Wick boss warns Strathspey Thistle will be 'fighting for their lives'
Manager Gary Manson has warned that Wick Academy will come up against a team who are "fighting for their lives" when Strathspey Thistle visit Harmsworth Park on Saturday.
The Jags are bottom of the Highland League with just one win and two draws to show for their efforts after 21 games.
Academy won 2-1 when the sides met at Seafield Park earlier in the season and the 12th-placed Scorries will be looking to build on last weekend's impressive 3-1 away victory over Clachnacuddin.
Manson is hoping the pitch will be playable after this week's snowfall and subsequent thaw.
“On paper we'll be going into it as favourites, there's no doubt about that," he said. "But we've gone into games as favourites before and come off second best, so you can't take anything for granted.
“Strathspey are fighting for their lives and results haven't gone their way so far this season, but you never know – it might change, and they'll be giving it their all to get three points on Saturday.
“It certainly won't be an easy game and we're not taking it lightly. Yes, it's one that we should be looking to win, but we'll still need to turn up and put in a performance like we did last Saturday if we want to take three points.”
Three first-half goals provided the foundation for the victory at Grant Street Park.
Jack Henry struck twice, either side of Jamie Flett's first goal for Academy. James Anderson got a late consolation for Clach.
“Last Saturday, if they hadn't scored their goal, it would have been more or less the perfect performance," Manson said. "You do your hard work in the first half and then just manage the game correctly and see the game out in the second half.
“That would be the blueprint for every single game if you could wave a magic wand and get what you wanted.
"We'll be looking for exactly the same this Saturday. We'll be looking to come out, create some chances, score some goals and then manage the game.”
Jack Halliday is free from suspension but will be missing on Saturday, while fellow midfielder Henry has a one-game suspension.
Flett will be hoping to get on the scoresheet again but fellow Orkney-based player Toby Macleod will be missing. Both will then be unavailable for a few weeks.
Alan Farquhar has been ill this week and his fitness will be assessed.
Until last Saturday, Wick's only away win this season had come at Grantown-on-Spey on August 27.
The Scorries fell behind to a Liam Taylor header early in the second half that day, but Gordon MacNab levelled and Mark Macadie struck the winner in stoppage time.
Ex-boss Brian Ritchie took over as interim manager at Strathspey following the departure of Charlie Brown in December. The Jags' only victory so far this season came in November, away to Clachnacuddin.
