Post by Brian Mackay on Aug 3, 2007 17:18:12 GMT
North of Scotland Cup Mini League - 31 07 2007
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Nairn County 3 v Forres Mechanics 1
Rothes 2 v Elgin City 6
Wick Academy 4 v Brora Rangers 4
01 08 2007
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Clachnacuddin 1 v Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4
report from Iain Grant
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Academy fight back for draw in cup tie
Wick Academy 4, Brora Rangers 4
Published: 03 August, 2007
IN ONE of the most remarkable games seen at Harmsworth Park for many a year, the two North rival clubs shared eight goals in this ITP North of Scotland Cup tie.
Academy enjoyed most of the possession in the first 20 minutes but there was little to suggest the goals and drama that would follow later in the game. Academy had three free kicks around the Brora penalty box without creating a real chance until Andrew MacLeod brought out the best in keeper Michael Gray with a close-range header. At the top end James More made a fine one-on-one save to push away a shot from Shane Sutherland.
Sutherland then gave Brora a shock lead in the 21st minute. Gary Perks chipped the ball past a static Wick defence and the young striker raced through to send a swerving 15-yard shot into the top corner of the net.
MacLeod went close with a looping header from a Richard Macadie corner but within three minutes Brora went two up. Richard Finnes lobbed the ball over the Academy defence and this time it was Lewis Ross who ran clear to the front edge of the area. As More came towards him, Ross delicately chipped the ball over the keeper's head and first bounce into the net.
Again Wick tried to retaliate and, with Bryan McKiddie driving forward from midfield, chances were being created. Gary Weir fired just over the bar and then saw a point-blank header parried by Gray. In the 34th minute David Mowat surged forward before passing the ball left to Macadie who crossed to the back post where Weir headed inches wide. During a sustained spell of pressure Gray touched a Gary Manson drive onto his post and a Gary Farquhar drive deflected off Mark Smith's foot for a corner.
In contrast the visitors made scoring look so simple. Sam Mackay split the Wick defence with a great pass to Ross who gave More no chance with a low drive into the corner of the net. At 3-0 down it looked as if Academy's North Cup dreams were over.
Former old faithfuls, and now new recruits, Nigel MacKenzie and Mark Nichol were sent on after the break and the change paid off within four minutes.
Several slick short passes, including a Farquhar one-two, gave MacKenzie a chance to attack up the left touch line. Faced by three defenders he bobbed and weaved his way to the corner flag and swung over a high, left-footed cross. Brora cleared the ball only as far as McKiddie who coolly tapped it to Farquhar who in turn pushed it ahead of Weir who drilled it past Gray.
Hopes of recovery appeared dashed in the 55th minute when Brora found space in the Wick box. Sutherland's shot was clawed away by More and deflected to Finnes who joyfully flicked the rebound into the net to put his team 4-1 ahead. There was almost a fifth goal for the visitors but More stretched to touch Sutherland's header over the bar.
The game was into its last quarter when Nichol chased an apparent lost cause, won possession on the right and was wrestled to the ground. Farquhar hoisted the free kick into the goal mouth and Nichol stooped to conquer, heading the ball in from the six-yard line.
Sixty seconds later Macadie slipped the ball to Weir inside the area and suddenly the score was 3-4 and the previously silent crowd was in a frenzy.
Within another minute Academy equalised and the seemingly impossible had happened. McKiddie played an exquisite low pass through to the 18-yard line.
Charging from his goal Gray could only scoop the ball away to his left. With the keeper stranded Stewart Ross aimed the ball carefully into the goalmouth and Weir jogged in at the back post to nod it in.
Brora had lost the plot and after a wild lunge which injured McKiddie there was a red card for Mackay. Then a hand-ball by Smith who had been booked earlier saw the Sutherland team reduced to nine men.
Frantic defending by the red shirts kept the score at 4-4 and although Macadie and then MacKenzie both found the net, their efforts were disallowed for offside.
There was drama at the bottom end in the dying seconds.
Wick Academy's man of the match was Gary Weir, who was presented with his award by David Taylor. Match and ball sponsor was the Bank of Scotland.
