We can't just turn up and expect to win, warns Wick Academy manager
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Wick Academy will be taking nothing for granted when they face Strathspey Thistle on Wednesday night.
The Strathy Jags are 13 points adrift at the foot of the Highland League table but the Scorries will treat the game at Seafield Park as if they are up against one of the leading teams.
Academy are still seeking a first away win this season following their 3-1 defeat at Inverurie on Saturday. Strathspey were beaten 2-1 at home by Keith.
"It's a difficult place to go," Wick manager Gary Manson said. "Rarely have we had an easy time there and they ran Keith close at the weekend – by all accounts they should have taken something out of that game.
"We're certainly not taking anything for granted. We know it'll be a tough game and we'll have to treat it as if we're playing one of the top teams.
"That's the kind of mentality we're going to have to go into the game with.
"We can't just turn up and expect to win. If you do that then more often than not you fall flat on your face."
Academy won 3-2 when the sides met at Harmsworth Park at the beginning of February. The Scorries were three up at half-time and seemingly cruising, only for the Jags to score twice without reply after the break.
"It was a lot closer than it maybe should have been that day," Manson said. "If we manage to score another three goals on Wednesday night, that will hopefully be enough."
Keith's win at Seafield Park, combined with Lossiemouth's surprise home victory over Buckie Thistle, meant Academy dropped two places to 14th after the loss at Harlaw Park.
Locos went ahead on 10 minutes when Nathan Meres rounded goalkeeper Graeme Williamson before slotting the ball home.
Mark Souter knocked the ball in from a corner after 32 minutes.
Sean Campbell reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute with a composed finish after being played through by Ross Gunn.
Inverurie made sure of the points in stoppage time when Blair Smith dispossessed Owen Rendall and placed the ball past Williamson.
"In the first half we were a bit too passive and conceded the two goals," Manson said. "But we made a slight tweak at half-time and I thought we were the better team in the second half.
"We scored a good goal and near the end we were throwing bodies forward and searching for that equaliser. It looked like it was going to come.
"We were on top and the third goal was just a mistake. It can happen. It was right at the death and didn't really affect things anyway.
"We might have got back into it, and we were looking good in the second half – but it just wasn't to be, I'm afraid.
"The boys gave a good account of themselves."
Keith extended their unbeaten run to six games with their hard-fought victory over Strathspey, who had been hammered 10-1 by Brora Rangers only three days earlier.
Jake Stewart and Jordan Lynch scored for the Maroons either side of Michael MacKenzie's goal for the home side.
Recent recruit Matthew Robertson will miss the rest of the Highland League season after suffering a broken collarbone during Wick Academy's 3-1 defeat to Inverurie Locos.
The 16-year-old defender, who joined Academy last month following his departure from Ross County, was taken off six minutes into the second half at Harlaw Park.
Manager Gary Manson said: "It's unfortunate for him. He's just getting started with us and that'll be him out for the rest of the season now, so it's a shame.
"Injuries are part and parcel of the game. He's a young boy just starting out on his Wick career and he's got a bad injury already.
"Hopefully he makes a full and quick recovery."
In the title race it was a good weekend for champions Brechin City.
Gavin Price's side reclaimed top spot with a 5-1 home win against Deveronvale while previous leaders Banks O' Dee went down 2-1 at Fraserburgh. Deveronvale captain Harry Noble fired his team into the lead at Glebe Park but City responded with goals by Euan Spark, Murray Mackintosh, Lewis Martin, Seth Patrick and Danny Handling.
Fellow title contenders Buckie Thistle lost ground on the leading pack as they were beaten at Lossiemouth. Buckie's Max Barry opened the scoring but the Coasters hit back with two goals in two minutes from Dylan Lawrence and Ryan Farquhar.
Paul Brindle's first-half goal was enough to give Brora Rangers a 1-0 win at Forres. Ex-Wick player Harry Hennem was among the scorers for Nairn County in their 3-1 win at Turriff.
There was a first win in charge at Rothes for new manager Richard Hastings as the Speysiders edged out Clachnacuddin 3-2, while elsewhere Formartine United won 2-1 at Huntly.
Highland League results: Brechin City 5, Deveronvale 1; Formartine United 2, Huntly 1; Forres Mechanics 0, Brora Rangers 1; Fraserburgh 2, Banks O' Dee 1; Inverurie Locos 3, Wick Academy 1; Lossiemouth 2, Buckie Thistle 1; Rothes 3, Clachnacuddin 2; Strathspey Thistle 1, Keith 2; Turriff United 1, Nairn County 3.
Fixtures – Wednesday, March 13: Brora Rangers v Nairn County; Buckie Thistle v Banks O' Dee; Forres Mechanics v Brechin City; Strathspey Thistle v Wick Academy.
Saturday, March 16: Banks O' Dee v Forres Mechanics; Brora Rangers v Formartine United; Buckie Thistle v Inverurie Locos; Clachnacuddin v Brechin City; Deveronvale v Strathspey Thistle; Huntly v Wick Academy; Keith v Lossiemouth; Nairn County v Fraserburgh; Rothes v Turriff United.
Wick Academy's home game against Brechin City on Saturday, March 30, will have a 2pm kick-off.
