Saturday, 11 May 2013

Wick Academy vs Strathspey Thistle (4-0)

Strathspey's Jamie Sutherland

Richard MacAdie consoles Richard Mackernie after scoring an own goal

Luckasz Geruzel shoots for goal

Sam MacKay bursts through the defence

Graham Elder books Stevie Cunningham

Little & Large! Jamie Sutherland tackles 6'5" Luckasz Geruzel

Sam MacKay celebrates his 30 yard wonder goal with No.10 Richard MacAdie

Gary Weir

Richard MacAdie scores

Richard MacAdie scores
Wick Academy beat Strathspey Thistle 4-0 today at Harmsworth Park. Sam MacKay scored two, Richard MacAdie got one and there was an own goal. It all Academy during the whole game and it was 3-0 at half-time. There were 3 more goals for 'e Scorries in the second half, but two were cancelled for infringements. Sam MacKay scored the 4th with a fantastic 30 yard strike.

Nairn beat Formartine Utd 3-1 and Cove won 3-0, so Wick need to beat Deveronvale next week to clinch 3rd spot. Cove and Formartine play each other in the league decider next Saturday. The game will surely be watched by over a thousand spectators.




























Thursday, 9 May 2013

Thurso Swifts vs Pentland Utd


James Murray chips keeper Bruce Suttar for the first

Michael King tries to clear Murray's chip

Murray and King watch as the ball hits the net for the first goal





I caught the first half of the Swifts vs Pentland Utd game at a very sunny Dammies tonight. James Murray was on top form and scored two in the half. There is some doubt about the first one as Swifts defender Michael King kicked the ball into the roof of the net as he tried to clear Murray's effort. Utd hit the bar and the post as they peppered the Swifts goal, but couldn't add to their tally.

Pentland Utd scored 3 in the second half with Murray grabbing another two and David Hale the other one. Final score 5-0. Hale and Ryan Begg were trialists for Utd.

Other scores:

John O'Groats 5-1 Halkirk
Watten 1-12 Lybster
Top Joe's 4-1 Hotspurs
Wick Thistle 2-2 Keiss
Castletown 6-0 FSC
Acks 0-4 Wick Groats

























Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Wick Academy vs Nairn County (1-0)










Gary Weir is substituted just after he scored

A delighted Richard MacAdie at the final whistle with James Pickles

Wick Academy beat Nairn County 1-0 tonight, to leap-frog them into 3rd place in the league. Gary Weir scored with 5 mins remaining after some brilliant work on the wing by Davie Allan.

The Scorries had the best of the play and the most chances but couldn't find a way past the Nairn keeper until very late on. The man of the match was defender Alan Farquhar, but James Pickles was my pick - he had a great battling game in midfield and seemed to be everywhere.




















Monday, 6 May 2013

MacKay Golf Challenge

The golfers pose for the camera

Aly MacKay accepts the John Mackay cup from Irene Mackay

Alex Green accepts the Bill MacKay trophy from Margaret Mackay


The annual MacKay (of Keiss) golf challenge was held yesterday at Reiss Links. Now in its 10th year, the event gets bigger every year with more of the extended Mackay family taking part. Over 20 golfers from all over the country took part in the stableford competition which was held in bright sunny and breezy weather. A few got sunburnt on the hottest day of the year so far.

The overall winner was Aly MacKay, Wick and he received the John T MacKay cup from John's widow Irene. The par 3 champion was Alex Green, Glasgow and he received the Bill MacKay trophy from Bill's widow Margaret. The junior winner was Mark O'Brien, Halkirk.

The prize presentations were held after a meal in the Norseman Hotel in Wick, attended by over 70 family and friends.

The event is held annually during the first May Bank Holiday weekend.





















