McKenna praises his players after cup exit
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MANAGER Tom McKenna insisted he couldn't fault his Wick Academy players following their first-round exit from the William Hill Scottish Cup at the hands of Auchinleck Talbot.
The Scottish Junior Cup holders came to Harmsworth Park on Saturday with a formidable reputation but the Scorries competed well from start to finish, even after going down to 10 men when Grant Steven was harshly sent off.
Jamie Glasgow's opportunist lob put the Ayrshire men in front shortly before the break. Jack Halliday got Academy back on level terms early in the second half, but hopes of a comeback win were quickly snuffed out when Stephen Wilson restored Talbot's lead with an unstoppable drive.
It was Wick's third consecutive defeat in all competitions but manager McKenna was full of praise for his players and felt sure their luck would change soon.
"The lads were excellent – you couldn't really ask any more of them in the formation we played," he said. "Man for man the lads were unbelievable. It was just a disappointing result – again, it was two poor goals that cost us."
The opener arrived seven minutes before half-time when home keeper Sean McCarthy came out to palm away a cross only to find himself stranded as Glasgow latched on to the loose ball and lobbed it into the net.
"The match was evenly balanced," McKenna said. "It was just decision-making from Sean – he came out in an area where he probably should just have let the lads deal with it, and unfortunately they put it in the back of the net so we came in 1-0 down.
"The lads have got so much spirit and belief. I know results aren't going our way but they believe so much in themselves and each other. You can't fault that.
"Performance levels the last couple of weeks have been exceptional. It's just getting an end product now and it's just a matter of turning the corner."
McKenna didn't have a clear view of the incident that led to Steven's dismissal midway through the second half for a foul on Gordon Pope, although most onlookers felt the Wick central defender was unlucky.
"I didn't really see much of it," McKenna said. "I asked Tichie [co-assistant manager Richard Hughes] if there was contact and I asked the players, and they said the lad made the most of it. I didn't think there was much in it.
"Unfortunately we were going to make changes and go a bit more attacking. We were going to go 4-2-4, but that changed everything."
He added: "Auchinleck are regarded as the best junior team in Scotland so the lads deserve a lot of credit for going toe to toe with them, competing with them, asking questions and outplaying them at times."
Auchinleck boss Tommy Sloan said: "It's pleasing. We've done the job, we've got through, and that's the main thing.
"I thought it was quite a feisty game. There were a few challenges going in and all the rest of it, and we've managed to nick it.
"I thought we had plenty of opportunities but Wick had opportunities to score too.
"We weren't as solid as I would have liked. I thought we created enough to score a few more goals but maybe we were not clinical enough.
"We didn't really know what we were coming to but I knew they would have some good players.
"We've done the job. We're delighted to be through. It's always difficult to come north and get a victory, and we've managed it."
