Wick Academy 0-6 Falkirk: John McGlynn's side seal their place in the Scottish Cup fourth round

The Bairns made the long trip north to Harmsworth Park with a number of key players missing, with top-goalscorer Callumn Morrison, Ryan Williamson and Juan Alegria all absent from the matchday squad due to illness.

And early on, the hosts put John McGlynn’s side under real pressure in the opening ten minutes on a bobbly pitch, in windy conditions.

Both club captains had early chances with Stephen McGinn firing wide in the box when it looked easier to score.

Wick then went straight up the pitch and their skipper Richard Macadie saw his effort blaze over the bar from a corner kick.

Falkirk could have been down to ten men in the 16th minute into the tie when Ola Lawal hauled down the onrushing home player after he lost the ball in the middle of the park.

After much deliberation with the far-side linesman, referee Barry Cook decided to brandish just a yellow card.

Lawal then had a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring in the 38th minute when he was presented with the ball in the box, but he could only put his effort past the post.

Falkirk finally found the breakthrough against a stuffy Wick from a set-piece, which would ultimately be the hosts' downfall.

Rumarn Burrell got on the end of a second ball in the box and slid home from a few yards out to make it 1-0 to Falkirk going into the break.

The goal gave the Bairns a lift, and they didn’t look back going into the second half.

Craig McGuffie doubled the lead on the hour mark with a cracking effort from range that caught out the Scorries’ goalkeeper Graeme Williamson.

Substitute Gary Oliver then got in on the act only a minute later, heading home a pinpoint free kick from Kai Kennedy.

The striker grabbed a second for himself in the 70th minute from the penalty spot to make it 4-0. He was taken out in the box and he duly stepped up and slotted home into the bottom right corner.

By this point in the match, on a leggy pitch, Gary Manson’s side looked truly down and out.

A final flurry from Falkirk in the final ten minutes then saw the away side grab another two goals to ensure it was a comfortable 6-0 triumph.

Another inch-perfect delivery from Kennedy found Coll Donaldson and he fired home his first Bairns goal in the box.

Then with three minutes to go, fellow defender Brad McKat latched onto another dead ball to slot home on the goal-line.

Teams

Wick Academy: Graeme Williamson, Alan Hughes, Ryan Campbell, Ross Allan, Joe Anderson, Jack Halliday, Jack Henry, Richard Macadie, Harry Hennem, Mark Macadie, Gordon MacNab.

Subs: Conor Farquhar, Alan Farquhar, James Mackintosh, Cameron Montgomery, Toby MacLeod, Jamie Flett, James More.

Falkirk: Nick Hogarth, Brad McKay, Coll Donaldson, Liam Henderson, Leon McCann, Steven Hetherington, Stephen McGinn, Ola Lawal, Kai Kennedy, Rumarn Burrell, Craig McGuffie.

Subs: Paddy Martin, Aidan Nesbitt, Finn Yeats, Seb Ross, Gary Oliver, Sean Mackie.

Referee: Barry Cook.