When Arron Christie swerved a free kick across the Wick goal, More pushed away a Mark Kennedy effort and Ross headed in the rebound. As Brora celebrated and Wick fans groaned this goal too was chalked off.
Brora boss Jim Kelly and Academy co-boss Richard Hughes were enthusiastic in their assessments of the action.
Kelly said "Although we were three up at half time we spoke to our boys because Academy had had a lot of chances and Michael Gray had made a couple of really good saves.
"Wick pulled one back but we went up the park and made it 4-1 and really at that point I could not see us losing it.
"We gave away a soft second goal and that put pressure on us. One red card followed by another made it a really difficult task.
"I cannot fault the guys for effort, they worked really hard but we have to learn defensive lessons from this game.
"Our strikers did well and big Lewis Ross scored two really good goals. We were bitterly disappointed that what we thought was his last-minute winner was disallowed. From three up we should have won, so fair play to Academy for snatching a draw."
Hughes said: "In the first half we probably had more possession than they had but Brora have some really quick players and they caught us out when we made mistakes in midfield. They created space for their front players who then punished us with well-taken goals.
"We decided that we had to change to 4-4-2 or, if necessary, 3-5-2 for the second half. We told our players to get their heads up and that they were too good to be three goals down. We dominated the second half and even when we went 4-1 down we still believed that we could come back with a few goals.
"We did just that and it was good entertainment for the fans."
Wick Academy: More, Ross, Mowat, A. Sinclair (MacKenzie 46), MacLeod, McKiddie, S. Sinclair (Nichol 46), Farquhar, Weir, Manson, Macadie. Unused subs: Sutherland, Cowie, Williamson.
Brora Rangers: Gray, G. MacLeod, Christie, K. MacLeod, Smith, Kennedy, Mackay, Finnes, Perks (Farquhar 79), Ross, S. Sutherland (Denoon 90). Unused subs: A Sutherland, Macniven, Murray.
Referee: R. Hamill.
Scorers: Wick: Weir 49, 69, 70, Nichol 68. Brora: Sutherland 21, Ross 24, 40, Finnes 55.
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Nairn County 3 v Forres Mechanics 1
Rothes 2 v Elgin City 6
Wick Academy 4 v Brora Rangers 4
01 08 2007
###########
Clachnacuddin 1 v Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4
report from Iain Grant
###############
Academy fight back for draw in cup tie
Wick Academy 4, Brora Rangers 4
Published: 03 August, 2007
IN ONE of the most remarkable games seen at Harmsworth Park for many a year, the two North rival clubs shared eight goals in this ITP North of Scotland Cup tie.
Academy enjoyed most of the possession in the first 20 minutes but there was little to suggest the goals and drama that would follow later in the game. Academy had three free kicks around the Brora penalty box without creating a real chance until Andrew MacLeod brought out the best in keeper Michael Gray with a close-range header. At the top end James More made a fine one-on-one save to push away a shot from Shane Sutherland.
Sutherland then gave Brora a shock lead in the 21st minute. Gary Perks chipped the ball past a static Wick defence and the young striker raced through to send a swerving 15-yard shot into the top corner of the net.
MacLeod went close with a looping header from a Richard Macadie corner but within three minutes Brora went two up. Richard Finnes lobbed the ball over the Academy defence and this time it was Lewis Ross who ran clear to the front edge of the area. As More came towards him, Ross delicately chipped the ball over the keeper's head and first bounce into the net.
Again Wick tried to retaliate and, with Bryan McKiddie driving forward from midfield, chances were being created. Gary Weir fired just over the bar and then saw a point-blank header parried by Gray. In the 34th minute David Mowat surged forward before passing the ball left to Macadie who crossed to the back post where Weir headed inches wide. During a sustained spell of pressure Gray touched a Gary Manson drive onto his post and a Gary Farquhar drive deflected off Mark Smith's foot for a corner.
In contrast the visitors made scoring look so simple. Sam Mackay split the Wick defence with a great pass to Ross who gave More no chance with a low drive into the corner of the net. At 3-0 down it looked as if Academy's North Cup dreams were over.
