Wick Academy aiming to put things right against Lossiemouth
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Manager Gary Manson admits that Wick Academy didn't do themselves justice when they travelled to Lossiemouth earlier this season – so they will be determined to make up for it when the teams meet again at Harmsworth Park on Saturday.
The Scorries lost at Grant Park in October, RAF serviceman Henry Jordan scoring the only goal in the first half. Academy had been aiming for back-to-back wins in the Highland League on that occasion and the same applies this weekend.
Their last outing was the 3-2 victory at home to Strathspey Thistle on February 3, with two subsequent away fixtures – against Forres Mechanics last Saturday and the Strathy Jags, again, in midweek – having fallen victim to the weather.
"Lossie away seems to have been a bit of a bogey ground for us in the last two or three years," Manson said. "We didn't do ourselves justice one little bit in that game, so we'll be looking to put that right on Saturday.
"It's a game that we should be looking to take some points out of, so we'll be really disappointed if we don't. We'll be looking to put on a better performance than we did in Lossiemouth, that's for sure."
Lossiemouth are 12th in the table, two places above Wick. The Coasters were beaten 1-0 at home by Inverurie Locos in midweek.
New recruit Matthew Robertson will be in the squad for Saturday. Manson believes the 16-year-old defender from Lybster will be a "valuable asset" following his departure from the Ross County youth set-up.
The recent postponements have added to Academy's fixture congestion. They have played 19 league games, seven fewer than Rothes, who have completed more fixtures than any other club.
Manson said: "You just need to look at the amount of games that we've played compared to everybody else. They're going to start mounting up, I'm afraid.
"It's just the way it goes. It's just typical that whenever we're playing away from home and the games are called off, our pitch has been absolutely fine. There's nothing you can do about the weather.
"We had no call-offs for Wednesday night – everyone was looking forward to it and we were going to go down and hopefully get another win."
Buckie Thistle roared back into the title race on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory over Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park.
The Jags were four up at the break with goals from Jack MacIver, Joe McCabe, Lyall Keir and Jack Murray (penalty). Jordan MacRae pulled one back for Brora late on before Keir added his second of the night.
Keith ended a run of seven consecutive defeats in all competitions with a 1-0 success against Turriff United. Jordan Cooper got the goal in first-half injury time.
Huntly produced a fine display to defeat sixth-placed Nairn County 4-2 at Station Park. Robbie Foster struck twice for the visitors.
Banks O' Dee scored four times in the second half to hand Rothes a 4-0 defeat and move to within a point of Brechin City at the top.
Highland League results from Wednesday: Banks O' Dee 4, Rothes 0; Brora Rangers 1, Buckie Thistle 5; Keith 1, Turriff United 0; Lossiemouth 0, Inverurie Locos 1; Nairn County 2, Huntly 4.
Fixtures for Saturday, February 17: Brechin City v Buckie Thistle; Clachnacuddin v Banks O' Dee; Forres Mechanics v Formartine United; Fraserburgh v Huntly; Nairn County v Deveronvale; Rothes v Keith; Strathspey Thistle v Inverurie Locos; Turriff United v Brora Rangers; Wick Academy v Lossiemouth (3pm).
