Wick Academy manager calls for '90-minute performance' at Forres
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Wick Academy will be targeting back-to-back wins in the Highland League for the first time this season when they take on Forres Mechanics at Mosset Park on Saturday.
The Scorries are looking to build on last weekend's 3-2 home victory over bottom club Strathspey Thistle, a result that lifted Gary Manson's side to 14th in the table.
The manager is calling for a "90-minute performance" against the Can-Cans, who are now 12th after beating Clachnacuddin in midweek.
One of Academy's four league victories so far this season came when Forres visited Harmsworth Park in October. Gordon MacNab did the damage that night with three superb goals in a seven-minute spell before the midway point in the first half.
There was a similar scoring pattern in last weekend's game against Strathspey, with Academy establishing a 3-0 lead in the first period with goals from MacNab, Kyle Henderson and Jack Halliday before conceding twice.
Manson said: "We beat Forres earlier in the season at home 3-2, which was probably a lot closer than it should have been on the night.
"If memory serves me right we were 3-0 up in that game as well, quite similar to Strathspey.
"In both games we should have put the game to bed before it got a bit closer than it should have been.
"We know we can beat Forres on our day, so we'll be going down there to get three points.
"We blew them away in the first half but it's another example of showing our slight inconsistency from one half to the next, so hopefully we can go down there on Saturday and put a 90-minute performance on."
Academy's away results have been poor, picking up only one point on their travels – in a goalless draw with Deveronvale in December.
"Obviously you want to pick up points in every game," Manson said. "While in an ideal world we'd have more away points, it's where we are – so Saturday is a good opportunity to go and stick three points on the board. We'll see what happens."
Forres had an impressive 4-1 victory over Clachnacuddin at Grant Street Park on Wednesday night.
Sam Nixon's opener for Forres was cancelled out by Connor Bunce. The visitors regained the lead through Calum Frame before Lee Fraser added a late double.
The Strathspey Thistle v Brora match was postponed.
Meanwhile, Buckie Thistle's next three scheduled home matches in the Highland League have been switched to neutral venues because of ongoing pitch problems at Victoria Park.
The Jags will play Rothes at Princess Royal Park in Banff this Saturday before taking on Fraserburgh at Lossiemouth's Grant Park on Wednesday, February 21. Next up will be an encounter with Clachnacuddin on Saturday, February 24, again at Lossiemouth.
Highland League results – Saturday: Banks O' Dee 2, Keith 0; Brechin City 2, Lossiemouth 0; Clachnacuddin 2, Huntly 4; Deveronvale 0, Brora Rangers 3; Fraserburgh 2, Forres Mechanics 1; Nairn County 3, Buckie Thistle 0; Rothes 1, Inverurie Locos 4; Turriff United 1, Formartine United 2; Wick Academy 3, Strathspey Thistle 2. Wednesday: Clachnacuddin 1, Forres Mechanics 4.
Highland League fixtures – Saturday, February 10: Banks O' Dee v Deveronvale; Brora Rangers v Clachnacuddin; Buckie Thistle v Rothes (at Banff); Formartine United v Fraserburgh; Forres Mechanics v Wick Academy (3pm); Inverurie Locos v Brechin City; Keith v Nairn County; Lossiemouth v Strathspey Thistle; Turriff United v Huntly.
Wednesday, February 14: Banks O' Dee v Rothes; Brora Rangers v Buckie Thistle; Keith v Turriff United; Lossiemouth v Inverurie Locos; Nairn County v Huntly; Strathspey Thistle v Wick Academy (8pm).
