Wick players told they need to improve disciplinary record after 16 red cards in two seasons
Wick Academy manager Gary Manson has told his players that they need to improve their disciplinary record.
The Scorries have received 16 red cards in all competitions over the past two seasons – nine in 2021/22 and seven so far in 2022/23, including two in last weekend's 3-0 home defeat to Highland League leaders Brechin City.
In addition there have been 138 yellow cards for Academy over those two campaigns.
“It's not ideal at all," Manson said. "It's something that has cost us dear and it's something that I've spoken to the boys about numerous times over the season – most recently this week at training.
“They should be under no illusions that it's something that has to improve.
“We were 1-0 up away to Lossie early in the season and got a man sent off and ended up losing that game, so you could say that has potentially cost us three points.
"We were 3-2 down chasing an equaliser at Huntly and got a man sent off and ended up losing the game, so that could have cost us points.
“Even on Saturday we were the better team at the start of the second half and then got two men sent off which potentially cost us the game again.
“Those are just three games that stick in my mind where red cards have cost us dear. It's something that can't continue.
“The players have been told about it numerous times – that side of things has to improve.
"It just adds to the player unavailability and we don't have a deep enough squad to contend with all the injuries and suspensions that we've been getting in recent years.
"So it is something that needs to change. Hopefully it will sink in eventually, because if we want to push up the table we can't continue to lose players.”
Joe Anderson was dismissed for a second bookable offence early in the second half against Brechin and Jack Henry was shown a straight red with just over a quarter of an hour to go. After the match Manson referred to the sending-off incidents as “two moments of madness”.
Anderson now has a one-match suspension and Henry will miss two games.
The Scorries are away to Rothes on Saturday. The sides drew 1-1 at Harmsworth Park in September.
“It was a game that we probably should have won," Manson said.
“Games between Rothes and ourselves have quite often been fifty-fifty over a number of years now.
"It'll be a tough test. They've changed their squad slightly since the last time we played them.
“We'll go down and we'll look to get a win. I've been saying to the players we need to start picking up more points than we have been recently.
“Our performance on Saturday was okay but we still came away with no points, so it's time to start putting points on the board.”
Wins for Lossiemouth and Clachnacuddin on Saturday meant Academy dropped from 12th to 14th in the table, although they have games in hand over all the teams around them.
“It's that tight and congested down there, if you win a game or get back-to-back wins you'll probably jump three or four positions on the table," Manson said. "That's all we can try and do.
“After Saturday we've got three home games in a row so it'll be good to get some games at home and hopefully put some points on the board and push up the table.
"That's the aim, but every team is aiming to do that so it's not easy. We'll give it our best shot."
Academy are second-lowest scorers in the league, with only bottom side Strathspey Thistle having scored fewer goals.
Manson said: "Marc Macgregor will bring an added dimension in that final third that we've been missing all season. The 'goals for' isn't as high as we'd want or expect it to be at this stage in the season, but there are lots of contributing factors to that.
"We're in the second half of the season now and hopefully we'll kick on and get some more points on the board."
Highland League results: Banks O' Dee 2, Rothes 0; Buckie Thistle 4, Brora Rangers 2; Clachnacuddin 2, Forres Mechanics 0; Fraserburgh 3, Huntly 0; Keith 1, Deveronvale 1; Lossiemouth 1, Inverurie Locos 0; Strathspey Thistle 1, Nairn County 1; Turriff United 2, Formartine United 4; Wick Academy 0, Brechin City 3.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, February 11: Brora Rangers v Fraserburgh; Buckie Thistle v Keith; Deveronvale v Turriff United; Formartine United v Clachnacuddin; Forres Mechanics v Banks O' Dee; Huntly v Lossiemouth; Inverurie Locos v Strathspey Thistle; Nairn County v Brechin City; Rothes v Wick Academy.