Wick manager felt a draw would have been fair in scrappy loss to Formartine
Wick Academy manager Gary Manson felt a draw would have been a fair result in Saturday’s scrappy encounter with Formartine United at Harmsworth Park.
Instead, the Scorries slumped to their fourth Highland League defeat in a row as the Pitmedden side came from behind to win 2-1.
Gordon MacNab’s superb header three minutes from half-time raised hopes that Wick could pull off a repeat of their victory over Formartine United in March, but the visitors responded with goals from Aidan Combe and Tyler Mykyta to grab all three points.
“It was just a scrappy affair,” Manson said. “I don’t think either team could have complained if it just played out to be a draw – that would have probably been a fair result.
“It’s the way it is going at the moment – we’re on a bad run. When you’re on a bad run and you’re down there, you don’t get the breaks.
“Certainly in the last three games we’ve actually played quite well. Formartine were many people’s picks for title contenders before the season started and we matched them in every aspect.
“It looked like there weren’t going to be many goals in it. It’s really unfortunate, but it’s where we are at the moment.”
Marc Macgregor and Gary Pullen missed out after being affected by a bug, while Academy were also without Ryan Campbell, Alan Hughes and the suspended Owen Rendall.
Brandon Sinclair kept the scoresheet blank with a vital interception when Formartine’s Julian Wade looked certain to score, with keeper Graeme Williamson stranded on the edge of the penalty area.
The Scorries made the breakthrough on 42 minutes when Kyle Henderson skipped clear of Stuart Smith on the Academy right and his cross into the box was met by MacNab, who sent a perfectly placed header beyond keeper Ewen MacDonald.
Formartine were furious that the goal was allowed to stand as Henderson appeared to push Smith in the build-up. Manson admitted later: “I would have been very disappointed if that was given against me.”
There was a scare for Academy right at the start of the second half but Rob McLean managed to clear the ball off the line.
Formartine got themselves level after 69 minutes when a free kick by Marc Lawrence from the left was headed in by substitute Combe. The ball crossed the line and bounced off a stanchion without hitting the net.
Eight minutes later Mykyta completed the turnaround when he burst through on the left and rifled the ball into the opposite corner.
It was Academy’s first home fixture since August, as last month brought a run of six away games in a row in all competitions. Of their four consecutive league defeats since mid-September, three have been by single-goal margins.
Manson added: “I said to the players, we’re on a bad run at the moment but we’ve got to look at the next few fixtures and try to take maximum points from them and see where that takes us.”
Manager Stuart Anderson praised the spirit of his Formartine United side for coming from behind to beat Wick Academy after transport problems led to a delayed arrival at Harmsworth Park.
“We had two really good chances in the first half and then we had a couple in the second half before we got the goals,” Anderson said. “So in terms of chances, we created five or six really good ones.”
Anderson was annoyed that Wick’s goal was allowed to stand, after an alleged push by Kyle Henderson before he set up Gordon MacNab’s opener, although it proved immaterial in the end.
Anderson said: “I don’t think our goalie had anything to do, and we were quite aggrieved at their goal because it was a clear foul on Stuart Smith. To be fair to the boys, it made them dig in.
“To be 1-0 down at half-time up here and come back and win says a lot about our spirit. It was a really good performance, I think, given that everything was against us.
“Our bus broke down in Inverness and we didn’t get here until late, so the warm-up didn’t go as planned.
“But in terms of their focus on the game, it was excellent and it’s another win. We’ve just got to keep building.
“Every week is difficult in the Highland League, we see that with the results every Saturday. We can’t become complacent.”
Highland League results: Brora Rangers 4, Buckie Thistle 1; Forres Mechanics 1, Deveronvale 3; Fraserburgh 4, Keith 0; Huntly 2, Lossiemouth 1; Inverurie Locos 2, Nairn County 3; Rothes 0, Clachnacuddin 4; Strathspey Thistle 1, Banks O’ Dee 4; Turriff United 0, Brechin City 1; Wick Academy 1, Formartine United 2.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, October 12: Banks O' Dee v Rothes; Brechin City v Brora Rangers; Buckie Thistle v Forres Mechanics; Clachnacuddin v Turriff United; Formartine United v Deveronvale; Keith v Huntly; Lossiemouth v Wick Academy; Nairn County v Fraserburgh; Strathspey Thistle v Inverurie Locos.
