Wick Academy 5
Rothes 1
League

Match Report

Good passing football by both Wick and Rothes made the first half of this match an entertaining affair despite its lack of goals. Lack of goals did not mean a lack of creativity or chances though - and first to test a goalkeeper was Wick's Gordon McNab after 9 minutes when his low shot had Rothes keeper Darren McConnachie scrambling to his right to gather the ball.

Rothes immediately broke up field with the ball finding Scott Davidson inside the 18 yard box but Danny Mackay was quick enough to get a foot to the ball sending it out for a corner. The next real chance fell to Wick after neat passing between Steven Anderson and Gordon McNab left McNab in space 12 yards out from goal - but the Academy man pulled his shot well wide of the post.

Despite the good football on show and the teams swapping attacks neither keeper was really troubled again until the 25th minute when Rothes Jamie Wilson made his way into the 18 yard box, turned defender Ross Allan, and unleashed a shot that had Wick keeper Sean McCarthy diving low to his right to push the ball away.

Academy were then straight back up the field with Steven Anderson powering down the left wing. He cut into the 6 yard box unchallenged but, while his left foot shot beat the Rothes keeper the ball ran just wide of the far post.

The best chance of the first half fell to Rothes' Craig Cameron on the half hour, when, after finding the gap between Wick's Jack Henry and Danny Mackay inside the penalty box, his right foot shot had Wick keeper Sean McCarthy beaten but the ball crashed back off the top of the right hand post.

Rothes gathered momentum , Ross Allan had a timely intervention on the edge of the box as Scott Davidson was about to shoot, the loose ball fell to Craig Cormack , but Jack Henry stretched in to knock the ball away from the toes of Cormack just as he was about to weave his way into a shooting position.

Half time 0 - 0

Wick got the early breakthrough two minutes after half time following a foul by Paul Macleod on Steven Anderson just to the left of the 18 yard box. Ross Allan fired the free kick into the centre of the box where it was met by the chest of Marc Macgregor and the ball looped over Rothes keeper Darren McConnachie into the back of the net.

With Wick confidence boosted, the Rothes defence were pressed several times more before Marc Macgregor scored his second goal of the afternoon. A free flowing move out from the Academy defence culminated in a ball through to Macgegor who wasted no time in smashing it past keeper McConnachie.

Six minutes later Macgregor completed his hat trick - a ball played in from the right, controlled by Macgregor and once again the Rothes keeper was unable to stop the Wick man's shot.

End to end play once again ensued - Steven Anderson making runs down both the left and right and Rothes keeper McConnachie being called more and more into play - and Rothes good passing play taking them up to the edge of the penalty area where the Wick defence were standing firm.

Finally, a break down the right from Rothes Jamie Wilson took him to the edge of the 6 yard box and Wick keeper McCarthy had to get down quickly to push away Wilson's shot for a corner. The resulting corner was met at the back post with a powerful header by Bruce Milne. Wick keeper Sean McCarthy stopped the ball but not before it was deemed to have crossed the line. No goal line technology in place in the Highland League but the lack of protest by the Wick players (and a look at the photographs later) looks to confirm the Assistant Referees decision.

The Rothes comeback was cut short 5 minutes later when Gordon McNab latched on to a loose ball and fired the ball past the Rothes keeper from just in front of the penalty spot.

Wick's final goal of the afternoon came from a superbly placed free kick from Ross Allan. A battling run by substitute Korbyn Cameron was ended when his foot was stood on by Rothes Bruce Milne. Allan stepped up to take the free kick, his shot curling well out of the reach of the flying Darren McConnachie and into the top right hand corner of the goal.

All in all a great game of football .

Full time - 5 - 1

Match report written by Mel Roger