Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth hails Scottish Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Wick Academy and Christie Park side now faces another Highland League club Brechin City in round two
The Scottish Cup is all about the challenge of facing clubs from other divisions - unless you’re Huntly.
The first round draw paired the Christie Park side with fellow Highland League side Wick Academy on Saturday.
Huntly made it through a tough afternoon, holding their nerve in the penalty shoot-out as debut keeper Calum Brodie saved the first Wick kick and the home side scored all five of theirs.
Next up for the Black and Golds is another league foe in the shape of leaders Brechin City, with a trip to Glebe Park on October 26.
“The Scottish Cup is meant to be a break from Highland League games,” joked Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth.
As tough a tie as it is, Charlesworth believes his men can upset the odds and take their run even further of they apply themselves in the right way and play to their strengths.
“I will never go into a game thinking we’ve not got a chance,” he said. “The quality we have in our team, the attacking options we have shows we can cause all teams plenty of problems.
“We went there earlier in the season and made a good showing with a depleted squad given all the injuries we were carrying at that time. It’s a cup game and anything can happen, and our lads will be going there fired up.”
Two first half goals by on-fire front man Angus Grant - taking his tally for the season to 14 - saw the home side twice take the lead before Wick pegged them back to 2-2 and extra time. The additional 30 minutes failed to produce any more goals and it went to penalties.
James Connelly, Grant, Brodie Allen and Ross Still all netted while keeper Brodie, signed from St Andrews United earlier in the month, repelled Richard Macadie’s opening kick for the visitors to pave the way for Michael Clark to fire home the winning strike.
“It was a good game,” Charlesworth added. “The result is all that matters in cup games.
“We started better for 10-15 minutes and got ourselves in front, and Wick grew it after that and finished the first half stronger than us. We managed to get our noses in front right on the stroke of half time, probably against the run of play.
“The second half was much the same but I thought in extra time we looked like the team most likely to win it. But if you don’t take the chances that come your way you go to the lottery of penalties and it’s anyone’s game at that point.
“One save was all we needed, as I was confident in our lads. The boys hang about at the end of training most nights and hit penalties at the goal, it’s something they practice off their own backs so I was confident that all we would need was one save.”
Charlesworth is thrilled by the hot scoring form of Grant. “I said at the start of the season when people spoke about the loss of Robbie Foster and Andy Hunter that I knew we always had players in waiting.
“There’s Angus, Brodie Allen, we took in Sam Robertson and there’s guys like Callum Murray and Lewis Crosbie so we always knew we had firepower to deal with our losses.
“It’s testament to Angus that he has confidence in his own ability, he said himself he was going to get goals this season and he backs himself in every game. It’s not a dumb confidence, it comes from someone who believes in his own ability and he’s proving it just now.”
