Manson hails 'incredible performance' as Wick Academy pick up first win of season
Gary Manson's new-look Wick Academy picked up their first win of the season in the Highland League with a scintillating 3-0 victory over Clachnacuddin in midweek.
The Scorries played with energy, pace and determination from start to finish at Harmsworth Park, although they left it late with all the goals arriving in the last 12 minutes.
Manson came off the bench in the closing stages on Wednesday to make his 700th competitive appearance for the club, but afterwards he preferred to focus on the team's vibrant display rather than his latest personal landmark.
"Three-nil flattered them, really," the manager said. "It could have and should have been 6-0 and it wouldn't have flattered us.
"It was as complete a performance as you could get. The only thing, if I'm being greedy, is we didn't score as many goals as we should have.
"But three goals and a clean sheet, we'll take that any day of the week.
"In the last few games we've only had one point to show for it but the performances have been decent. Tonight we got an incredible performance and we got the result that we merited.
"I'm really pleased for the boys because they put in a power of work.
"The fans see it on a Saturday or a Wednesday but they don't see the work they put in on a Tuesday and a Thursday [at training] every week. They got their just rewards tonight for all their hard work.
"It's a new group this year but the passion and desire and will to push each other in training is evident, and hopefully that bears fruit now and we kick on from here.
"Performances have been okay – we just haven't been getting the rewards that the performances merited, perhaps. But tonight we did."
Academy's next test is at Rothes on Saturday.
Manson said: "Rothes away is always tough but we'll go down there and give it our best shot, and hopefully get another point or three on the board. That's the aim."
The Scorries were dominant against Clach but it took them until the 79th minute to make the breakthrough.
Mark Macadie was held back as he raced through in the inside-left channel. His older brother Richard took the resultant free kick and expertly placed it low past the diving Daniel Rae.
Two minutes later the Scorries doubled their lead after an incisive move. Gordon MacNab played a cross-field pass to substitute Gary Pullen, who set up Ross Gunn for a clinical first-time finish that flashed past Rae in the blink of an eye.
Gunn slotted in his second of the night three minutes into stoppage time after being played in by another of the substitutes, Kyle Henderson.
Clach manager Jordan MacDonald will be demanding an all-round improvement from his players for their visit to Turriff United on Saturday.
"Our performance was abysmal from start to finish," MacDonald said. "We got what we deserved."
MacDonald was adamant Clach should have been awarded a spot-kick midway through the second half when Connor Bunce went down under a challenge from Academy keeper Graeme Williamson.
"It's a stonewall penalty," the manager said. "But at the end of the day, that's not why we got beaten. We got beaten because we were abysmal, from goalkeeper right through the team.
"The subs didn't have an impact when they came on. We didn't pass the ball, we didn't move the ball, we didn't work hard enough. We should have been behind at half-time."
Looking ahead to the Turriff trip, MacDonald said: "They beat us three times last year, convincingly all three times, and if we don't get our act together pretty quickly then they'll beat us again.
"The players need to take a long, hard look at themselves and start producing better."
Highland League results: Brora Rangers 3, Strathspey Thistle 1; Buckie Thistle 3, Forres Mechanics 1; Deveronvale 0, Turriff United 1; Huntly 2, Lossiemouth 1; Inverurie Locos 1, Formartine United 2; Nairn County 0, Rothes 2; Wick Academy 3, Clachnacuddin 0.
Fixtures for Saturday, August 19: Brechin City v Nairn County; Formartine United v Buckie Thistle; Forres Mechanics v Keith; Fraserburgh v Deveronvale; Inverurie Locos v Huntly; Lossiemouth v Brora Rangers; Rothes v Wick Academy; Strathspey Thistle v Banks O' Dee; Turriff United v Clachnacuddin (all 3pm).