Wick Academy 1
Huntly 1
League

Match Report

Wick Academy must have felt they were re-enacting the role of the wolf in the children’s fairy tale, The Three Little Pigs. Because no matter how hard they huffed and puffed, they couldn’t blow Huntly down during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Harmsworth Park.
It was a frustrating day for Academy who certainly could not be faulted for lack of effort and given the impromptu disco that was blasting out from the visiting changing room, Huntly knew fine well that they had lucked out with a point.
Wick must surely be encouraged with the chances that they created – along with the lengthy amount of time they spent camped in Huntly’s half – and will win more than they draw if this effort is replicated throughout the rest of the season.
The first half started scrappily with both teams seemingly conducting reconnaissance missions on each other as they looked to find an early opening.
It would be Huntly though who struck first with a goal that Wick’s back four won’t wish to see again in a hurry. A ball into the box was easily cleared but then the home defence seemed to freeze like rabbits in front of headlights as Glenn Murison was given all the time in the world to tee up Dennis Wyness who didn’t need asking twice as the veteran fired in a superb left-foot strike from just outside the box.
Wick were stung into action and piled forward in search of an equaliser. Ironically, the man responsible for them being behind helped to make amends. Wyness clumsily lost possession in the middle of the park with the ball breaking to Sam Mackay. The midfielder then played a delightful diagonal ball that split the visiting defence and sent Craig Gunn clear. Although the striker still had plenty to do, he forced his way into the box and coolly chipped the ball over the advancing Huntly keeper John Farquhar to level.
Wick dominated the second-half but despite being spearheaded by the lively Marc Macgregor, they could not find another way past Farquhar.
Andrew Hardwick should have done better with his free header from Alan Hughes’ cross only to nod the ball straight at Huntly’s keeper. Wick thought they had the ball in the net following a goal-line incident which deteriorated into a bout of handbags-at-dawn. Referee Darren Munro brought the situation under control by letting heated heads cool down while at the same time ruling that the ball had not crossed the line.
Macgregor twice could have put Wick ahead only to narrowly fire over on both occasions. But despite their dominance, Academy had keeper Sean McCarthy to thank after he pulled off a brilliant fingertip save to deny Wyness.
Wick had two chances to win it in the dying minutes. Danny Mackay was left kicking himself when he found himself unmarked in the box only to scuff his shot straight at Farquhar. Then Steven Anderson broke clear and with the crowd expecting the net to bulge, he duly smashed his shot straight off the legs of Farquhar. It was one of those days!

Match report written by Caithness Courier - Wed, Feb 21, 2018.