5th September 2009 - League	Dudgeon Park, Brora
Brora Rangers F.C.	1 (Liam Baxter 70)
Team:  Michael MacCullum, Scott Begg, Ryan Tillman, Even Murray, Mark McKernie, Scott MacAngus, John Cameron, Andrew Neill, Jason Gunn(Liam Baxter 36, Liam Bremner 89), Jamie Mackay(Grant McNab 46), Kevin McKie.   Subs: Liam Baxter, Lewis Harrold,Robert Macdonald, Grant McNab, Liam Bremner,
Wick Academy F.C.	0
Team: Michael Gray, Grant Campbell(David Allan 62), Gary Manson, Alex Lamb, Andrew MacLeod, Craig Shearer, Martin Gunn, Bryan McKidie, Gary Weir(Stevie Cunningham 72), Richard Macadie, David Cowie(Sam Mackay 62). Subs: David Allan, Stevie Cunningham, Stewart Ross, Sam Mackay, Alan Farquhar.
Referee:	Billy Baxter
Bookings:	Mark McKernie 39, 81  Martin Gunn 44, 54  Evan Murray 48  Ryan Tillman 68, 82  Scott Begg 69  Liam Baxter 70  David Allan 82

Academy were beaten by local rivals Brora 1-0 today at Dudgeon Park. Academy fielded a strong side with Craig Shearer and Bryan McKiddie back from the start in the middle of the park. New signing Sam Mackay started on the bench.

Brora started the brighter and had a great chance to take the lead with only 6 minutes on the clock. Andrew Neill tore down the left wing past Grant Campbell and whipped in a great cross but there was no-one in the box to get on the end of it.

It took 18 minutes for Academy to muster up their first attempt on goal. Gary Manson took the ball out of defence, looked up and launched a 45 yard pass up-field which Macadie controlled and got his shot on target but it went straight into keeper Michael MacCullum's midriff.

Brora were looking the likelier to score at this stage and Jamie Mackay managed to get round Andrew MacLeod and got a shot on goal but Michael Gray made a comfortable save.

Academy went straight back up the park from the kick-out and Bryan McKiddie slid Weir into the box. He turned his defender but scuffed his shot to keeper MacCullum.

With 23 minutes gone Jamie Mackay once again got in between Alex Lamb and Andrew MacLeod but this time it was his turn to scuff his shot and it went wide of the left hand post.

Just after the half-hour David Cowie tore up the wing and fired a dangerous ball across goal that was scrambled to safety by the Brora defence. The ball came back out to Weir and he fired his shot straight to keeper MacCullum.

Brora was forced to make a change in the 36^th minute when Jason Gunn came off with an injury and he was replaced with Liam Baxter.

Wick's best chance of the half came from a free kick wide on the right. Gary Manson floated the ball to the back post and Craig Shearer got his head to he ball and it flashed just wide of the left post.

5 minutes before half-time Jamie Mackay was once more slipped through the middle and just as he looked to pull the trigger Andrew MacLeod made a great recovery tackle by sticking a foot in and clearing the danger.

Minutes before the half-time whistle referee Baxter blew for an Academy free-kick but Mark McKernie kept playing and slid through a two-footed tackle on Craig Shearer with studs up.   Martin Gunn took exception to the challenge and had a dig at McKernie and he was booked for his troubles. Manson took the free-kick which Weir managed to control and he had a pop at goal that was deflected for a corner.

Half Time 0 - 0

Brora were forced to make another change for the start of the first half with live-wire Jamie Mackay coming off for ex-Academy player Grant McNabb.

Academy almost opened the scoring with 8 minutes of the second half played. Manson floated another free-kick to the heart of the Brora box and Alex Lamb rose above the defence and got his head to the ball but his attempt smacked off the right post and was then cleared off the line.

Acadmy then went down to 10 men when Martin Gunn picked his second yellow card for a rash tackle sliding through the back of Scott MacAngus.

Hughes and Munro made their first changes in the 62^nd minute with David Alan coming on for Grant Campbell and Sam Mackay coming on for his Academy debut, replacing David Cowie.

Academy won another free-kick that Manson again delivered to the back post and this time Craig Shearer headed for goal but MacCullum tipped the ball over the cross-bar for  corner. Macadie whipped the corner in and Shearer managed to wrap a foot around it but his effort went well over the top.

Acdademy looked to have opened the scoring in the 68^th minute. Manson tore down the wing and crossed to the edge of the box where Sam Mackay ran onto the ball and struck it towards goal. The ball hit off the post and looked to have crossed the line before keeper MacCullum scrambled clear but referee Baxter waved away the cries for goal.

Academy were then hit by a sucker punch as Brora cleared out of defence. Substitute Liam Baxter beat the off side trap and carried the ball into the box before slipping a cool finish past Michael Gray. Baxter was booked by referee Baxter for taking his shirt of as part of his celebration.

1 - 0

Academy made their final change with 72 minutes played with Gary Weir being replaced by Stevie Cunningham.

Cunningham got straight into the play and his first touch he send Macadie through on goal but his shot again went straight to keeper MacCullum. Seconds later Cunningham played in David Allan but his shot had the same outcome going straight to MacCullam who seemed to be a magnet for the ball.

Minutes late Cunningham waltzed through the middle of the Brora defence and looked to have walked the ball into the back of the net but amazingly the Brora defence managed to scramble it off the line and round for a corner.

Brora had the ball in the back of the net again but it was chalked off with Andrew Neill was flagged off-side.

Shearer was next to have a go at the Brora goal when he drove a 20 yard effort on target which forced MacCullum to go air-born and tip it round his left hand post for a corner.

Academy were really throwing everything at Brora in an attempt to get a goal back and David Allan split the Brora back line with a piercing run before squaring to Cunningham but he spurned a great chance by shooting wide past the right post with the goal at his mercy.

So 82 minutes played and mayhem in the park when within a few minutes Mark McKernie picked up his second yellow and got his marching orders. Then in an off-the ball incident David Allan was booked, and Ryan Tillman also picked up his second yellow of the game and Brora were down to 9 men.

Academy pushed all they had at the Brora back line for the remaining minutes of the match but couldn't find the net and Brora ran out the winners and bagged a valuable 3 points.

Full time 1 - 0