A week is a long time in football for Rowley

A week in football can be a very long time, as Forres Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley will tell you having gone through widely differing emotions watching his side in the last seven days.

It began so well with a 7-1 win at Seafield Park and it was with a smile on his face that the gaffer assessed that performance. “Our incentive tonight was to get three points and go to the top of the table. It was a wee bit easier than I expected given our last few performances against Strathspey so I am delighted to have come through it. We have enhanced our goal difference and game through it unscathed so I am absolutely delighted. I couldn’t have asked for more.

With goals galore it was great for Rowley to see a number of new names on the scoresheet. “There were a few first goals for individuals at the club. Stevie Ross played exceptionally well in the first half up front and played in the wide area for a spell in the second half and looked equally effective. We are fortunate to have him on board for just now and it was pleasing to see him getting his goals.”

Despite that the main praise went to our gold star winner in the middle of the park, Fraser Bremner. “I thought Fraser was the best player on the park. Defensively he is a really aware footballer, a clever footballer and he kept us ticking over and I thought he was exceptional tonight. It was an unusual situation for him, scoring a goal, but it typified his performance. It was a real bit of class, at the edge of the box, coming on to it with the outside of his right foot and into the top corner.

“He was also a key player in terms of encouraging us to keep the ball tonight and obviously some managers label us a route one team and while at times you need to we played some good football and I was pleased with the way we played tonight.”

However just 67 hours later and the managers mood had changed dramatically and he didn’t pull any punches in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Clachnacuddin. Rowley began, “I am bitterly disappointed. There haven’t been too many times this season I have been able to say I was disappointed in my teams performance but today is one.

There was little in the way of plus points for the manager who felt his team lacked the quality required to win the game. “I didn’t feel we started the game particularly well we didn’t really get out of the bit. We went in 1-0 up at half time which I was delighted with but while we were a good bit better in the second half we still lacked that wee bit of quality and it is not like us.”

He finished with a wee reminder to the players of how important it is to be on top form every week if they are to go on and claim a historic second title. “It is going to be a tight title race and we have to turn up every week. We didn’t turn up against Clach and that has lead to the loss of two points.”