We're in a rut and we need to get out of it, says Wick manager Gary Manson after draw with Turriff
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Manager Gary Manson admits Wick Academy are “in a rut” as the wait goes on for that elusive first win of the season.
Ross Allan's goal near the end of the first half looked to have given Academy a platform to go on and take all three points against a young Turriff United outfit at the weekend. But substitute Matty McDonald equalised just before the hour mark and it finished 1-1.
The Scorries have drawn four of their opening five Highland League fixtures this season and lost the other, and they went out of the North of Scotland Cup at the hands of Brora Rangers last midweek.
“The first half was good in terms of general play but as soon as we got to the final third everything broke down,” a frustrated Manson said after Saturday's match at Harmsworth Park.
“The boys were choosing the wrong option, they weren't taking shots on when they were available, they were missing targets, they were missing one-on-ones.
“I can't blame bad luck or I can't blame not getting the breaks today. It was just either poor finishing or choosing the wrong option, it was as simple as that.
“We threw everything at it. But we're in a rut just now and we need to get out of it as quickly as we can.”
Academy travel to Keith on Wednesday night looking for a win that would kick-start their campaign.
“We just need to go again,” Manson said.
“I've been saying the same thing for five weeks. We'll just need to go and try and win the game at Keith and hopefully take it from there.
“We'll train on Monday, see how everybody is and then take it from there.”
Craig Gunn, who has relocated to Fife, made an appearance as a substitute along with Steven Anderson midway through the second half as Academy chased a winner.
Manson explained: “Craig has moved away, obviously, but he did say that if he could help out whenever he's home then he'd be available, so we took him on.”
Academy came close early on when a Ross Allan corner was diverted onto the crossbar by a Turriff defender.
At the other end, Keir Smith seized on a short pass by Alan Hughes and cut the ball back to Rory Brown whose low drive ended up well wide of the target.
The Scorries were looking bright and lively at this stage and they hit the woodwork again when a Ross Allan free kick smacked off the bar. Allan was not to be denied, though, and two minutes from half-time he finished off a well-worked move by calmly knocking the ball past keeper Tim Findlay.
Turriff's Jordan Cooper tried a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection and trundled wide.
Ross Allan was in the thick of the action again at the start of the second half, this time nodding the ball over his own bar with many home fans fearing it was about to drop into the net.
Turriff did get themselves back on level terms on 59 minutes when Murray Thomson delivered a perfectly weighted cross from the right and McDonald – who had come on as a substitute after half-time – flicked a header beyond the diving Graeme Williamson and into the far corner.
Gunn's cross-field pass found Davie Allan in a good position and the forward unleashed a shot that was tipped past the post by Findlay.
Anderson shrugged off a couple of challenges as he drove in from the left but fired his shot over the top.
Gordon MacNab looked to have picked up a hamstring injury late on but he still managed to pick out Anderson in space in the penalty box as Academy carved out one last chance. Anderson's effort crept across the face of goal and out for a corner after taking a deflection.
Turriff manager Dean Donaldson praised the workrate of his young team as they picked up their first point of the season.
“I'm pleased to get the point and get us up and running for the season but I thought we just lacked that little bit of final quality because the boys were a little bit rushed,” Donaldson said.
“Because of the start that we'd have to the season it has probably been playing on their minds and they're eager to please.
“But overall I'm really proud. We had two or three 16-year-olds playing today – we've got a really young side. Most of them are under-20s, apart from two or three.
“I'm pleased with their workrate. If they work like that every week then they'll always get points.
“It was a case of getting the tempo up in the second half. Wick had put us under a bit of pressure and we weathered the storm a bit.
“The goal they scored was terrific – the link-up play that they had was really good.
“It was a kick in the teeth that we lost it so late in the first half. But the boys gave me everything they had.
“We worked the equaliser really well – out one side, down the other side, down the wing, and the cross and the header was really good, to be fair to Matty."
Donaldson added: “It doesn't matter which game it is, whether we win, draw or get beaten, there is always something to take out of it because we're working with a really young squad.
“It was probably a fair result. They had a chance right at the end and could have won it, and we had a couple of chances at the other end.
“It was just an honest game of Highland League football.”
Wick Academy: Williamson, Hughes, R Allan, R Campbell, Hardwick, Halliday, Henry (Bain 84), D Allan, S Campbell (S Anderson 66), MacNab, M Macadie (Gunn 66). Subs not used: Manson, Sinclair, C Farquhar, More.
Turriff United: Findlay, Kinsella, Esson, Chalmers, Stuart, Norris (Whelan 76), Thompson, Cormack, Smith (McDonald 46), Cooper, Brown (Buxton 46). Subs not used: Smith, Clark.
Referee: Billy Baxter.
Brechin City's hopes of an instant return to the SPFL suffered another blow on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 at Fraserburgh.
The decisive moment came just after the half-hour mark when Brechin's Michael Paton turned the ball into his own net.
It came after Andy Kirk's side had been held to a draw by Rothes the previous weekend.
The Broch have the only remaining 100 per cent record in the Highland League, Buckie Thistle having slipped up at Rothes at the weekend.
First-half goals by Greg Morrison and Alan Pollock (penalty) gave the Speysiders a 2-0 win.
There was an encouraging start for new Keith manager Craig Ewen as Przemyslaw Nawrocki earned the Maroons a 1-1 draw at Huntly. Michael Clark's header had put Huntly in front after three minutes but Nawrocki equalised with 10 minutes to go.
Managerless Brora Rangers hammered Fort William 8-0, while Formartine United had a 4-1 victory over Nairn County.
Clach came from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw at Forres, despite having a man sent off.
Strathspey Thistle beat Lossiemouth 3-1 and Inverurie Locos were 3-0 winners against Deveronvale.
Wednesday's Highland League fixtures: Brechin City v Formartine United; Brora Rangers v Forres Mechanics; Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh; Deveronvale v Huntly; Inverurie Locos v Rothes; Keith v Wick Academy; Lossiemouth v Clachnacuddin; Nairn County v Fort William; Turriff United v Strathspey Thistle.
