Let the seas be calm for Scorries' passage to Orkney
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Wick Academy boss Tom McKenna will be hoping the seas on the Pentland Firth stay calm on Saturday morning as his side are desperate for a pre-season game.
The Scorries are due to travel to Kirkwall for match against Orkney – weather and ferries permitting.
Pre-season this year has been a stop-start affair for Academy with the club seemingly finding themselves in a race against time to be ready for the Highland League season.
Unlike last year when fixtures were booked with little hassle, helping the team to be match-fit in time for the beginning of the campaign, the Scorries have been rushing around trying to get a game with anyone willing to pick up the phone.
McKenna himself even took to social media in order to get something sorted. While games against junior side Nairn St Ninian and an Inverness Caley Thistle development squad were arranged, last Friday's planned match at Golspie was called off after the Sutherland side were unable to field a team.
This weekend's Orkney trip will go some way towards compensating for that but, while the players have been working hard in training, nothing beats playing.
McKenna said: "I've no complaints about the boys' attitude in training. All of them have worked extremely hard on their fitness so I've no worries on that front.
"However, they need games under their belt – that's the bottom line.
"You can train all you want and as hard as you want but nothing beats playing in matches.
"For us to be fully prepared for the new season, you need that sharpness about you and hopefully, all being well, we will have an opportunity to work on that against Orkney.
"Having Golspie call the match off last week was frustrating. Yes, we held a training session instead, but we would rather have all been playing in an actual game."
McKenna will be without a number of personnel owing to injuries, work commitments and holidays for the journey north.
You can train all you want and as hard as you want but nothing beats playing in matches.
He added: "We will be missing a few players so we will be digging deep into our reserves for this.
"That means we will also be taking another look at our two trialists, Kuba Koziol and Jonah Martens.
"Both did well – especially Jonah – when they came on against Caley Thistle and we are keen to see them in action once more.
"We haven't made a decision on whether or not to offer them deals with the club. We do have quite a few attacking players as it is, so we will need to think about that.
"However, I've been impressed with both of them so far. They've come to training with a great attitude, a fantastic work ethic, and are keen to learn."
