McKenna pleased with intensity as focus turns to Vale's visit
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WICK boss Tom McKenna was pleased with the intensity his players showed as they eased past Invergordon in the North of Scotland Cup – and the priority now is to start picking up Highland League points, beginning with Deveronvale’s visit to Harmsworth Park on Saturday.
“It was a good win for us,” McKenna after the 5-2 midweek victory over their North Caledonian League opponents. “I thought we dominated the ball and it was comfortable for us.
“In the first half we allowed them back in with that goal but we asked for a bit more intensity in the second half and we got that. We were much improved and it was good to get some goals.
“At the moment we’re just after game time. It’s another 90 minutes for the players and that puts us in a better position for Saturday if we can see what our injury list is like.”
Davie Allan suffered a hamstring problem midway through the second half and was clearly in some discomfort as he trudged off the park.
“I don’t know how serious it is,” McKenna said. “We’ll obviously assess it in the next couple of days.
“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with regard to injuries and people on holiday so it’s just getting through this period together.”
“At the moment we can bring in trialists but it’s a case of who is available. It’s something I’m going to have to work on over the next couple of days.
“We tried to get a couple of players in [for the Invergordon tie] but it wasn’t feasible for us to do that. That’s why we were limited.”
There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with regard to injuries and people on holiday so it’s just getting through this period together.
Allan’s withdrawal left Academy with 10 men, and they were down to nine for several minutes when Alan Hughes went off for treatment. Jack Halliday and Marc Macgregor were listed as substitutes but they remained on the bench.
“At the stage they’re at with their rehabilitation we didn’t want to utilise them unless it was necessary,” McKenna said. "There’s no point in risking them and aggravating what they’ve already got and putting them back two weeks.”
One man definitely returning to the squad this weekend is Michael Steven – “a big character”, according to the manager.
Academy will be looking to get their league campaign up and running after last weekend’s 5-0 thumping at Fraserburgh.
“Deveronvale seem to be a bogey team to us,” McKenna said. “They did the double over us last season. They came here and played quite defensively, to try and play on the counter.
“We’ll be looking to get three points on the board. That’s the priority, and how we get it is immaterial.”
