Brora Rangers 4 Forres Mechanics 0: Can-Cans knocked out of Highland League Cup

FORRES Mechanics crashed out of the Highland League Cup with a 4-0 loss to Brora Rangers on Saturday – but have a chance to bounce back in the North of Scotland Cup on Wednesday.

The Can-Cans will welcome local rivals Nairn County to Mosset Park in the quarter-final, looking to book a last four tie with either Rothes or Inverness Caley Thistle.

Cans assistant manager Stephen Maclean said: "I expect Nairn to be much the same as the second half of last season – well-organised, disciplined and Connor (Gethins) up front is always going to be dangerous.

"He got a hat-trick against us at Mosset Park last season so we have to keep an eye on him.

"It should be a good game, we have both started similarly and beaten teams we should have beaten. They have won three games in a row now so I think the difficult spell they had at the start of the season is over.

"Cups are something most teams are targetting as competing with the top six over 34 games is difficult. The top 12, perhaps, all want a decent cup run and to get to a final and it's quite possible."

Ex-Forres Mechanics winger Andy Macrae got Brora up in running in Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Dudgeon Park for Forres, turning in Max Ewan's low cross on 25 minutes.

Paul Brindle, another former Mechanics forward, made it 2-0 on 65 minutes with a penalty kick – before Mark Nicolson and Gregor MacDonald rounded off the scoring, with MacDonald scoring from fully 30 yards.

Maclean added: "They showed how good they still are after a disappointing start to the season from themselves. They controlled the game from start to finish and were fantastic.

"First half we had the wind behind us but they killed the game and kept the ball. They are about the only team in the league that could have done that.

"Gregor MacDonald's goal was really impressive but not surprising because he can do that. It was from 35 yards and was his first touch. The disappointing aspect for us is that he had time to take a touch, look up and shoot."

After taking on Brora, Mechanics travel to the Haughs to take on Turriff United on Saturday.

"They are another bogey team for us," Maclean added. "Despite them being a team closer to our level they seem to have something over us.

"We plan to rectify that. We want to take more points off the teams in and around us.

"I like the way Dean (Donaldson)'s teams play and the way him and his coaching staff are in the technical area. They are all pretty positive and, when the team aren't playing well, they help them find solutions.

"We are good at that most of the time but it's something we can improve."