Wick Academy manager Gary Manson: 6–0 flattered Falkirk in Scottish Cup
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Wick Academy manager Gary Manson did not feel that the final score was a fair reflection of his side's efforts against Falkirk in the Scottish Cup.
The Scorries went toe-to-toe with the League One giants in the first 45 minutes, only going behind shortly before the interval through Rumarn Burrell.
However, with the wind and slope at Harmsworth Park in Falkirk's favour after the restart, five more goals would follow for the visitors before all was said and done.
That made for a somewhat misleading result according to Manson, who may look back at half-chances Wick created in the first half and rue that they were not taken.
"I think everyone at the game would have seen in that first half that there wasn't much in it at all," he reasoned.
"Obviously the wind played its part, but not that much. We were breaking forward quite well, and Richie Macadie had a volley at the back post that shaved the crossbar.
"On another day that might have gone in, and then there were a couple of other counter attacks that we possibly should have done better with as well.
"It was just that goal at the end of the first half that took a bit of shine off it for us, but in the second half the pressure and the balls they were putting into the box told eventually and they got the better of us.
"We knew it was going to be difficult. The wind and the slope was in their favour, but even then if you look at the goals they were mostly free kicks or corners swung into the box – and then the penalty as well.
"If we had defended our box better at set plays and dealt with loose balls, the scoreline would have been more reflective of how I felt the game went.
"You see a 6–0 and think it was an absolute battering, but I don't think it was that. It flattered them."
Wick will now turn their attention back to Highland League duty and their trip to Huntly this coming Saturday.
However, despite two tiers separating Falkirk and Huntly, Manson believes there are ways in which the cup match will prepare them for Christie Park.
"We have to defend our box first and foremost," he insisted.
"We have to get the first contact on the ball when a corner or a free kick is swung in, and if you can't clear it you have to react quickly.
"Off the top of my head two or three of Falkirk's goals at least came from the ball being knocked down by someone, or a deflection, and they were quickest to react.
"Looking ahead to this weekend, Huntly are a big side as well so they will be swinging balls into our box left, right and centre, so it's something we'll have to be better at if we're going to take anything from the game.
"If we had played Falkirk at their place, the game would have been completely different.
"It would have been on a lovely flat surface, an Astroturf pitch, they would have tried to pass the ball around or through us, but on Saturday the conditions didn't allow for that kind of game.
"Instead it was determined by crosses into the box, so this Saturday it will be more or less the same.
"At this time of the year Huntly's pitch isn't the best, and won't allow for a true game of football, so I have no doubt that set-pieces will have a big part to play. We'll need to brush up on those to make sure the same things don't happen again."
