Banks o’ Dee manager Jamie Watt hailed the players for delivering the best performance of the season so far in our stunning 8-0 Breedon Highland League victory away to Wick Academy.

Hat-tricks by skipper Kane Winton and veteran striker Neil Gauld and singles from Lachie Macleod and Rob Armstrong ensured it was a memorable first visit to Harmsworth Park for the Dee.

It’s our second 8-0 victory of the campaign and wrecked Wick’s impeccable home record up until our visit.

It was also Wick’s biggest ever home league defeat and our first on the road since making the step up to the Highland League, although the home side weren’t helped by having Joe Anderson sent off in the 38th minute, when we were 2-0 ahead.

Jamie said: “I really can’t praise the players enough.

“I warned them they would have to be at their very best because Wick had won their previous three home games without conceding a goal.

“The pressure was also on those who aren’t used to making the sort of long bus journeys they are going to have to cope with a lot over the course of the season.

“The way they responded to all of that was simply unbelievable, it was without doubt our best performance so far.

“We were desperate to get that first away win to get that particular monkey off our backs.

“To do it by scoring eight times at Wick and creating wave upon wave of other chances was simply remarkable.

“We were at it from the very first whistle and forced a corner almost immediately.

“Kane put us ahead from that and we just went from strength to strength.”

Gauld’s treble came inside the space of just three minutes in the second half and brought the total of goals scored by him at Highland League level to an astonishing 350.

The 35-year-old is now just one short of the 351 mark set by by his good pal Cammy Keith, during his spells with Keith and Formartine United.

Jamie is certain Neil will go way beyond that figure before the campaign is out.

He said: “What a coup it was to secure a player as talented as Neil is on a free transfer in the summer.

“I knew there was still plenty of goals in him and Neil could easily have scored four before finally grabbing his first, he was having his own personal battle with the Wick keeper.

“Completing a hat-trick inside just three minutes showed just how special a striker he is.

“Neil mentioned on the bus up that he needed three goals to get to the 350 mark, so I actually joked that should make him hungry to net a hat-trick.

“To see him go out and do just that was amazing and I’m sure there’s a lot more goals to come from Neil.”

Dee are on the road again this weekend, when we travel to face Rothes in the league at Mackessack Park, although club captain Winton will miss out because he will be serving a one match suspension.

Jamie said: “We will miss Kane, but just have to get on with it.

“We have plenty of candidates to step in, including Paul Lawson, who will benefit from finally being able to make his debut at Wick.

“Every game in this league is dangerous, but if we maintain the standards we showed at Wick we can feel confident about our chances of doing well at Rothes.”