Former old faithfuls, and now new recruits, Nigel MacKenzie and Mark Nichol were sent on after the break and the change paid off within four minutes.
Several slick short passes, including a Farquhar one-two, gave MacKenzie a chance to attack up the left touch line. Faced by three defenders he bobbed and weaved his way to the corner flag and swung over a high, left-footed cross. Brora cleared the ball only as far as McKiddie who coolly tapped it to Farquhar who in turn pushed it ahead of Weir who drilled it past Gray.
Hopes of recovery appeared dashed in the 55th minute when Brora found space in the Wick box. Sutherland's shot was clawed away by More and deflected to Finnes who joyfully flicked the rebound into the net to put his team 4-1 ahead. There was almost a fifth goal for the visitors but More stretched to touch Sutherland's header over the bar.
The game was into its last quarter when Nichol chased an apparent lost cause, won possession on the right and was wrestled to the ground. Farquhar hoisted the free kick into the goal mouth and Nichol stooped to conquer, heading the ball in from the six-yard line.
Sixty seconds later Macadie slipped the ball to Weir inside the area and suddenly the score was 3-4 and the previously silent crowd was in a frenzy.
Within another minute Academy equalised and the seemingly impossible had happened. McKiddie played an exquisite low pass through to the 18-yard line.
Charging from his goal Gray could only scoop the ball away to his left. With the keeper stranded Stewart Ross aimed the ball carefully into the goalmouth and Weir jogged in at the back post to nod it in.
Brora had lost the plot and after a wild lunge which injured McKiddie there was a red card for Mackay. Then a hand-ball by Smith who had been booked earlier saw the Sutherland team reduced to nine men.
Frantic defending by the red shirts kept the score at 4-4 and although Macadie and then MacKenzie both found the net, their efforts were disallowed for offside.
There was drama at the bottom end in the dying seconds.
Wick Academy's man of the match was Gary Weir, who was presented with his award by David Taylor. Match and ball sponsor was the Bank of Scotland.
When Arron Christie swerved a free kick across the Wick goal, More pushed away a Mark Kennedy effort and Ross headed in the rebound. As Brora celebrated and Wick fans groaned this goal too was chalked off.
Brora boss Jim Kelly and Academy co-boss Richard Hughes were enthusiastic in their assessments of the action.
Kelly said "Although we were three up at half time we spoke to our boys because Academy had had a lot of chances and Michael Gray had made a couple of really good saves.
"Wick pulled one back but we went up the park and made it 4-1 and really at that point I could not see us losing it.
"We gave away a soft second goal and that put pressure on us. One red card followed by another made it a really difficult task.
"I cannot fault the guys for effort, they worked really hard but we have to learn defensive lessons from this game.
"Our strikers did well and big Lewis Ross scored two really good goals. We were bitterly disappointed that what we thought was his last-minute winner was disallowed. From three up we should have won, so fair play to Academy for snatching a draw."
Hughes said: "In the first half we probably had more possession than they had but Brora have some really quick players and they caught us out when we made mistakes in midfield. They created space for their front players who then punished us with well-taken goals.
"We decided that we had to change to 4-4-2 or, if necessary, 3-5-2 for the second half. We told our players to get their heads up and that they were too good to be three goals down. We dominated the second half and even when we went 4-1 down we still believed that we could come back with a few goals.
"We did just that and it was good entertainment for the fans."
Wick Academy: More, Ross, Mowat, A. Sinclair (MacKenzie 46), MacLeod, McKiddie, S. Sinclair (Nichol 46), Farquhar, Weir, Manson, Macadie. Unused subs: Sutherland, Cowie, Williamson.
Brora Rangers: Gray, G. MacLeod, Christie, K. MacLeod, Smith, Kennedy, Mackay, Finnes, Perks (Farquhar 79), Ross, S. Sutherland (Denoon 90). Unused subs: A Sutherland, Macniven, Murray.
Referee: R. Hamill.
Scorers: Wick: Weir 49, 69, 70, Nichol 68. Brora: Sutherland 21, Ross 24, 40, Finnes 55.