Donaldson praises workrate as Turriff United earn first point of the season in draw at Wick
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Manager Dean Donaldson praised the workrate of his young Turriff United side as they earned their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw at Wick on Saturday.
Matty McDonald's well-directed header just before the hour mark ensured it was honours even at Harmsworth Park after Ross Allan had put Academy in front shortly before half-time.
“I'm pleased to get the point and get us up and running for the season but I thought we just lacked that little bit of final quality because the boys were a little bit rushed,” Donaldson said.
“Because of the start that we'd have to the season it has probably been playing on their minds and they're eager to please.
“But overall I'm really proud. We had two or three 16-year-olds playing today – we've got a really young side. Most of them are under-20s, apart from two or three.
“I'm pleased with their workrate. If they work like that every week then they'll always get points.
“It was a case of getting the tempo up in the second half. Wick had put us under a bit of pressure and we weathered the storm a bit.
“The goal they scored was terrific – the link-up play that they had was really good.
“It was a kick in the teeth that we lost it so late in the first half. But the boys gave me everything they had.
“We worked the equaliser really well – out one side, down the other side, down the wing, and the cross and the header was really good, to be fair to Matty.
“Matty has obviously got a bit to prove. He was on the bench but that is exactly what we're looking for.”
Donaldson added: “It doesn't matter which game it is, whether we win, draw or get beaten, there is always something to take out of it because we're working with a really young squad.
“It was probably a fair result. They had a chance right at the end and could have won it, and we had a couple of chances at the other end.
“It was just an honest game of Highland League football.”
Academy came close early on when a Ross Allan corner was diverted onto the crossbar by a defender.
At the other end, Keir Smith seized on a short pass by Alan Hughes and cut the ball back to Rory Brown whose low drive ended up well wide of the target.
The Scorries hit the woodwork again when a Ross Allan free kick smacked off the bar. Allan was not to be denied, though, and two minutes from half-time he finished off a well-worked move by calmly knocking the ball past keeper Tim Findlay.
Turriff's Jordan Cooper tried a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection and trundled wide.
Ross Allan was in the thick of the action again at the start of the second half, this time nodding the ball over his own bar with many home fans fearing it was about to drop into the net.
Turriff did get themselves back on level terms on 59 minutes when Murray Thomson delivered a perfectly weighted cross from the right and McDonald – who had come on as a substitute after half-time – flicked a header past keeper Graeme Williamson and into the far corner.
Craig Gunn's cross-field pass found Davie Allan in a good position and the forward unleashed a shot that was tipped past the post by Findlay.
Steven Anderson shrugged off a couple of challenges as he drove in from the left but fired his shot over the top.
Gordon MacNab looked to have picked up a hamstring injury late on but he still managed to pick out Anderson in space in the penalty box as Wick carved out one last chance. Anderson's effort crept across the face of goal and out for a corner after taking a deflection.
Wick manager Gary Manson said: “The first half was good in terms of general play but as soon as we got to the final third everything broke down.
“I can't blame bad luck or I can't blame not getting the breaks. It was just either poor finishing or choosing the wrong option, it was as simple as that.
“We threw everything at it. But we're in a rut just now and we need to get out of it as quickly as we can.”
Wick Academy: Williamson, Hughes, R Allan, R Campbell, Hardwick, Halliday, Henry (Bain 84), D Allan, S Campbell (S Anderson 66), MacNab, M Macadie (Gunn 66). Subs not used: Manson, Sinclair, C Farquhar, More.
Turriff United: Findlay, Kinsella, Esson, Chalmers, Stuart, Norris (Whelan 76), Thompson, Cormack, Smith (McDonald 46), Cooper, Brown (Buxton 46). Subs not used: Smith, Clark.
Referee: Billy Baxter.
