Wick Academy 0
Forres Mech 0
League

Match Report

Wick Academy started the new year in disappointing fashion after a series of missed opportunities saw Forres Mechanics hold them to a goalless draw.
The best chances came in the second half with Forres goalkeeper Stuart Knight twice denying Gordon MacNab, and Marc Macgregor having a spectacular effort hit the cross-bar and post, as Academy had to settle for a point and their first 0-0 in a league match at Harmsworth Park since November 2015.
The Scorries were missing the pace of Davie Allan after he pulled out on the morning of the game with a sickness bug. Richard Macadie replaced him in the starting line-up as one of two changes to the team that lost to Formartine United the previous weekend – Andrew Hardwick deputising for the suspended Danny Mackay as the other.
Academy started well and had a great chance to open the scoring after less than three minutes. Grant MacNab spread the play wide for Craig Gunn on the right wing and he whipped in an excellent first-time low cross which Macadie met at the front post but couldn’t keep down.
The Can-Cans controlled possession for the rest of the half as Academy struggled for fluency in their game, but the home defence continued their good form from the previous Saturday and stood firm against a physical Forres attack.
It took almost half an hour before the game saw its first shot on target – Sean McCarthy pulling off a flying one-handed save to tip Andrew Macrae’s fierce half-volley away from danger.
Playing down the slope in the second half, Academy were the much livelier side and nearly took the lead four minutes in when a terrific long ball from Jack Henry released Gordon MacNab one-on-one, but Knight was out swiftly to narrow the angle and parry his shot wide for a corner.
Craig Gunn was next to come close when he collected Gary Manson’s left-wing cross in space on the right of the box only to snatch at the chance and slice his effort wide of goal.
Knight came to the rescue again for Forres with 13 minutes left as Macadie darted behind the away defence and squared for MacNab unmarked in front of goal, but the midfielder was left frustrated once more as Knight blocked brilliantly.
Academy did find a way past Knight with five minutes left through Marc Macgregor’s looped shot from the corner of the box, but fortunately for Forres the woodwork was there to deny Academy the three points.

Click on the link below to read a newspaper report for this match.

Match report written by Caithness Courier - Wed, Jan 9, 2019.

Newspaper extract from Caithness Courier - 9th January 2019.