Young Scorries move up a gear to make it 10 out of 10
Wick Academy made it 10 wins out of 10 in SHFL Under 18 North with a 7-2 away victory over Keith.
Coach Scott Bremner acknowledged the emphatic manner of the result while also identifying room for improvement.
It didn’t take long for the young Scorries to get going on a chilly Sunday afternoon in Moray, with George Ewing finding himself through on goal inside the opening 30 seconds. His shot was parried into the path of John Hooker who tapped home for his eighth of the season.
Ewing then found himself in a similar position and this time he slotted it past the keeper for a two-goal lead inside the opening five minutes.
Keith soon got themselves back into the game, however, when failure to deal with a long ball left Harry Gray with only the keeper to beat and he duly reduced the deficit.
Wick moved up a gear in the second half. After Hooker was fouled in the penalty box, captain Owen Bain scored from the spot to restore his team’s two-goal advantage.
Ewing and Bain each grabbed a second, Wick’s fourth and fifth respectively, to put the outcome beyond doubt. Then a floated free kick from Jayden Bremner landed in the back of the net through an unfortunate touch from a Keith defender.
Keith’s Luca Green reduced the deficit before Joshua Hughes got himself in on the act to cap off a brilliant individual performance on his part.
Coach Bremner said: “A lot of people will look at the score and assume it was a comfortable performance, but it was far from that.
“We started well, scoring two quick goals, but we then dropped below our standards. We gave the ball away too cheaply and allowed pressure to build.
“Keith deservedly pulled one back, and it was a goal we could see coming.
“At half-time I told the players we were the architects of our own problems. To their credit, the boys were very honest with themselves and knew that the first-half performance wasn’t good enough.
“The second half was much better. We moved the ball forward quicker, and our wingers and full-backs became more involved.
“That’s when the goals started flowing again, which was a great sight.”
Bremner added: “I also want to highlight Josh Sutherland’s performance. He was key in breaking up Keith’s play, winning the ball back for us and covering any gaps in the midfield.
“His passing was also excellent, and his contribution was a pleasure to watch.”
The young Scorries are back on home turf this Sunday for the first time since a 6-0 victory over Inverness Athletic at the start of October when they host third-placed Forres Mechanics.
