Wick Academy 2 - 2 Formartine United

League - HFL
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010, 3:00 PM at Harmsworth Park, Wick
Referee: Douglas Ross
Wick Academy v Formartine United, May 23rd 2010, Harmsworth Park, Wick
Wick Academy Formartine United 

Goalscorers
Davie Cowie (48)
Sam Mackay (65)
Barry Somers (17)
Mark Simpson (72)

Team Managers
Ian Munro & Richard Hughes John Gardiner

Starting Eleven
James More
Stevie Cunningham
Gary Manson
Alan Farquhar
Andrew MacLeod
Craig Shearer
Gary Weir
Sam Mackay
David Allan
Richard Macadie
Davie Cowie
Scott Chalmers
James Seivwright
Mark Simpson
Stuart Cumming
Alistair Graham
Patrick Vigurs
Scott Morrison
Andy Bagshaw
Barry Somers
Stuart McKay
Marc Young

Bench
Martin Gunn
Alex Lamb
Ross Allan
Ciaran Duffy
Alan Bokas
Fraser Tait
Calum Irvine
Darran McGuiness
Jack Taylor

Substitutions
Martin Gunn for Davie Cowie (79)
Ciaran Duffy for Gary Weir (85)
Calum Irvine for Scott Morrison (59)
Fraser Tait for Patrick Vigurs (79)

Bookings
Davie Cowie (57)
Andrew MacLeod (71)
Gary Weir (81)
James Seivwright (34)
Alistair Graham (39)

Red Cards
None. James Seivwright (63)
Alistair Graham (79)

Appearances & Goals To Date
Scott Chalmers (GK) 1 app (debut) -
James Seivwright 22 apps1 goal
Mark Simpson 32 apps3 goals
Stuart Cumming 34 apps3 goals
Alistair Graham 33 apps1 goal
Patrick Vigurs 22 apps1 goal
Scott Morrison 7 apps1 goal
Andy Bagshaw 13 apps4 goals
Barry Somers 37 apps30 goals
Stuart McKay 37 apps14 goals
Marc Young 34 apps4 goals
Fraser Tait (sub) (GK) 3 apps -
Calum Irvine (sub) 31 apps -

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Marc Young (21 years 111 days)
Oldest Player:Andy Bagshaw (2011 years 297 days)
Average Player Age:21 years 111 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Marc Young (21 years 111 days)
Oldest Player:Fraser Tait (2011 years 297 days)
Average Player Age:21 years 136 days
Domestic Players:15 (100.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts
Scott Chalmers(Signed )

Milestones
Barry Somers reached 30 goals for the Club.

From the Wick Academy website:

Formartine visited the Harmsworth for the first time in their history today for the final game of the season. A dull, boring end of season affair, not a hint of it!! Barry Somers opened the scoring for the visitors in the 17th minute. That goal sent him to the top of the SHFL goal scoring charts with a total for the season of 30 in all competitions. Davie Cowie pulled the Scorries Level 3 minutes after the second half re-start. Formartine had James Sievewright sent off for his second bookable offence in the 63rd minute, and 2 minutes later Sam Mackay linked up with Richard Macdie and fired Academy into the lead. Formartine came back to level the scores with 18 minutes left to play when he scored from a corner kick. Ally Graham also picked up two bookings and joined his team-mate Sievewright with 10 minutes left, but neither team could increase the goal count and the game ended in 2-2 draw.

Academy finish the season in 9th spot in the table, and the point today was good enough to see Formartine in their inaugural season climb above Huntly to claim 6th place.

Academy served up some early excitement when Sam Mackay chipped the ball down the right and Richard Macadie ran past the visitors defence before squaring it towards the penalty spot. David Allan, closely marked, allowed the ball to run through to Gary Weir whose drive flashed past the near post.

The visitors first threat came in the 7th minute when Scott Morrison sent in a high cross from the right and Alan Farquhar leapt high to head it out of the area.

Play went quickly to the bottom end where Weir broke clear on the left but with the angle too tight for a shot opted to drive it across the face of the goal.

James More, reinstated in the Academy net, had to look lively in the 10th minute dashing 10 yards off his line to foil Andrew Bagshaw at point blank range. However, the Wick keeper had no chance in the 16th minute when Barry Somers netted his 30th goal of the season. As the ball fell near him from a clearance the Formartine striker spun at the edge of the box to fire a dipping volley high into the middle of the net.

