North of Scotland Cup

[Mee]

We were away to Wick Academy tonight in the semi final - anyone know how we got on?

Official site's not been updated yet....  :003:

[Mee]

Ah the good old John O Groat Journal

Academy cup dream is over

Wick Academy 0, Caley Thistle 2

Published:  04 September, 2007

WICK Academy's hopes of reaching a first senior cup final were dashed by a slick young Caley Thistle side on Tuesday night.

Academy battled hard but were always second best in this ITP Solutions North of Scotland Cup semi at Harmsworth Park, although there could have been a tense finale had the home side converted one of several chances they created late in the game.

The young Caley Jags led at half-time through a Bryan McKiddie own goal, and Iain Vugurs doubled their lead early in the second half. They will now meet Elgin City in the final.

Full match report and comments in Friday's John O'Groat Journal.

[L_G]

Great news.  Well done boys.  :021: :021: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

[Mee]

County lost to Elgin in the other semi  :rotflmao:

Works going to be fun tomorrow  :003:

[caley89]

when and where will the final be does anyone know??

[ICTJackson]

Caley 4 life

Just been on the Elgin City website and they say the final is on Sunday 16th September at Forres.

[Mee]

Just saw this story on the Official site

McALLISTER OUT FOR UEFA DOUBLE HEADER

Rory McAllister, who was yesterday called into the UEFA U21 squad, has now had to pull out after sustaining an injury at last nights North of Scotland Cup semi final at Wick.  We had a comfortable 3-0 win and will meet Elgin City in the final on Sunday 16th September at Forres.

So did we win 2-0 or 3-0???

I can report that the County fans in the office were suitable devastated about being beaten by Elgin, however narrowly! Great stuff!  :003:

[tm4tj]

Looks like they are better at counting in Wick****************from the wick webby

report

ICT young guns marched into the final of the ITP NOS Cup with a 2-0 defeat of Academy tonight. An own-goal by Bryan McKiddie and a strike from man of the match Ian Vugurs directly after half-time was good enough to take them into the final. Academy did have several chances to pull back into the game, but couldn?t convert them.

The Scories first chance of the game came with 10 minutes played. Macadie made good ground up the wing and fired in a dangerous cross ball. Henstridge out-jumped the Caley defence but the ball just shaved off the top of his head. 

A minute later Shearer tried a pop at goal from 28 yards but his attempt went just wide of the right post.

Just after the 14 hour Academy created another chance. Shearer played Macadie into the Caley box and he squared the ball across goal but no-one was there to capitalise. 

Caley?s goal came in the 20th minute. Gillespie drove into the Academy box and Neil Traill did well to track him and turn his shot at goal out for a corner-kick. The resulting corner was fired into the box and Duff eventually got his head to it. His attempt beat James and McKiddie headed into his own net for an own-goal whilst attempting to clear his lines. 

0 ? 1

2 minutes later and More was called into action as he had an acrobatic save to tip a strike from McAllister around the post. 

Academy kept plugging away and Manson provided another good pass for Shearer who got another attempt on the Caley goal, but McNulty was again on hand to make the save. 

38 minutes in Neil Traill was taken off with an injury and replaced by Shaun Sinclair.

A minute after the substitution McKiddie was flattened at the edge of the Caley box and referee Bicknell awarded a free-kick. Farquhar took it and McNulty split the ball whilst collecting at the back post. This resulted in a scramble between him and Manson for the ball, with the keeper eventually recovering to snuff out the threat. 

3 minutes before the break and More again denied McAllister with another diving save tipped around the post.

Half Time 0 ? 1

Less than a minute after the restart former Academy starlet Shane Sutherland stormed up the left wing and delivered a perfect cross into the Academy box straight into the path of Iain Vugurs and he hammered the ball home past a helpless More. 

0 ? 2

Great play in the 51st minute between Duff and Gillespie played Gillespie in one-on-one with More, but James did well to save his shot. 

Sutherland then showed what he was all about with a great turn and shot from the edge of the Academy box that went just over the top of Mores cross-bar.

Just before the hour Hughes and Munro introduced Weir for Henstridge. 

With 57 minutes played More again denied McAllister as he had yet another diving save to shut-out his free-kick attempt.

