Wick Academy ready for tough test against table-topping Formartine
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Manager Gary Manson acknowledges Wick Academy will face one of their toughest assignments of the season on Saturday – away to the Highland League leaders.
But he says the Scorries will relish the challenge of taking on Formartine United at North Lodge Park, assuming the fixture survives the effects of Storm Babet.
Formartine are three points clear at the top of the table with 25 points from 11 matches, albeit the three teams immediately below them – Huntly, Buckie Thistle and Brechin City, all on 22 points – have either two or three games in hand.
Manson rates Formartine's playing surface highly.
"You always like playing on good pitches and it's one of the best pitches in the league," he said. "They're obviously flying high at the top of the table at the moment so it'll be a really tough game. We'll need to think about how we're going to approach it.
"We'll probably go long spells without the ball and we'll need to defend our box really well and take our chances when they appear.
"They've kind of gone away from what they've done in recent years, spending lots of money.
"They've got a younger team, a younger squad, and guys on loan from Aberdeen.
"We're under no illusions – it'll be as tough a test as we'll have this season, but it's one we are relishing. We'll go down and give it our best shot."
Academy, who are 12th, had no match last weekend. Instead they arranged an extra indoor training session on Saturday followed by a bounce game against North Caledonian League side Thurso in midweek.
"I just asked them to come along for a game," Manson said. "They were good enough to let us get minutes into some boys that needed a game."
Manson reported that Davie Allan is making some progress from the serious knee injury he suffered at Inverurie 18 months ago. The 34-year-old forward has had to be patient in his recovery from a ruptured patellar tendon.
"We're shaping up okay but obviously there are still a couple of long-term injuries," Manson said. "Mark Macadie is not ready yet, Brandon Sinclair is not ready yet, Davie Allan is back doing a bit of running but he is still a long way away.
"He's getting better. He has been running the last week and a half or two weeks now, and he seems to be relatively pain-free when he's doing a bit of light jogging, so we'll step it up.
"There is still a long way to go yet, but the aim is to get him back on the pitch playing. We'll try our best."
After the trip to Pitmedden, the Scorries go to Nairn on October 28 before a home fixture against Inverurie Locos on November 4.
Results – North of Scotland Cup semi-finals: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2, Nairn County 2 (Nairn win 7-6 on penalties); Ross County 3, Brora Rangers 0.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, October 21: Brechin City v Keith; Clachnacuddin v Nairn County; Formartine United v Wick Academy; Forres Mechanics v Huntly; Fraserburgh v Brora Rangers; Lossiemouth v Inverurie Locos; Rothes v Deveronvale; Strathspey Thistle v Buckie Thistle; Turriff United v Banks O' Dee.