Academy responded to this wake up call by mounting 20 minutes of incessant pressure, surging forward and playing perhaps their best passing football of the season. We saw keeper Scott Chalmers spread himself to block the ball when Allan was through one on one. The ball fell to Weir whose rebound effort was scrambled away only to Macadie who fired over the bar. We admired the high speed flicks and tricks from Mackay, the skilful midfield interceptions by Farquhar and Craig Shearer and a neat back heel by Macadie to the overlapping Stevie Cunningham. We cheered the determined efforts of Allan and bustling runs by David Cowie and Gary Manson who won corner kicks on the left which were cleared from the six yard box. Mackay and Weir saw efforts flash inches wide of the target. A trip by James Seivewright, caught out of position as Mackay raced past him down the Academy left, brought the first caution of the game but this and other free kicks were stoutly defended by the visitors who often had ten players back in defence.

Around the 35 minute mark Formartine succeeded in clearing the ball up the park where a Farquhar tackle put the ball in touch and More fisted away a Stuart McKay volley.

Allan wriggled past Mark Simpson on the right to set up Weir whose shot struck a defender. Ally Graham saw the second yellow card for tripping Cunningham and Shearer was close to heading in Mansons free kick at the back post. When Simpson nodded the ball back to keeper Chalmers, Allan nipped between them but flicked the ball wide so at the break Academy found themselves still a goal down.

Half Time 0 - 1

Within three minutes of the restart came a deserved equaliser. Manson sent a free kick up the left to Weir, ran on to the return pass and cut in along the goal line. Although his low cross was cleared it came to Macadie who swept it swiftly to the right for Shearer whose cross into the goal mouth reached Cowie who stooped low to head it into the net. When Manson obstructed Morrison, Bagshaws driven free kick was pushed away by More.

Allan cut in from a seemingly impossible angle up on the right to chip the ball curling in towards the back post where Chalmers slithered along his line to scoop it round the post. Macadie raced clear and shot wide but Seivewright argued too vehemently for offside and a second yellow card meant he had first shottie of the shower.

A fine passing move, the ball switched quickly from man to man culminated in Mackay exchanging passes with Macadie and steering a left foot shot past Chalmers to put Academy 2-1 up.

Allan and Cunningham were unable to convert chances for a third goal and then Chalmers sprinted forward to smother the ball at Macadies feet just inside the 18 yard line.

Andrew MacLeod had won most battles with McKay but when he tackled the former Peterhead striker from behind he was booked and only a flying save from More kept out McKays 22 yard pile driver free kick. From the ensuing corner on the left More punched the ball down but Simpson was close by to hook it into the net.

Spurred on the visitors looked for a winner. Bagshaw ran through but pulled his shot wide and then More denied McKay with another spectacular save.

A second yellow for Graham after tripping Cunningham saw Formartine down to nine men but it needed intelligent defending by Farquhar to block an effort from Irvine on the line and dribble the rebound away from McKay.

Academy had half chances for a late winner but Martin Gunns cross was just too high even for six foot three Ciaran Duffy who was then unable to force his way past Simpson to connect with Shearers forward pass.

Full Time 2 - 2

Wick co boss Richard Hughes said - In the first half especially we played some fantastic football. The boys kept the ball on the deck and moved it around really quickly. We did not get just reward for our play and it was Formartine who got the only first half goal. We started the second half well and came back into the game. Then the build up to create Sam Mackays goal was fantastic - beautiful to watch. They went down to ten men and then to nine but credit to Formartine they battled on and made a few chances. It was as though somebody had flicked a switch and turned us off. Maybe at 2-1 up against ten men our guys thought the game was over - for whatever reason we dropped and could not get ourselves back up again. It was a good exciting game for the fans to finish the season - we played some attractive football against a quality side.

Formartine boss John Gardiner was unhappy at losing two players to red cards but pleased to get the point which took his team into sixth place above Huntly. - I thought the two sendings off were very soft. Then our nine men worked so hard, they ran themselves into the ground and we could even have won the game near the end. We cannot be too disappointed to come to Wick and get a draw. Wick is a well organised team who play good football so overall wee are delighted with the result. Looking back over a 34 game league season we gave away some silly points but to finish sixth at our first attempt bodes well and we will be looking to make a few signings to strengthen the squad for next season.

Programme cover / Team sheet