On the hour mark Academy went 3 at the back and pulled McKiddie into midfield in an attempt to take something back out of the game and shortly after the switch a recovery goal was almost carved-out. Manson took a free-kick 30 yards from goal rolling it Farquhar who played in Weir but he hit his shot directly at keeper McNulty. 

McAllister must have been sick of the sight of More as he once again found himself in on goal. More came to close him down and put him off enough to make him screw his shot wide of target.

With around 20 minutes of the game remaining club captain Martin Gunn (returning from injury) made his first competitive appearance of the season, coming on for Farquhar, and almost scored with his first touch of the ball. Weir ran at the heart of the Caley defence and slit a great pass to Gunn who hit it first time on the run but it went agonisingly just past McNulty?s left hand post. 

Academy kept plugging away and McKiddie played Manson through the middle and McNulty just beat him in the race to the ball.

With time running out for the Scorries Macadie spotted keeper McNulty off his line and tried to chip him from all of 40 yards but his attempt went just wide of goal. 

Academy?s final attack saw Weir again burst through the middle of the Caley defence before passing to Gunn but he screwed his shot wide of target from 14 yards out.

[Guest TinCanFan]

So McNulty was signed as ICT goalkeeper then.

[Kingsmills]

Bodes well for the future.

[Fanoffooty]

  Well done boys  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :021:

[Guest eliza]

Anyone know the kick-off time of the final on the 16th.  Quite fancy going through to Forres to support the boys.

Haven't been to see footie at Forres in many years - enjoyed the terracing at Keith and Ross County games in the summer so, might try Forres.   

Presume the crowd will be as big as the usual at Reserve games?  Booooooo

[Ritchie Sacramento]

Anyone know the kick-off time of the final on the 16th.   Quite fancy going through to Forres to support the boys.

Haven't been to see footie at Forres in many years - enjoyed the terracing at Keith and Ross County games in the summer so, might try Forres.     

Presume the crowd will be as big as the usual at Reserve games?   Booooooo

I may head along too :003:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Are Ridgers and Zander allowed to play ?

[Mee]

Zander may be cup tied (I think he played for us v Fort William or Clach)

KO on Sunday is 2pm apparently. (HL website)

The official site yet again has a slightly different report....

NORTH OF SCOTLAND CUP SEMI FINAL

Our young guns marched into the final of the North of Scotland Cup on Tuesday night with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park.  Goals from Dale Gillespie and Stuart Leslie ensured a final against Elgin City, after their 3-2 victory over Ross County, on Sunday 16th September at Mosset Park, Forres.  The only sour note came when striker Rory McAllister got injured and had to be replaced in the 74th minute ruling him out of the Scotland Under 21 squad for their games against Finland and Denmark.

Our first goal came in the 20th minute, Dale Gillespie himself a recent selection for the Scotland Under 19 side, drove into the Wick Academy box and had his effort deflected for a corner.  From the resulting kick Dale got his head to the ball and powered it towards goal.  Academy defender Bryan McKiddie attempted to clear but only helped the ball into the net to make it 1-0.

Two minutes later a fine strike by Rory McAllister was tipped round the post by Wick keeper James More and twenty minutes later and More again denied Rory with a diving save tipping the ball round the post.

We started the second half quickly and within a minute we had increased our lead.  Ex-Wick player Shane Sutherland stormed down the left flank leaving defenders in his wake and from his cross into the box Stuart Leslie was on hand to hammer the ball past More in the Wick goal.

James More in the Wick goal was having an outstanding match and he again denied us in the 51st minute when Jamie Duff released Dale Gillespie one on one with the keeper only to see More block his effort.  Six minutes later More denied Rory McAllister from a free kick.

Midfielder Iain Vigurs was named Man of the Match.

And Eliza - did you mean to booooooo the people who turn up to reserve matches?

[Guest eliza]

Heavens! NO...... I meant booooooo to all those who could, but don't, go to the Reserve Games.

I really must read over my messages more carefully - I consider myself suitably chastised!  Meet you at the next Reserve Game? or at Forres on the 16th?

[Mee]

I don't think I can make it to Forres but I will be at the reserve game on Tuesday afternoon (if its still on)  :003:

[beachcomber]

Some footage from the final at Grant Street a couple of years back

Wee County

Marvellous

note cameo appearances from J.Calder & S.Paterson

[mainstander]

Is that the final that Nairn got into after beating Caley in a semifinal that Nairn refused to shift when it clashed with a Caley reserve game.  :020:  :018: