ON A damp day at the Bellslea, Fraserburgh will have started favourites to send visitors Wick Academy out of the Challenge Cup in a game that saw two red cards and three goals.
Russell McBride, who was playing up front with Robert Morrice, should have opened the scoring on 12 minutes. After some good passing by the Broch side Michael Stephen got in a low cross from the left-handside, which went straight across the goalmout
h. If McBride had only be a yard quicker, the ball would certainly have found the back of the net.
Wick forced an uncomfortable looking save from Paul Leask on the quarter hour mark as they looked for the opener. A foul on the edge of the box saw Martin Gunn step up and strike a freekick goalward with Leask only managing to punch the ball out for a corner, but to safety none the less.
The game was proving to be a scrappy midfield affair with neither team managing to create any clear-cut chances for the majority of the half.
Wick were matching their hosts, however Wick's goalkeeper, Don MacMillan wasn't looking particularly comfortable when the ball did come his way, finding himself out of position on more than one occasion throughout the half. And if it hadn't been for some decent defending and poor finishing, Fraserburgh might have been lucky enough to find the break through in what had turned into a bland half of football.
Fraserburgh did construct a good chance on 40 minutes mainly thanks to Michael Stephen. Willie West's throw-in to Morrice was sent back to Stephen on the left wing who whipped the ball into the box. Beagrie did well to flick on to the feet of McBride who found the target with limited power, by provided the first real test of the MacMillan.
Russell McBride did find the net minutes later though to open the scoring for the home side. Stephen did superbly well to win the ball back inside his own half before heading into the Wick half.
West gave Stephen the option down the left hand side for the pass, which Stephen took after cutting in to draw the defender, West's cross found McBride at the back post which was duly knocked into the net to add some flavour to the cup tie which was failing to provide any fireworks.
Both teams emerged unchanged for the second half and Fraserburgh and both sides will have been looking to improve on their first half performance.
Fraserburgh should have had their second goal on 51 minutes as Derek Milne orchestrate a chance after flying down the right wing to cross the ball in low to find the pacey Morrice at the back post who could only put the ball wide when he looked odds on to score.
Wick came very close to on the hour mark to pulling a goal back. Macadie's in-swinging corner found the head of Craig Shearer who powered a header just over the Broch bar as the visitors tried to find a way back into the tie.
Morrice's electric pace looked as though it was starting to tire the Wick defence as he seemingly glided by Alec Lamb on 62 minutes with MacMillan doing well to get down low to block his subsequent shot.
Fraserburgh found their second goal on 71 minutes when Michael Stephen's inch perfect corner met the head of Willie West who headed across the goal to beat the Wick defence and keeper.
Gary Weir gave the visitors hope on 83 minutes after mistake by Bryan Hay allowed him to round Leask and knock the ball into an open net.
Where the game had lacked any form of spark it picked up its main talking points with only two minutes to go. Michael Stephen, who had already picked up a silly booking for reacting to a tackle earlier in the game, picked up a second for reacting to another tackle after raising his hands to push a player away after winning the freekick.
It was at this point the handbags game out and MacMillan ran 30 yards to push Robert Morrice before being shown red by referee Roddy Cobb.
Fraserburgh: Paul Leask, Derek Milne, Russell McBride, Marc Dickson, Jamie Ralph, Ryan Christie, Bryan Hay, Willie West, Robert Morrice, Jamie Beagrie (D Elrick 60), Michael Stephen. Subs: Alan Hale, Kevin Norris, Graham Johnston, Andrew Dickinson
Wick Academy: Don MacMillan, Brian McKiddie, Gary Manson, Alec Lamb, Andrew Macleod(S Sinclair 80), Craig Shearer, Martin Gunn, Steven Cunningham(G Farquhar 55), Gary Weir, Richard Macadie(J More 89), David Cowie. Subs: Greg Shearer, Sean Stewart
Referee: Roddy Cobb
Fraserburgh will now travel to Wick on Saturday when the team meet in the League.
The Broch's next home game is in the first round of the Aberdeenshire Cup next Wednesday, (August 20). Kick off 8pm.
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