Can Cans assistant manger Charlie Rowley felt the outcome was a bitter pill for the Mechanics to swallow.

He said: "It was the most disappointing result of the season so far for us. We absolutely battered them in the first half and I do not know how we were not at least 4-0 up at half-time.

"We were the architects of our own downfall because we did not take our chances. They took a boost from being only 1-0 down at the break after what was probably our best first half performance of the season.

"We were slightly disappointed at half-time, but still quietly confident that if we kept performing in the same way throughout the second then we would get a result. We never really started the half in the same way as we had finished the first and they capitalised on the lift they got from coming back out just one goal down. It gave them more confidence and they finished the game strongly as they went on to score the killer goal with the last kick of the game.

He added: "We had several one-on-one chances but didn't convert them and our chances-to-goals ratio is not very good at the moment. It is certainly something that we will need to work on, because we cannot go on like this.

"It is not as if we are playing badly but when you are not taking your chances, it has an effect on the confidence and it means you have to concentrate more on trying to defend because you are not in a comfortable position."

Forres restored Gary Youngson to the team at left back after he served a one-match suspension, with Ross MacPherson dropping down to the bench. Meanwhile, Kyle Scott was pushed into the attack in place of Ryan Green with Ross Duncan coming in to fill the vacancy in the midfield four.

Rowley said: "Kyle and Ricky (Wardrop) acquitted themselves really well up front. Wardrop probably had all the decent chances but his work rate and his overall performance was excellent - he just didn't score. I cannot fault his performance apart from his lack of finishing.

The Cans Cans got off to a flying start as they broke the deadlock with just six minutes on the clock.

Skipper Neil Whyte led by example as he ran onto Ricky Wardrop's layoff to place the ball high into the net from just inside the penalty area.

The hosts almost grabbed a second when Wardrop ran onto a Bruce Milne pass and clipped the ball past Keith goalkeeper Andrew Shearer, but the forward's effort was hooked clear from the goal line.

Two one-on-one chances then went a-begging for Forres as they failed to make their first half superiority count for more.

Whyte raced in on Shearer but the goalkeeper managed to get a slight touch to the midfielder's shot and that was enough to send it whistling past the post by a matter of inches.

Moments later, Wardrop sprung the Keith offside trap to race in on goal himself, but he dragged his effort well wide of goal when he should have at least called Shearer into action.

Having just one goal to show for their dominance of the first half, Forres looked edgy as the second half began in a game where they should have been outside before the interval.

Forres Mechanics' Neil Whyte (right) and Keith's Jamie Lennox battle it out for possession.

Keith, on the other hand, were lifted by the fact they were still in the game and they looked a galvanised outfit after the restart, and striker Cammy Keith glanced a header narrowly past Ross Harkness' goal moments into the second half.

The Maroons had a golden opportunity to level things up when Graeme Grant hauled down substitute Derek Nicol in the penalty area. Referee Craig Sim signalled for the game to continue but, for the second time in as many games, Forres had a penalty awarded against them, thanks to the intervention of a linesman.

However, sub Dean Donaldson blasted his spot kick over the crossbar to let the Cans off the hook.

The stay of execution didn't last long as Keith levelled the game 15 minutes from time. Winger Donaldson wriggled between two Forres defenders to meet a cross from the left and sent a pinpoint header across Harkness and into the bottom corner of the net.

Striker Cammy Keith was giving the home defence problems and he saw a shot tipped over the crossbar before Harkness again kept him out by blocking the forward's powerful strike moments later.

The writing was on the wall for the Mechanics, and another Keith substitute Gary Harris kept a cool head to slot past Harkness three minutes into stoppage time after being played in by Keith to break Forres hearts and take all three points back to Kynoch Park.

Forres begin their re-arranged fixtures this midweek as the Highland League look to work their way through a record-breaking backlog of postponed games, and first up for the Cans is a trip to Deveronvale on Wednesday evening.

Rowley said: "Deveronvale had a good result against Nairn on Saturday although I heard that Nairn played well for long periods of the game. It is as good a game as any for us to try to get back on track, and if we can take our chances, we can get something out of it."

Forres have doubts over Kyle Scott, as he sustained an ankle knock on Saturday and will be assessed on the day of the game before a final decision is taken on his fitness, while goalkeeper Stuart Knight continues to miss out due to work commitments.

Forres Mechanics: Harkness, Allan, Youngson, Grant, Sharp, Bremner, Whyte, Milne, Wardrop (Penwright 88), Scott (Green 88), Duncan (Chambers 66). Subs: Moore, MacPherson.

Scorer: Whyte (6)

Keith: Shearer, Watt, Lonie, Mackay, Niddrie, McCall (Nicol 46), Walker, Park (Donaldson 60), C. Keith, Lennox (Harris 81), S. Keith. Subs: Craig, Duff.

Scorers: Donaldson (75), Harris (90+3)

Referee: Craig Sim.

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