We have good players that are more than capable of winning games, says Wick manager
Wick Academy manager Gary Manson expects to see “two evenly matched teams going at it” when Turriff United visit Harmsworth Park in the Highland League on Saturday.
Turriff are 14th in the table, one place above Wick, but contrasting results at the weekend allowed the Aberdeenshire club to open up a four-point advantage over the Scorries.
Academy fell to their seventh home defeat in a row when they were edged out 2-1 by Huntly, whereas Turriff will travel north buoyed by a 6-1 victory over Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park.
The Scorries have lost their last five games in all competitions and haven’t picked up any points at Harmsworth Park since beating Strathspey Thistle in August.
Their only other league wins so far this season were against Fraserburgh (at home) in July, Rothes (away) in September and Lossiemouth (away) in October, with a draw at Buckie in August adding to their points tally.
Manson is looking forward rather than reflecting on past results, though.
“I always just look at it as the next game. I don’t really look at any runs that we’re on,” he said.
“Anything can happen in any given game so we’ll be looking to win it, there’s no doubt about that. Any team underneath the top five or six can beat anybody else on their day.”
Turriff’s clash with the Can-Cans proved to be a tetchy encounter with both managers, Warren Cummings (Turriff) and Steven MacDonald (Forres), being sent to the stand.
“The size of the scoreline was maybe a surprise, but it was no surprise to me that Turriff won,” Manson said.
“It’ll have given them a boost, scoring six goals. They’re a good side – they’re probably in a little bit of a false position, like ourselves.
“It’ll be two evenly matched teams going at it and we’ll see who comes out on top.”
Five of Wick’s last six league defeats, home and away, have been by a single-goal margin and Manson is convinced their luck will change soon.
“If we put the same work rate in, and show the same quality as we have done in the last few games, then it’ll change,” he said. “We’ve got good players that are more than capable of winning games of football.”
Two goals by in-form striker Angus Grant set Huntly on their way to victory at Harmsworth Park last Saturday. Gordon MacNab pulled one back late on.
While disappointed about the result, Manson was pleased with the energy and commitment shown by his players.
“It is frustrating because the boys put in a hell of an effort and we were the better team, I thought,” he said.
“What I asked for at the start of the game was aggression, intensity and a desire to go and hunt the ball back, and every single one of them carried that out. They gave us exactly what we were after in that regard – it was just perhaps a wee bit of quality, a wee bit of composure, that let us down at times.”
Manson had warned ahead of the match that Grant would be a threat.
“That was the only difference between the teams,” the Wick manager said. “He is in such a rich vein of form that it seems everything he hits goes in at the moment.”
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We need to start taking points from teams around us, says Wick striker Gordon MacNab
Wick Academy in false position in Highland League, says Huntly manager
Fixtures – Friday, December 6 – Highland League Cup, second round: Banks O’ Dee v Brechin City. Saturday, December 7 – Highland League Cup, second round: Brora Rangers v Formartine United; Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh; Huntly v Deveronvale.
Highland League: Clachnacuddin v Lossiemouth; Strathspey Thistle v Keith; Wick Academy v Turriff United (3pm).
