Scorries exploit flaws in Brora line-up
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WICK manager Davie Kirkwood was able to enjoy his Christmas turkey after another three points extended his side’s record to one defeat in its last six games.
But he was given some food for thought about his opponents in the lead-up to the Scorries’ second game against Brora on Friday night.
He was slightly surprised to see the Sutherland side opting for a 3-4-3 formation, expecting four at the back.
He praised his team’s attitude in securing the win, which brings Wick to ninth position in the league. All that was missing was a few goals to complement their dominance, added Kirkwood.
“The first 20 minutes was a bit scrappy, but after that there was only ever going to be one winner,” he said. “I was happy with how we controlled the game, but again we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net as much as we should have. It would have made the final scoreline tell the true story of the game, whereas 2-1 wasn’t a fair reflection on how it panned out.
“They changed their formation to allow their fullbacks to be integral to the way they played, but once we saw their weaknesses we changed our plan to exploit that through Stevie Cunningham and Richard Macadie, who had a great game running down the flanks.”
Kirkwood was full of praise for the fans from Caithness who cheered Academy to victory at Dudgeon Park. He believes the Highland League should consider introducing more Friday night matches.
“I don’t see why the league shouldn’t experiment with Friday nights more. Even though it might be difficult for Wick to play midweek, it could work well for our derby matches and for games between clubs in the north-east.
“In Moray and Aberdeenshire, Highland League games sometimes suffer when the likes of Aberdeen, Elgin City and Inverness Caledonian Thistle are playing home matches. Friday night football could be a great idea to boost crowds in the Highland League.”
Brora manager Andy Macleod said Wick had edged both halves and deserved their win, but added his young side put up a decent showing and would go to Harmsworth Park with nothing to fear.
“When we pulled it back to 2-1 I was hoping we would create some opportunities to grab an equaliser,” he said.
“We imposed ourselves quite well, but Wick managed to hold us off in the closing minutes of the game and we couldn’t create that chance we needed to get a point.
“Richard Macadie found a lot of space in the first half but we sorted that out after the interval and it brought us back into the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t create anything clear cut to get anything out of the match.
