Highs and lows of Tom McKenna's spell at Harmsworth Park
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OFTEN when a manager takes charge at a new club, a rebuilding job needs to be done and the start of Tom McKenna's reign was no different.
A poor start to 2017/18 – culminating in a shock exit in the North of Scotland Cup to North Caledonian League side Invergordon – saw Gordon Connelly stand down as first-team boss.
With morale low, McKenna had a big task on his hands and there were a few bumps, stops and starts before a settled period arrived.
Not long after taking charge, the then new gaffer was reminded in no uncertain terms how big a job he had on his hands when Nairn County visited Harmsworth Park for a Highland League Cup first-round tie.
Out of one competition and going sideways in the league, this was an opportunity for the Scorries to salvage their season but a limp display allowed Nairn to run riot in a 4-0 win.
However, McKenna and his back-room staff knuckled down and Academy started to cobble together a run that saw them lose just once in a 12-game spell. The highlight was clearly the 4-0 demolition of Fraserburgh, with Steven Anderson bagging a superb hat-trick.
Unfortunately for McKenna, the striker soon got itchy feet and Anderson decided to accept Rothes's offer of a contract to move south.
Undeterred, a good pre-season saw a revitalised Academy get off to a good start in season 2018/19.
They would end up finishing a very respectable seventh which, given that their resources are dwarfed by a number of other Highland League sides, was a fine end to the season.
A 6-2 battering of Inverurie Locos was lapped up by all who were at Harmsworth Park on that drizzly afternoon, while a hard-fought 1-0 Highland League Cup win against Forres brought great satisfaction.
The Forres win took them to the semi-finals of the cup but an SPFL-bound Cove Rangers were just too good on the day – despite a spirited performance from Academy – as the Scorries bowed out in a 3-1 defeat.
However, things began to turn sour for both club and McKenna as difficulties in arranging pre-season friendlies ahead of the current campaign left them lacking adequate match fitness as the season began with a number of defeats.
McKenna was able to get the squad to find their Highland League legs again but a constant spate of injuries – including one that has ensured striker Marc Macgregor has yet to kick a ball in anger this season – wreaked havoc with team selection and consistency of results.
Defender Michael Steven's withdrawal from football was a blow, while the surprise departure of co-assistant manager Ross Suttar left McKenna short in the coaching department.
One good result tended to be followed with two bad ones – the 3-0 Highland League Cup exit at home to Huntly was disappointing more for the tame performance than the scoreline itself.
That setback came in the midst of a difficult spell last autumn in which Academy picked up only one win from nine games in league and cup. However, they have lost just twice in eight league fixtures since the end of November and McKenna's last game in charge was a 2-0 win at Lossiemouth at the end of January.
Given the progress that had been made in his first full campaign, McKenna had hoped to kick on and move Academy even further forward.
But a number of factors and circumstances have combined to peg them back, and it is understandable that the manager felt he could do no more.
