Cans ready for challenge - says Rowley
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Forres Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley believes his side is mentally and physically in the right place ahead of three games in a week that will decide the fate of the 2011-2012 Highland League Championship.
The news that Cove Rangers were able to go ahead of the idle Mechanics in the league table came as no surprise to the former forward who knows that it is down to the Chocolate and Golds to win the title on their own terms.
“If I am being honest we half expected it to be the scenario where we had to win two games out of our last three. Cove are in such a good vein of form that I felt that they would take care of Nairn away which was probably their most difficult tie out of the three.
“Then it would have taken a brave man to bet against them winning on Saturday being at home to Strathspey Thistle so we were expecting to be in this position going into the Turriff game and we are well prepared for it mentally as well as physically.
“It is still in our own hands and it is a great position to be in and we will be doing our utmost to get that two wins out of the next three games.”
Last Wednesday’s clash with Keith at Mosset Park was postponed due to the heavy rain during the early part of last week. That match will now take place on Wednesday May 9, ensuring that Forres will finish the campaign with back to back home ties. Despite looking forward to the game last week Rowley feels that the enforced lay off will have suited his side.
“I think the break has come at a good time. Mentally we have prepared, we have been training midweek and have had a couple of Saturday’s off so I am a hundred per cent positive that everyone will be really up for the game against Turriff on Wednesday.”
The team news could hardly be better with Kyle Scott and Kevin Duguid available for selection. “Obviously we have been missing Lee Fraser for a while but apart from that we have everyone fit and raring to go so I can’t ask for any more than that.
“I have watched Turriff in the last two games that they have played both against Huntly (4-1 win) and against Clach (4-1 defeat) so I am as prepared as I can be going into an away fixture in the Highland League. Fingers crossed everything goes well on the night.”
This will be Turriff’s 101 Highland League match with 37 wins, 16 draws and 47 losses being racked up in that time. At home they have won 24 times from 49 home games with 8 of those victories coming this season from 15 matches.
Over the last three seasons their home record trumps Forres’ away one by just two victories although the Can Cans have claimed 9 victories from 16 games on the road in 2011-2012.
Over the past three seasons Forres have gained 199 points to Turriff’s 127 but incredibly the Mechanics have only scored 17 goals more than their opponents. The key has been a mean streak from the Iron Curtain defence which has lost 81 less goals.
Previous results v Turriff United:
7/11/09 - Forres 3 Turriff 2
13/03/10 - Turriff 0 Forres 2
18/09/10 Turriff 2 Forres 0
22/01/11 Forres 2 Turriff 0
20/08/11 Forres 4 Turriff 2
Forres Mechanics trailed 2-1 at half time in the game at Mosset Park back in August before a 2nd half mauling secured the 4-2 win. That home win over Turra was the first of 9 consecutive league wins which, obviously, is what sparked the title challenge
Scott Moore is the only current mechanics player to have scored at the Haughs. Davie Chambers scored the other in 2010.
In the five clashes between the sides Forres have outshot their opponents recording 35 shots on and 32 shots off to Turriff’s 29 on and 28 off. The Cans have had 35 corners while conceding 34 but Turriff has been caught offside 32 times to Forres’ 22. While the Mechanics have picked up 9 yellow cards in comparison to 6 the Haughs based side have seen red twice.
