Manson vows to make changes after Wick Academy are beaten at Nairn
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Gary Manson has told some of his players they have run out of chances as Wick Academy have gone more than two months without a win in the Highland League.
The manager says he will make changes to the team after they went down 3-0 at Nairn County in midweek.
The Scorries have not won in the league since August 27 when they beat Strathspey Thistle.
Since then their only victories have come in the Scottish Cup, with just one point from their last six league outings.
Manson told his players in the dressing room at Station Park that enough is enough and changes will be made for this weekend's clash with Deveronvale at Harmsworth Park.
He said: "I told the boys that there will be changes. I've given a few of them chance after chance and they haven't taken those chances.
"There will be changes on Saturday."
Manson says even their performances in the Scottish Cup victories over Lochee United and Benburb were nothing to get excited about, saying those scorelines disguised their poor form since the start of September.
"We have won twice in the Scottish Cup, two games against poor opposition," he said. "We beat two poor teams at home, which we are expected to do.
"It is nothing to look at and we are not in a great place at the moment."
Academy enjoyed periods of possession on Wednesday night but rarely tested the Nairn goalkeeper.
Manson says there is no point in having the ball if they aren't going to score.
"Things were in our favour, we were knocking the ball about but not creating very much, and that is where we are at the moment," he said.
"We can handle the ball, pass it and look after it. But as soon as we get to the final third it just breaks down and that is our story of the season so far.
"We could have played until Saturday and not scored. We will need to see who has come through unscathed and there will be massive changes.
"Nairn were third bottom and we couldn't score against them so we can take nothing for granted on Saturday."
Later this month, Wick Academy host Falkirk in the Scottish Cup third round in what is arguably the biggest game in the club's history.
But Manson says his players know there is work to be done in the Highland League before the Scottish Cup clash with the League One outfit on November 26.
"You can't use that as an excuse – when you cross the line on to the pitch you don't think about three weeks in advance," he said.
"Yes, it is a big game coming up, but they know not to speak about it until the week of the game."
Nairn went ahead after eight minutes when Ciaran Young ran onto a Stephen Rennie pass and went past goalkeeper Graeme Williamson before firing into the net from a tight angle.
The home side doubled their advantage on 65 minutes with a close-range finish from Conor Gethins. They killed the game off 15 minutes from time with Young getting the final touch after a scramble in the box.
Buckie Thistle returned to the top of the Highland League table with a 5-1 victory at Keith on Wednesday.
Jags took advantage of Brechin City and Brora Rangers not having a midweek match as they came from behind to win at Kynoch Park.
Liam Duncan's opener for the Maroons was soon turned round by an Andy MacAskill penalty and a Josh Peters strike right on half-time.
Peters added two more for his hat-trick and Cohen Ramsay rounded off the scoring.
Elgin City loan teenager Aiden Cruickshank scored his fifth goal in as many games for Strathspey Thistle to help the Grantown side to their first league win of the campaign.
After 14 league outings without victory, Thistle came good with a 2-0 win at Clach. Cruickshank opened the scoring and Liam Grant got the second.
That result means Jags have opened up a six-point gap on bottom club Banks O' Dee, who last week received a 24-point deduction.
Dee, still smarting from having their points tally chopped back to minus one, went down 2-0 at Rothes in what was only their second league defeat since joining the Highland League. Aiden Wilson and Fraser Robertson got the goals.
Champions Fraserburgh ended Huntly's six-game unbeaten run with a 4-1 victory at Christie Park.
Formartine United made it six consecutive wins in all competitions with a 3-0 success at Deveronvale.
Results: Saturday – Highland League Cup, preliminary round: Strathspey Thistle 2, Lossiemouth 3; Wick Academy 0, Formartine United 2.
Highland League: Brora Rangers 5, Inverurie Locos 2; Buckie Thistle 2, Forres Mechanics 0; Fraserburgh 2, Rothes 0; Keith 1, Nairn County 1; Turriff United 1, Brechin City 4.
Wednesday – Highland League: Clachnacuddin 0, Strathspey Thistle 2; Deveronvale 0, Formartine United 3; Huntly 1, Fraserburgh 4; Keith 1, Buckie Thistle 5; Nairn County 3, Wick Academy 0; Rothes 2, Banks O' Dee 0.
Fixtures for Saturday, November 5 – Highland League: Brechin City v Clachnacuddin; Formartine United v Buckie Thistle; Forres Mechanics v Fraserburgh; Huntly v Brora Rangers; Inverurie Locos v Keith; Nairn County v Turriff United; Rothes v Lossiemouth; Strathspey Thistle v Banks O' Dee; Wick Academy v Deveronvale.
