FORRES MECHANICS 2

INVERURIE LOCO WORKS 0

THERE WAS just a hint of the old saying that every dog will have it's day about Forres on Saturday as a determined Mechanics side growled their way to a result which sees them remain top dogs in the league.

Manager Charlie Rowley was typically honest in his assessment of the match: "It was a mediocre display from us but, nevertheless, it was a great result. We showed a dogged attitude and dug our heels in to grind out the result."

Having suffered their first defeat since August 13 at Station Park, Nairn, on December 30, the visit of an on-form Inverurie Locos side was always going to be a test of character for the Mechanics, who showed their steel to claim all three points.

Top scorer Lee Fraser was back in the starting line-up at the expense of Kevin Duguid, and Garry Tweedie was also added to the squad. The Locos arrived without top central midfield pairing Clark Bain and Tommy Wilson, but began the game with five players who have spent a significant spell playing at centre forward for the Red and Blacks.

It was the visitors who were to have the edge in terms of possession, but the chances were fairly well split with the majority of them coming from set pieces.

Early on, Kyle Scott sent a looping header over the crossbar from a Simon Allan free kick before Kenny Coull flicked a header past the far post from John Maitland's corner.

The former Cove Rangers and Formartine United striker was to go even closer in the 24th minute when he moved on to another Maitland set piece delivery to glance a header goalwards but with Stuart Knight beaten it was the inside of the post that game to the Can Cans rescue.

As the half turned towards its close it was Forres who began to exert some pressure of their own.

Ten minutes from the break, Ryan Green picked out Scott Moore and he stung the palms of Andy Reid with a well struck shot.

Simon Allan loaded the ensuing corner into the penalty area where it was met by Nathan Sharp, but his header skimmed the bar. The breakthrough followed four minutes later. Kenny Coull's foul just inside the Forres half gave Graeme Grant the chance to launch the ball into the danger area where Kyle Scott proved to be the hungriest, rising to curl a header into the top corner over the despairing Reid.

The second half had barely begun when the Chocolate and Gold's front man Lee Fraser went down under the challenge of Kieran Adams in the penalty area only to find referee Craig Sim adding his name to his notepad and flashing a yellow card.

However, this was a rare venture into the Locos box in the second half as the visitors upped the ante as they pushed for a leveller, but they were to find the Mechanics iron curtain defence impenetrable with a long range pile driver from defender Adams forcing the diligent Knight into a rare save.

Having held Locos at arm's length, Forres delivered the sucker punch four minutes from time with yet another substitute coming off the bench to score. This week it was Kevin Duguid's turn to make an impact, driving at the Locos defence and cleverly playing a wall pass to send him through on goals where he forced the ball under the frame of the advancing Andy Reid to the relief of the home faithful.