I wish it could be like this every week, says Wick Academy manager
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Wick Academy's 3-0 victory over Lossiemouth underlined how strong their home form has been in the Highland League this season, according to manager Gary Manson.
His only minor complaint on Saturday was that the Scorries didn't score a few more goals as they achieved back-to-back wins in competitive games for the first time in 18 months.
Academy led 2-0 at the break thanks to an early header by Gary Pullen and an own goal by Jared Kennedy. Kyle Henderson added a third with a solo effort with a quarter of an hour to go.
"If I was being picky, we could probably have scored more," Manson said. "It was a comfortable 3-0 win.
"I said to the boys, I wish we could do that every week – a comfortable afternoon. I can't recall Lossiemouth having a real clear-cut chance.
"It was windy, the pitch was a little bit bobbly, but it was an excellent win and an excellent defensive performance especially.
"I thought we were really solid from start to finish. They didn't look like scoring at all.
"They swung a few crosses into the box that we had to deal with, and we did. It was really pleasing."
Academy, playing down the slope in the first half, got the opener after 11 minutes. Ross Gunn delivered an inch-perfect cross from the right and Pullen leapt above the Lossie defence to plant a firm header beyond the reach of goalkeeper Cameron Farquhar.
The second came on 26 minutes when a corner from the left landed at the feet of Kennedy and he diverted it past the keeper.
The Scorries were playing with confidence and pressed for more goals, while defending doggedly any time Lossiemouth threatened to carve out an opening at the other end.
The closest the Coasters came was when a header by Ryan O'Halloran was touched onto the crossbar by Wick keeper Graeme Williamson with the score at 2-0.
Henderson rounded off the scoring in fine style after 75 minutes. He cut across the edge of the penalty box from right to left and swept a low shot past Farquhar.
New signing Matthew Robertson was among the five Wick substitutes who came on in the second half.
It was Academy's fourth clean sheet of the season.
They will face a tougher challenge this weekend with their longest trip of the season, against league leaders Brechin City.
Manson wants his team to start replicating their good home form in away games.
"We'll go down there and try to make it difficult for them and see what we can come up with," Manson said.
"Our home form is really good. If you look at our home fixtures we've scored lots of goals, we've won games, we've drawn games, we've taken a lot of points.
"The depth of squad that we have now should bode well too. We had five quality subs on the bench today.
"We've got Sean Campbell almost ready to come back, Owen Rendall will be back next week, so the squad depth is really strong at the moment. Long may it continue."
Academy, who remain 14th in the table, have a better home record than Huntly, who are eighth, after the same number of home games. However, the Scorries have picked up only one point on the road.
Manson praised goalscorer Pullen for the versatility he has shown since joining in the summer.
"It was a really good header," the manager said. "It's not something you associate with him but he took it really well.
"Gary has been good all season. He can play in a variety of positions, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing, but since the first day of pre-season I've been really impressed with him."
Academy's previous outing was the 3-2 victory at home to Strathspey Thistle on February 3, with two subsequent away fixtures having fallen victim to the weather.
The last time the Scorries won back-to-back competitive games was in August 2022 when they beat Clachnacuddin 1-0 at home then Strathspey Thistle 2-1 away.
Wick Academy will welcome Brora Rangers to Harmsworth Park on Wednesday, February 28 (kick-off 8pm).
It is one of four newly announced rearranged fixtures for that night. The others are Brechin City v Banks O' Dee, Buckie Thistle v Lossiemouth and Forres Mechanics v Huntly.
Lossiemouth manager Frank McGettrick admitted that Wick Academy "wanted it more" after the Coasters were beaten 3-0 at Harmsworth Park.
He will be looking for a better display when they take on Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park on Wednesday.
"We were terrible," McGettrick said. "It's the poorest performance we've had this season.
"We had a strong eleven but we just didn't compete.
"Wick wanted it more and I think 3-0 was kind to us. We had one or two chances but Wick thoroughly deserved to win the game.
"They competed well. We just gave Wick far too much space and time on the ball.
"The pitch was poor, to be honest, but it's the same for both teams. On a pitch like that you have to win your battles. I have no complaints."
Looking at the season as a whole, McGettrick said: "We've done okay but we've just lacked that bit of quality at times.
"You have to compete in games like today.
"Wick have a few boys who are good players, good on the ball. They were the better team by a country mile.
"I just hope we can bounce back. We've got Brora on Wednesday, so that'll be a tough game, and Formartine on Saturday."
Highland League results: Brechin City 2, Buckie Thistle 3; Fraserburgh 6, Huntly 0; Nairn County 4, Deveronvale 2; Rothes 0, Keith 0; Strathspey Thistle 0, Inverurie Locos 2; Turriff United 2, Brora Rangers 2; Wick Academy 3, Lossiemouth 0.
Highland League fixtures for Wednesday, February 21: Brora Rangers v Lossiemouth; Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh (at Grant Park, Lossiemouth); Formartine United v Nairn County; Keith v Forres Mechanics.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, February 24: Banks O' Dee v Brora Rangers; Brechin City v Wick Academy; Buckie Thistle v Clachnacuddin (at Grant Park, Lossiemouth); Formartine United v Lossiemouth; Fraserburgh v Nairn County; Huntly v Strathspey Thistle; Inverurie Locos v Forres Mechanics; Keith v Rothes; Turriff United v Deveronvale.
