scorries’ 10 league victories in 2023/24 came in the closing three months of the season and a similar run of form will be required this time if they are to start moving up the table.

Between the start of February and the end of April they picked up wins against Strathspey Thistle (twice), Lossiemouth, Formartine United, Buckie Thistle and Keith (twice), as well as drawing with Brora Rangers and Banks O’ Dee, and ended up 12th in the table.

They had won only three games, and drawn four, from the beginning of the season until the end of January.

Campbell said: “Last season we got it together in the second half and competed well, so hopefully we can do the same.”

Ryan Campbell tackles Lewis Crosbie during Wick Academy's 5-2 defeat to Huntly in their Highland League Cup tie at Christie Park in November. Picture: Mel Roger
Ryan Campbell tackles Lewis Crosbie during Wick Academy's 5-2 defeat to Huntly in their Highland League Cup tie at Christie Park in November. Picture: Mel Roger

Although the Covid-hit 2019/20 season was Campbell’s first as a signed player, he made his Academy debut as far back as October 2015 as a 16-year-old trialist. He came on as a substitute for Gary Manson – now the manager – in a 7-0 home win against Rothes.

Highland League fixtures – Saturday, January 4: Banks O’ Dee v Fraserburgh; Buckie Thistle v Deveronvale; Clachnacuddin v Huntly; Formartine United v Strathspey Thistle; Inverurie Locos v Rothes; Keith v Brora Rangers; Lossiemouth v Forres Mechanics; Nairn County v Turriff United.

Saturday, January 11: Brora Rangers v Nairn County; Deveronvale v Brechin City; Formartine United v Lossiemouth; Forres Mechanics v Keith; Fraserburgh v Rothes; Huntly v Banks O’ Dee; Strathspey Thistle v Buckie Thistle; Turriff United v Inverurie Locos; Wick Academy v Clachnacuddin (3pm).


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