Wick Academy manager will target greater consistency next season
Wick Academy manager Gary Manson made it clear that “you never stop planning” as he confirmed that preparations are well in hand for next season.
The Scorries ended their 2024/25 campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Inverurie Locos at Harlaw Park on Saturday. That result brought an end to Academy’s seven-game unbeaten run, their longest in more than six years.
The majority of their 36 points this season were accumulated in a seven-week spell between February and April.
Manson hopes that level of consistency can be replicated from the start of the next campaign.
“You never stop planning,” he said. “Planning started probably two or three months ago.
“This season we got off to a really good start, we beat Fraserburgh 2-0. For some reason or another we had a right lull.
“We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again and be a bit more consistent.
“Once you get to this stage of the season, the boys and everyone else are due a well-earned rest. We’ll have nine weeks off now to recharge the batteries and be ready to go for June.”
Locos went in front with just two minutes gone when Aidan Wilson headed in a cross from the left.
Five minutes later the Scorries got themselves level. George Ewing drove forward from the centre circle and fired a low shot into the bottom corner from about 25 yards.
Locos regained the lead after 15 minutes. Mark Souter forced the ball home after Lewis Gallacher had blocked a shot from Callum Duncan and then thwarted Calum Dingwall from the rebound.
“It was really competitive and we were unlucky not to get anything out of the game,” Manson said.
“For the last game of the season I thought it was quite entertaining, quite end-to-end. Both teams gave it a good go.”
Club legend Richard Macadie played the full 90 minutes in his farewell appearance.
He announced recently that he was calling time on his playing career and will be part of the coaching team for next season.
Macadie has made 653 competitive appearances and scored a record 204 goals.
Academy finished 14th in the table, two places lower than last season but with the same points tally.
Brora Rangers will face Lowland League champions East Kilbride in the SPFL League Two play-off semi-finals on April 26 and May 3 after the Cattachs duly clinched the Highland League title at the weekend.
Steven Mackay’s men thumped 7-2 Rothes at Dudgeon Park, seeing off closest challengers Brechin City on goal difference.
The bottom-of-the-table Speysiders took an early lead through a Colin Williamson own goal but Brora soon seized control. Shane Sutherland ended up with four goals, with Max Ewan, Connor Bunce and Michael Finnis also on target for the home side.
The other Rothes goal came from a Shaun Morrison penalty.
Mackay said: “Huge question marks were asked of us but the boys have done brilliantly well.
“I feel like we have been the best team to watch. The amount of goals we have scored will tell you that.
“We are an inexperienced team and not many boys in the team have won the Highland League before. We have learned to deal with the pressure of having to win and teams wanting to topple us.”
Brora won the North of Scotland Cup in October and will be aiming for a treble when they take on Fraserburgh this weekend in the Highland League Cup final.
Brechin finished with a 4-1 success over Lossiemouth but missed out on the title on goal difference for the second year in a row.
Fraserburgh goalkeeper Joe Barbour got his name on the scoresheet with a length-of-the-pitch kick from hand in his team’s 4-0 victory over Huntly at Bellslea Park.
Results – Highland League: Brechin City 4, Lossiemouth 1; Brora Rangers 7, Rothes 2; Buckie Thistle 3, Keith 0; Clachnacuddin 1, Formartine United 1; Forres Mechanics 1, Banks O’ Dee 1; Fraserburgh 4, Huntly 0; Inverurie Locos 2, Wick Academy 1; Nairn County 1, Deveronvale 1; Strathspey Thistle 1, Turriff United 4.
Fixture – Saturday, April 19 – Highland League Cup final: Brora Rangers v Fraserburgh (at Grant Street Park, Inverness).
