Saturday’s game with Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park was touch and go due to continuing rain up to kick-off.
I was relieved to see the Locos’ team bus still heading north as I made my way up the A9 – even if the poor pitch condition meant both teams had to warm up on adjacent playing fields.
The pitch was heavy and glutinous and referee David Watt used his discretion on a number of occasions as the ground conditions resulted in some feisty tackles.
Locos’ Ryan Broadhurst left the field on a stretcher in the second period after an accidental clash in a sliding tackle. The tricky conditions also contributed to an element of bad temper from time to time and Locos’ Stephen Jeffrey was ultimately sent packing.
Wick adapted better to the conditions in the first-half and, as usual, tried to play neat football on the ground. Their first goal within a minute of the start was rather fortunate with Greg Mitchell slipping while in possession; but the second goal was brilliantly headed past Errol Watson from a free-kick. When David Allan scored a third after 28 minutes, rounding the ‘keeper from a wonderful through ball from Gary Manson, I thought Locos faced a real hiding.
However, Locos appeared to get to grips with the slippy surface and clawed their way back with good goals from Jeffrey and Charlesworth either side of half-time.
As Locos played up the slope they took the game to Academy and looked in with a real chance of staging a comeback. David Allan’s well taken fourth goal and Jeffrey’s departure put paid to that, but in the end it was an enjoyable game.
Wick deserved to win 4-2, but Locos fought back well. This was only the second time that Wick have completed the league double over Locos in 15 years.
At the end of the game the pitch resembled a ploughed field. The happy Wick supporters reckoned the groundsman was in for a busy Sunday!