Six of the best as Academy cruise past Vikings

THE annual Caithness derby saw a nine goal thriller when the Highland League visitors eventually proved too much for a spirited Thurso.

Academy opened the scoring in the 12minute when Davie Allan drove up the right wing and cut the ball across into the penalty area where Gary Weir got a slight flick to send it into the path of Stevie Cunningham and he swept the ball home.

Sam Mackay doubled the lead when he scored the rebound from his saved penalty, but the Vikings pulled a good goal back just on the half-hour when James Murray slid the ball down the left channel for Lukas Geruzel and he hammed the ball past James More into his bottom left hand corner.

In the last minute of the first half, Michael Steven showed his power to hold off his marker and charged into the box before sending a thunder-bolt across Williamson and into the top right hand corner of the net.

Two minutes into the second half, the home side won a corner that was fired into the box. Stewart Ross stooped to try to avoid it but the ball came off his head and flew into the net for an own-goal.

Wick's two goal lead was restored in the 52nd minute when Stewart Ross fire home from a Gary Manson cross, but Thurso were back in it 60 seconds later as James Murray got onto the end of a cross in the box to rifle home to make it 4-3,

In the 72 minute, Academy substitute James Mackay broke down the right wing and he picked out Sam Mackay with a 40 yard pass who took one touch to control the ball which sat up perfectly for him to blast past keeper Williamson to make it five for the visitors.

Five minutes later the game was beyond doubt as Mackay scored his hat-trick. Cunningham slid an inch-perfect pass through the middle of the Thurso back-line for the attacking midfielder to take forward. Williamson was six yards off his line and Mackay executed a perfect chip which went over the out-stretched Williamson and into the back of the net.