Saturday, 4 May 2013

Thurso Acks vs Portree (6-0)

George Dunnett hands over new training tops sponsored by Dunnett's Transport

Jack Halliday fires in the first goal

Chris Sutherland on the attack

Craig Trueman fires in a cross in front of a busy grandstand

Jack Halliday scores his third from a free kick

Paul Wares ready to pounce

Jack Halliday closes down Portree's Andrew Wilson

Portree's Angie Grant flies in on Kuba Koziol

Jack Halliday and Chris Rose tussle for the ball

Andrew Burns beats Allan Munro

Alex MacDonald beats Chris Sutherland
The first round of the Highland Amateur cup was played today and Thurso Acks played host to Portree at the Dammies in Thurso. Portree had 8 players missing and replaced them with a handful of youngsters and a couple of veterans. They were no match for a powerful Acks side and Acks easily won 6-0.

Jack Halliday was the star with 3 first half goals and two assists in the second half. Chris Sutherland scored two and Graham Bremner the last goal.

After only 8 minutes Jack blasted the ball from the edge of the box and low into the corner of the net. 5 minutes later he did the same again, but got a helping hand from keeper Malcolm Nicolson who let the ball slip between his legs.

Gordon Clark had one cracking save when he had to dive full length to push a shot around the post. This was the only real effot on the Acks goal in the whole game.

Acks had to wait until 40 minutes to finish the game. Jack smashed a free-kick from 25 yards and again got a helping hand from the keeper who let the high ball slip through his fingers.

With the strong wind behind their backs in the second half, Acks were totally dominant. Gordon Clark had no saves to make. Early in the half, Jack fired in a high ball from the bye line and Chris Sutherland rose like a majestic stag to thunder a header high into the roof of the net from 12 yards out.

Chris got his second a few minutes later when he clipped a low cross from Craig Trueman past the keeper. The last goal was late on and was scored by sub Graham Bremner. He was lurking at the back post and cooly slammed home a fast daisy cutter of a cross-ball from Jack Halliday.

It was a clean game with no bookings from ref Bob Gunn.

Acks are to play Kirkwall Hotspurs in Orkney for round two.






























Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Halkirk vs Wick Groats (2-3)

Alan Hughes fires in a cross

Sandy Sutherland and Gavin Swanson

Paul MacKay tackles Martin Sutherland

James MacKay fires in a cross as Ian MacKay closes in

Graeme Gunn whips the ball away from Sandy Sutherland

Ian MacKay fires a shot just over the bar

Alan Hughes outstrips Matthew MacKay on his way to scoring the 2nd

Alan Hughes scores the 2nd goal

Groats' striker Stewart Ross unleashes a shot as Stevie Blackwood closes in
The first round of the Colin MacLeod memorial cup was played this week. Wick Groats travelled to Halkirk tonight and came away with a tight 3-2 victory. I caught the first half and Groats led 2-1.

The Wick team was filled with players from the North Caledonian winter League, but Halkirk more than matched them with a mixture of youngsters and old hands. David Blackwood (well past his 40th birthday) was playing at left back and his son Stevie was at right back.

Groats scored after 10 mins when Sandy Sutherland volleyed a low cross into the roof of the net from only 6 yards out. Paul Mackay equalised after 40mins with a cracking left foot shot from the edge of the box. Groats replied immediately and Alan Hughes received a defence splitting pass and cooly slotted the ball past Iain Miller.

Halkirk Team:
Iain Miller
Stevie Blackwood
David Blackwood
Gavin Swanson
Graeme Gunn
Paul Mackay
Michael Bremner
Ian Mackay
Ruari McCartney
Lee Elder
Matthew Mackay

Wick Groats team:

Graeme Miller
Jordan Howden
Sean Stewart
Alan Sinclair
Gavin Sinclair
Martin Sutherland
James MacKay
Grant MacNab
Stewart Ross
Alan Hughes
Sandy Sutherland

Other scores

John O'Groats 10-0 Keiss
Top Joes 0-8 Pentland Utd
FS Club 6-3 Watten
Thurso Pentland 0-3 Lybster
Staxigoe 3-0 Swifts
Castletown 7-0 Wick Thistle
High Ormlie Hotspur 0-3 Acks