A draw looked on the cards until Gary Manson’s stunning 78th-minute strike saw Wick Academy secure three very hard-earned Highland League points with a 2-1 victory against Turriff United at the Haughs.
The visitors led midway through the first half with a Gordon McNab counter but six minutes from the break Turriff deservedly drew level with a fine effort from David Ross.
Man-of-the match Manson, who made his Wick debut at the age of 16 and is now in his 18th season with the Scorries, reflected on his wonder strike and said: “The ball came to me from a corner kick and after scuffing off the head of a Turriff defender it was rolling along nicely and I just hit it.
“It was quite a tight affair, we maybe edged it on chances but there wasn’t much between the two teams. It was going to have to take something like my strike to win the game.”
Both sets of players deserved great praise for serving up an excellent game of football in testing conditions.
In his first home game back in charge of Turriff United manager Kris Hunter fielded a strong starting line-up, with the return of the central defensive pairing of skipper Cammy Bowden and Darren Wood.
Sean McCarthy replaced his younger brother Danny in goal for Wick Academy, while playmaker Sam Mackay and the experienced Richard Macadie reunited in midfield for the visitors. There was nothing to choose between the two sides in the early stages as both teams endeavoured to get a bit of rustiness out of their system.
Former Brora Rangers and Elgin City striker Craig Gunn created a 12th-minute opening for himself but his weak parting shot failed to trouble Aaron Sherman in the United goal.
A great 15-yard volley from Wood through a forest of legs was brilliantly blocked by McCarthy in the 20th minute.
Two minutes later Wick took the lead when a Gunn cross from the right was clinically dispatched past Sherman from 10 yards by McNab.
Six minutes from the break Turriff were back on level terms when after a bit of pin-ball in the Wick box Ross was on hand to hammer the ball home.
Just after the restart Sherman excelled when he dived full length to turn a fierce McNab 15-yard drive round the post for a fruitless corner kick.
Gunn had now drifted on to the right flank for Academy and on several occasions he fired tempting balls into the box but found no takers.
As the game progressed and the rain continued to fall not surprisingly the pitch started to cut up, although to their credit both sides continued to try to play the ball on the deck.
On the hour McCarthy had to be on his toes to turn a Bowden header over the top as play flowed.
In the 76th minute Sherman distinguished himself again when he somehow managed to keep out a point-blank Danny Mackay header at the back post.
Two minutes later Academy took the lead with a spectacular goal, good enough to win any game, when midfielder Manson almost burst the net with a 20-yarder which flew into the top corner.
Disappointed United central defender Darren Wood said: “We maybe edged the first half but they defended well and threw their bodies on the line to make a few blocks. We’ve not been having many breaks this season but hopefully that will change. There certainly wasn’t anything we could have done about Gary Manson’s late winner, I turned around to see it heading for the top corner.”