Fans urged to rally to cause of fortress Harmsworth
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WICK Academy regulars Gary Manson and Sam Mackay both credit the rise in attendances at Harmsworth Park on a Saturday afternoon as being like having a 12th man on the field and helping the Scorries to secure nine wins from nine at home this season.
The pair are now saying they need the support more than ever to continue their title challenge when they take on Clachnacuddin at Harmsworth Park tonight.
In recent matches, regular attendances of over 500 have seen the “Black and White Dynamite” maintain their fortress status at home.
This featured the bumper gate of over 1200 who watched the far north derby in December – the second biggest crowd Academy have attracted since they joined the Highland League in 1994.
Mackay, who has relished his role as club captain since taking the armband at the start of the season, said that seeing fans in the stand has given them the extra boost to go and win games and he is now urging them to head to Harmsworth Park tonight to cheer them on to another three points.
“The fans have been great this season and it has been a boost for us to see so many people in the stands on a Saturday afternoon,” he said.
“But I think that a lot of people are going to turn up on Wednesday night too. We have had a loyal support so far because we’ve been doing so well and it would be good for us to have a decent crowd backing us during midweek and we urge them to come out.
“Clachnacuddin have quietly gone about their business this season and have a very good team with Gordon Morrison especially on form.
“The loss to Nairn County hurt us and Formartine are now in second, but we have the points on the board and more games played so the pressure is still on both those teams to press their advantage.”
Academy have not played a game since their injury time 3-2 defeat to Nairn County at Station Park on Saturday, February 9.
Since then the winter snap forced the postponements of their home encounter with Huntly and a trip to Inverness last weekend.
With Formartine winning three league matches in seven days, they now sit above Wick in second, one point ahead and two games in hand.
Richard Macadie, who has scored 22 goals this season, will serve the first game of his two match ban on Wednesday with Davie Allan also suspended.
Manson said that despite the setbacks in recent weeks, Wick Academy are still in with a shout of winning their first Highland League title. To achieve that, he believes they would need to maintain their winning streak at home for the rest of the campaign.
“The club are desperate to bounce back after the way the game at Nairn ended and it has been frustrating not being able to play games,” he said.
“We beat Clach quite comfortably in the North of Scotland Cup earlier this season, but they have improved since then, taking some decent scalps away from home and it will be a tough game involving two evenly matched teams.
“Our home form is keeping us at the top with our defence having improved immensely from 12 months ago, with four clean sheets from our last six games.
“If we are to have any chance of winning the league, we have to win almost every home game, if not them all.
“We have one of the best home crowds in the league and they have been loyal to us so far this season, especially away from home.
“However, we have to return the favour by thanking their loyalty by winning these games.”
* Wick Academy against Clachnacuddin kicks off at 8pm tonight (Wednesday).
