Two first-half goals saw Wick Academy beat Caley Thistle last night and progress to the North of Scotland Cup final.
After a quiet opening 10 minutes, Inverness took the lead out of the blue in the 12th minute. They worked their way into the box. Wick’s Danny Mackay thought he had dealt with the danger but his clearance was closed down and Jamie Wilson pounced on the loose ball to score.
Wick should have equalised in the 18th minute when Richard Macadie’s corner fell perfectly for Gary Weir at the back post but he smashed his effort over the bar from 10 yards.
Wick did find an equaliser, though, in the 28th minute when Macadie’s free kick from the right wing was volleyed home on the six-yard line by Grant Steven.
The home side completed a quick turnaround two minutes later when Davie Allan was dragged to the ground inside the box by Caley’s Christopher Brown. Macadie stepped up to send opposing goalkeeper Daniel Hoban the wrong way.
Caley Jags almost had an instant equaliser when Calum Ferguson rounded Wick goalkeeper Sean McCarthy but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Michael Steven.
Wick went close to sealing the win in the 77th minute when Weir played in Allan inside the box but his shot was parried away by Hoban before James Pickles’ ambitious shot off the rebound flew over the top.
Inverness missed a golden opportunity to equalise three minutes later when McCarthy fumbled a high cross leaving substitute Andrew Macrae with a near open net but Michael Steven made a heroic goal-saving clearance.