Fort William V Wick Academy
Fort William collect their first point of the season in an entertaining encounter at Claggan Park. Bob MacGillivary and Danny Mackintosh both had early chances for Fort William, who looked to put pressure on the visitors right from the off. On 10minutes, some neat footwork from Michael Mulligan
took him towards the Wick byeline before a superb far post cross was met by the head of Danny Mackintosh only to see the keeper collect the ball under the crossbar.
It was then Wick’s turn to apply some attacking style with David Cowie crossing from the left only for Gary Weir to head over the bar from close range. 
This near miss was closely followed by a well executed overhead kick from Wick’s David Cowie, but the connection was not quite as good as the acrobatic technique and it looped high and wide. With pressure mounting on the Fort goal, Gary Weir avoided the offside trap and ran onto a through ball from midfield only to see Fort William’s Richie Munro advance from his box and clear long downfield. The clearance was met well by Michael Ellis’ glancing header putting Michael Gillespie through on the edge of the box, but his lobbed effort flew high over the bar.
It was now end to end stuff as both sides looked to get ahead in this evenly matched tie, next to run clear was Wick’s Stevie Cunningham, but Munro was alert and cleared the danger just outside the 18 yard line.
With both sides battling hard for possesion, the tackles were now flying in, but it was Fort William who could not quite get the timing right, resulting in 2 bookings in quick succession for Mark Gillespie and Michael Ellis. But it seemed they had the Wick midfield in their pocket as the passes were now flowing freely. Michael Gillespie dropped deep to combine with 
Bob MacGillivray on 41 minutes, whose effort from the right corner of the box was carefully watched past the post by MacMillan in the Wick goal.
Then followed a flurry of activity just before the break with chances for Wick’s Weir and Cunningham and a 30 yard effort from MacGillivary that forced a good save from MacMillan.
Wick came out the stronger after the interval with the impressive Gary Weir latching onto a Cunningham free-kick only to see the effort fly wide. Cunningham was then put clear by Cowie but his shot was well held by Munro. Fort substitute Jon Hewitt, introduced at half time for Kevin Ferguson, was now troubling the right side of the Wick defence with some good running and footwork and on 55 minutes, he put Michael Gillespie through to cross for Mulligan to shoot high over the bar.
Gary Weir then retaliated again for Wick with a lightning burst of speed to collect Farquhar’s through ball, but again the effort was snubbed out by the quick feet of Munro charging out of the box to clear.
Academy’s Greg Shearer was brought on replacing McKiddie and Sean Ellis was introduced by Fort boss Calum MacLean to a good reception from the watching Fort fans and players and he was soon into action with a quite magnificent run,
taking out three Wick players and leaving them on the floor with outstanding footwork and pace, only to be cynically brought down just outside the box by Craig Shearer. It was Ellis himself who stepped up to hit the free kick, but could not quite conjur up the trickery required to convert the chance which was saved easily by MacMillan.
But it was Fort William who had the momentum and on 70 minutes the pressure became too much for Wick, who after conceding a free kick in a central position, watched their goalkeeper fumble the resulting effort from Bob MacGillivary into the net for the opeing 
goal, met with great delight from the players and coaching staff alike. Fort then piled on the pressure with efforts from the tireless Michael Ellis, whose workrate deserved a reward, and Sean Ellis who looked very dangerous after coming on as a substitute with some excellent running.
However it was Wick’s substitute Greg Shearer who levelled for the Caithness side on 87 minutes with a glancing header from older brother Craig’s high cross. It was disappointment for Fort William as another goal conceded from a header ruins the chance of a first win of the season, in what may turn out to be their easiest match this term.
Fort William: Munro, Hendry, Mackintosh, Ewere, Martin, Mark Gillespie, Mulligan (Sean Ellis 61), Michael Gillespie, Michael Ellis (Pearson 82), MacGillivary, Ferguson (Hewitt 45). Subs (not used): Drain, MacLean.
Report & Images by Jason Law Photography