Wick Academy player-manager Gary Manson hopes his side can continue their strong home form after defeating Turriff United.
The Scorries’ 2-0 victory on Saturday made it two Breedon Highland League wins from two outings at Harmsworth Park.
Boss Manson was also pleased to keep another clean sheet and said: “You want to win your home games and to do it with two goals and a clean sheet you can’t ask for much more.
“We could maybe have picked off a couple more goals with counter-attacks towards the end.
“But overall I’m really pleased, it’s two wins from two at home.
“Every team will say they want their home ground to be a fortress.
“To start with two wins and two clean sheets at home we’re delighted,
“If that continues and we can win the majority of our home games we should have a good season.
“The Keith game (1-0 win) was a bit drab but that was more like what we want to see, it was entertaining and both teams were going at it.
“We were just that little bit more clinical when we got our good chances.”
Visitors miss opportunities
In an entertaining encounter, Turriff had plenty of chances but didn’t manage to convert.
Manager Dean Donaldson said: “It was a frustrating afternoon, we had eight or nine chances in the first half and six or seven corners.
“We should have scored a couple and we got caught on the break, I think they had one chance on target in the first half and they scored.
“It was much the same in the second half, I’m frustrated because we didn’t take our chances.
“We’ve been depending on Aaron Reid and the ball fell to others who didn’t put the ball away and that cost us.
“How we didn’t score and how we didn’t win is what I’m wondering, I think the better side lost.”
Donaldson was also frustrated by the performance of referee Billy Baxter who controversially ruled out Ewan Clark’s ‘goal’ just before half-time for a foul on Alan Farquhar.
That was one of a number of hotly-contested calls from the official who had an inconsistent afternoon.
Donaldson added: “The referee blew for a foul and I thought it was a penalty but he gave it the other way.
“We didn’t get the decisions, we had the referee at Brora a fortnight ago, we’ve had him at Wick and I’m pretty sure we’ll get him at Clachnacuddin next week.
“He seemed to know all their players by name, if we could get a different referee it would be nice.
“I’m not saying he’s a bad referee but we got absolutely nothing, I’m not just putting it down to that because we didn’t take our chances which is our fault.
“But we didn’t get any rub of the green either.”
Exciting encounter
In an absorbing first period Sean Campbell beat Turriff goalkeeper David Dey with a shot from the right side of the area on 15 minutes, but Owen Kinsella was back on the line to clear.
At the other end Clark found Jack McKenzie on the right and he cut in before shooting against the left post from the edge of the box.
McKenzie was first to the rebound, but goalkeeper Graeme Williamson recovered to save.
On the half hour Wick took the lead after a terrific passing move. Jack Halliday linked with Richard Macadie in midfield, who in turn found younger brother Mark on the left.
Full-back Ryan Campbell made an overlapping run and when Macadie found him his cross was met by a bullet header from Jack Henry.
Turriff responded well with Keir Smith having a near post header from Liam Cheyne’s corner saved, then on 35 minutes Smith stabbed just wide from Cheyne’s free-kick.
Williamson was also required to tip Jordan Cooper’s 20-yarder over.
In the 50th minute Wick doubled their lead with Halliday’s step over setting up Mark Macadie who produced a fine finish from 12 yards.
Halliday had a shot from 25 yards tipped behind by Dey as Academy pressed for a third.
But Turriff were never out of the contest with Cooper denied by Williamson’s foot after evading the offside trap and sub Rory Brown curled a free-kick wide.
The visitors tried manfully to mount a comeback in the closing stages but Wick held firm.