Manager angry after 'abysmal' Clachnacuddin performance in Highland League match against Wick Academy
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Clachnacuddin manager Jordan MacDonald will be demanding an all-round improvement from his team for Saturday’s Highland League visit to Turriff United after an “abysmal” midweek display at Wick.
The Scorries dominated the game at Harmsworth Park on Wednesday evening and ran out 3-0 winners, although they left it late with all the goals coming in the last 12 minutes.
It was another frustrating outing for the error-prone Lilywhites.
“Our performance was abysmal from start to finish,” MacDonald said.
“We got what we deserved.”
The manager was adamant Clach should have been awarded a spot-kick midway through the second half when Connor Bunce went down under a challenge from Wick keeper Graeme Williamson.
“It’s a stonewall penalty, but at the end of the day, that’s not why we got beaten,” MacDonald said.
“We got beaten because we were abysmal, from goalkeeper right through the team.
“The subs didn’t have an impact when they came on.
“We didn’t pass the ball, we didn’t move the ball, we didn’t work hard enough. We should have been behind at half-time.”
Defeat left Clach with two points and no wins from their opening four matches.
MacDonald, unsurprisingly, issued a strongly-worded warning to his players ahead of this weekend’s action.
Looking ahead to the Turriff trip, MacDonald said: “They beat us three times last year, convincingly all three times.
“If we don’t get our act together pretty quickly then they’ll beat us again.
“The players need to take a long, hard look at themselves and start producing better.”
It took Academy until the 79th minute to make the breakthrough when Richard Macadie sent a free kick low past the diving Daniel Rae.
Two minutes later the home side doubled their lead when substitute Gary Pullen set up Ross Gunn for a clinical first-time finish.
Gunn, a former Inverness Caledonian Thistle youth player, slotted in his second of the night in stoppage time after being played in by another of the substitutes, Kyle Henderson.
Wick player/manager Gary Manson came off the bench in the closing stages to make his 700th competitive appearance for the club.
