Fort's pitch and facilities fail at most basic level - McKenna
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
WICK Academy manager Tom McKenna has blasted the standard of facilities at Fort William after a 2-2 draw away to the team at the bottom of the Highland League table.
McKenna (below) was left frustrated by the result and viewed it as two points dropped rather than one gained.
He felt his players dominated the game and created enough chances to win the encounter but failed to convert them. McKenna also felt the two goals conceded were avoidable.
But he was most frustrated by the Fort William facilities which he described as his “biggest disappointment.”
It was his first visit to Claggan Park and he was not impressed.
“The pitch was really tight and looked like it had been moved from a north to south to east to west direction. I would question the size of the pitch. We like to play expansive football but it was difficult to do that there. The technical area had no seating and no cover. If this standard is deemed acceptable by the Highland League than that is a misrepresentation of semi-professional football. These concerns were also shared by the majority of the players,” McKenna told the John O’Groat Journal yesterday.
“I accept that it is the same for both teams but if one just wants to battle and the other to play expansive football then it can make a massive difference,” he added.
McKenna feels the facilities played a part in the result although he thinks Academy did enough to win the game and take all three points.
“We outplayed them, created more chances but could not convert them and conceded two goals which were avoidable,” he said.
The home team took the lead midway through the first half when John Treasurer’s close range effort found the net.
Academy had the chance to draw level on 52 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after Steven Anderson was felled in the box.
But the Fort William keeper saved the effort to keep his team in front. They led until 77 minutes when Anderson – Academy’s on-form winger – scored the equaliser. He drilled a low drive into the net and less than two minutes later powered a bullet header past the keeper to give the visitors the lead and take his tally to six in two games.
The strike looked enough to give Academy victory and three points but five minutes from time Michael Gillespie broke Wick hearts when he fired home the equaliser.
Academy now face high-flying Inverurie Locos at home on Saturday.
Locos are second in the league and beat Academy 5-1 at Harlaw Park earlier in the season.
McKenna knows it will be tough match but says his squad is stronger now and has been on a good run of form which has seen them climb the table.
“It will be a lot closer than last time and I will have no need to motivate the players on Saturday. They will want to do well,” he added.
