Manson says lack of confidence is evident as Wick drop to second bottom in Highland League
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Wick Academy manager Gary Manson admitted the lack of confidence in his struggling squad was all too evident as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Keith in midweek – a result that leaves the Scorries second from bottom in the Highland League.
Keith went ahead inside three minutes through captain James Brownie, and Matty Tough doubled their lead right on half-time.
Academy have now lost seven games in a row since the start of March, conceding 33 goals and scoring just twice in that spell, but Manson felt they deserved to take something from Wednesday's encounter.
“We absolutely dominated the game, from pretty much start to finish, and the goals were really cheap," he said.
“The game typified our last three months, I think. To be fair, we created enough chances to win two games, but you could see the lack of confidence from the players in the way they were taking a shot or were through one-on-one with the goalie.
“The lack of confidence was quite evident. But in general play we were good and created enough chances to win a couple of games.
“It's just where we are at the moment – we're struggling for goals, and we're struggling to keep goals out as well.
“We deserved to take something from it – it was just complete domination on our behalf but we couldn't get the ball in the net.”
Gary Weir played from the start as a trialist on Wednesday.
Orkney trio Jamie Flett, Toby Macleod and Owen Rendall will be available for Saturday's trip to Turriff but Manson expects the number of absentees to run into double figures.
“The Orkney boys will be there on Saturday but as usual with our squad there will be an abundance of players missing," the manager said. "I could hazard a guess at about 10 players missing on Saturday.
“We're going to have to think outside the box and be slightly creative and see who we can get in."
Manson added: “One result could give a little boost to confidence, but the longer the run goes on without a win it's harder to break out of it.
"If you're on a winning run and the confidence is high it just seems to roll on from one game to the next. It's the exact same when you're on a run like this – it's very difficult to break that cycle.
"We need to snap out of it sooner rather than later and Saturday is another chance.”
Wednesday's defeat to Keith at Kynoch Park was the first of four away games in 11 days for Wick Academy as they contend with an exceptionally demanding fixture list in the closing weeks of the Highland League campaign.
From this week until April 15 the team bus will have covered a total distance of 1389 miles on successive Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a combined travelling time of more than 30 hours.
Academy go to Turriff United this Saturday, then take on Inverurie Locos the following midweek before hitting the road again to Banff to play Deveronvale.
Manager Gary Manson said: “Inverurie is a bit of a joke on a Wednesday night. Keith is bad enough, and we've been in Keith on a Wednesday night for the last couple of seasons.
“It's like they just take us for granted. We don't get Keith or we don't get Inverurie up to us in a midweek.
“It is what it is. It's part and parcel of playing in the Highland League, I'm afraid, and where we come from it's just something that we have to put up with. When the shoe is on the other foot it doesn't seem to be the case.”
Keith's 2-0 win on Wednesday lifted them above Wick and Deveronvale into 15th place.
Elsewhere in midweek, Brechin City's title bid faltered after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Brora Rangers. Brechin's Jamie Bain was sent off.
Champions Fraserburgh needed a stoppage-time goal to rescue a point against Clachnacuddin in a 1-1 draw in Inverness.
Ex-Wick player Harry Hennem gave Clach the lead in the first half and they looked like taking all three points until Sean Butcher scored the equaliser in the last action of the game.
Highland League results – Saturday: Banks O' Dee 7, Lossiemouth 0; Brechin City 4, Turriff United 0; Formartine United 2, Deveronvale 1; Forres Mechanics 2, Buckie Thistle 3; Inverurie Locos 2, Brora Rangers 4; Nairn County 2, Keith 2; Rothes 0, Fraserburgh 3; Strathspey Thistle 2, Clachnacuddin 2; Wick Academy 0, Huntly 1.
Wednesday: Brechin City 0, Brora Rangers 0; Clachnacuddin 1, Fraserburgh 1; Keith 2, Wick Academy 0.
Fixtures: Saturday, April 8: – Highland League: Brora Rangers v Formartine United; Keith v Huntly; Nairn County v Clachnacuddin; Rothes v Deveronvale; Strathspey Thistle v Buckie Thistle; Turriff United v Wick Academy.
Highland League Cup final: Banks O' Dee v Inverurie Locos (at Fraserburgh).
Wednesday, April 12 – Highland League: Brechin City v Fraserburgh; Brora Rangers v Lossiemouth; Inverurie Locos v Wick Academy; Strathspey Thistle v Keith.
