Wick Academy manager Gary Manson frustrated by ‘missed opportunity’ to put big win on the board against Rothes in Highland League
Wick Academy manager Gary Manson says his side would have been good value for seven or eight goals in Saturday’s win over Rothes.
The Scorries were dominant at the weekend, going 2-0 ahead thanks to strikes from Kyle Henderson and Gary Pullen.
Things looked to be swinging even further in their favour when Scott Mitch was sent off for Rothes, giving Wick the advantage in terms of numbers on the pitch as well as on the scoreboard.
However, the hosts at Mackessack Park rallied, pulling one goal back through Ross Logan and then winning a penalty kick inside the final 10 minutes.
Logan stepped up to take it and found the back of the net, drawing the scores level in the closing stages.
There would be one final twist in the tale though, as Ross Gunn fired home in the 87th minute to earn all three points for Wick, whose manager was left feeling frustrated at what he saw as a missed opportunity to put a big win on the board.
“We were 2-0 up at half time, and it really should have been about 5-0,” Manson insisted.
“I warned the boys at half time that we were in absolute, total control, but all it takes is one breakaway.
“They had a little quick guy up front, and all it takes is one counter attack and they’re back in the game with their tails up – and that’s exactly what happened.
“Even after they got a goal, we dominated the game and created chance after chance, we just didn’t take it. Rothes equalised with a penalty, but fair play to the boys, we rallied and got the winner.
“It was just frustrating that we didn’t take advantage of even half of the chances we created. It’s no exaggeration to say that we could have walked away with seven or eight goals, and it wouldn’t have flattered us.
“I’m just being greedy, but I’ve got to push them to get the most out of them, even when they’re playing well and winning games you always want more.
“It’s just more for the guys. I said to them at half time that the forward players should be relishing the second half, because there were chances getting created left, right and centre.
“The forward players thrive on scoring goals and getting their numbers up for the season, so it felt like a missed opportunity to stick a few goals on, but three points is three points.”
Regardless of how the victory came, it was important for Wick to be able to put three points on the board given their recent form.
Going into the Rothes match, Manson’s men had lost to Brora Rangers, Banks O’Dee, Clachnacuddin and Brechin City across the North of Scotland Cup and Highland League, conceding 18 goals in the process.
Being able to put an end to that run will undoubtedly serve as a timely confidence boost for the Harmsworth Park outfit, and Manson acknowledged that the most important thing was the result rather than the scoreline.
“I said to the boys at the end of the game that we would have been happy to be sitting there with seven or eight goals, which our play merited, but at the end of the day our objective at the start of the game was to put three points on the board, and that’s what we did,” Manson added.
“At the end of the season nobody is going to look back and say we should have won 8-0 – they will look back and say we won three points away from home at a tricky venue.
“It would have been nice to put out a bit of a statement win, but I wouldn’t say we needed it. What we needed was the win because we had gone three league games without picking up any points.
“The most important thing was bucking that trend and getting the win.
“When you play as well as we did and create as many chances as we did, I just thought it was a shame that we didn’t score the goals that the guys’ performance merited.”