Wick manager hopes long-awaited win will give players a boost
Manager Gary Manson hopes last week’s thumping victory over Rothes will give Wick Academy a boost as they go about trying to improve their position in the Highland League in the closing three months of the season.
The 4-0 win at Harmsworth Park ended a run of eight defeats in all competitions for the Scorries and allowed them to open up a six-point advantage over the Speysiders.
The teams remain 16th and 17th respectively, with Strathspey Thistle in bottom spot.
“It was a little while since our last win, so it’s always good to win games of football,” Manson said. “That’s what we train twice a week for, every single week, and give up a lot of time for.
“It’s always good to get the result you’re after, and hopefully it will give the boys a boost for the end of the season now.”
Academy will be aiming to build on that performance when they take on 12th-placed Turriff United at The Haughs on Saturday.
Turriff, managed by Warren Cummings, will be buoyed by their 5-3 victory over Huntly at Christie Park last weekend after being 3-1 down at one point.
Academy have yet to meet Turriff this season but the Aberdeenshire outfit won both league encounters in 2023/24. They came from behind to rack up a 5-1 victory when they visited Harmsworth Park in September 2023, then won 3-1 at The Haughs in January.
Manson said: “They started off the season quite poorly but they’ve got some really good young players there and I did think it was just a matter of time before they picked up a little bit.
“Last Saturday they did really well to come back after trailing at half-time. They’ve shown they’ve got good quality and good character. It’ll be a tough game.”
Academy fielded seven teenagers against Rothes – two in the starting line-up with five coming off the bench in the second half, including three debutants.
Manson hopes to have more experience at his disposal this weekend. “We should be a little bit stronger than we were on Saturday,” he said.
“It’s always good to have the young boys involved. As I have said, I’ve got no problem with playing young boys – I’ve given umpteen under-18s their debuts over the years.
“But it’s always good to have a little bit of experience to fall back on if things are hard away from home. It’ll be good to have a slightly stronger squad.”
Teenagers George Ewing and Euan Kennedy scored their first Highland League goals against Rothes and the other two came from Jack Henry and Marc Macgregor, both headers. Goalkeeper Lewis Gallacher saved a first-half penalty with the score at 1-0.
It was Academy’s first victory since beating Lossiemouth 3-1 away on October 12 and the first time they had picked up any points at home since a 2-1 success against Strathspey Thistle on August 7.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, February 1: Banks O’ Dee v Buckie Thistle; Clachnacuddin v Brechin City; Fraserburgh v Forres Mechanics; Huntly v Brora Rangers; Inverurie Locos v Formartine United; Keith v Strathspey Thistle; Nairn County v Lossiemouth; Rothes v Deveronvale; Turriff United v Wick Academy.
Highland League bottom four: 15 Lossiemouth (played 22, points 16, goal difference -29); 16 Wick Academy (22, 16, goal difference -33); 17 Rothes (21, 10, goal difference -59); 18 Strathspey Thistle (19, 9, goal difference -45).
Wick Academy’s forthcoming Highland League fixtures: February 1, Turriff United (A); February 8, Brora Rangers (H); February 15, Fraserburgh (A); February 19, Clachnacuddin (H); February 22, Forres Mechanics (H); March 1, Turriff United (H); March 8, Formartine United (A); March 15, Lossiemouth (H); March 22, Keith (A); March 29, Nairn County (H); April 12, Inverurie Locos (A). To be arranged: Strathspey Thistle (A).