Forres Mechanics 0 Nairn County 5: Can-Cans thrashed by local rivals

FORRES Mechanics were knocked out of a cup in emphatic fashion for the second time in a week as Nairn County ran out thumping 5-0 winners at Mosset Park on Wednesday.

The Can-Cans were looking to bounce back from Saturday's 4-0 Highland League Cup exit at the hands of Brora Rangers, but were instead thrashed by Nairn in the North of Scotland Cup.

Goals from Callum Maclean and Andrew Macleod had the visitors 2-0 up at half-time, before Ciaran Young added a third before the hour mark.

A straight red card for Tom Brady ended fading hopes for Forres, before Macleod got his second goal and substitute Scott Davidson finished the scoring with three minutes to play.

Forres manager Steven MacDonald said: "I don't think we were awful, but they were ruthless in the first half with a set piece. There probably wasn't much in the game.

"We have done well at set pieces this season, but we have probably cursed ourselves because we were saying we have done well from corner kicks and we lost two goals from front post headers.

"Credit to Nairn because they were good balls in and they finished them well. Andrew (Macleod) had two good finishes as well.

"We didn't pass the ball well enough in the first half but at half-time I still thought we were in the game. We had an open goal and Lee (Fraser) has somehow missed, but even worse Ethan (Cairns) has put it over the bar from six yards.

"I think it would be game on at 2-1 but we lose another front post header and it's game over at 3-0. Obviously Tom is sent off, which is a ridiculous red card decision, I don't know what the referee has seen, but I don't think anyone else thought it was a red card.

"The game is over by then, anyway, but it didn't help. We gave it a go and pushed on and it was one of them where it's 5-0 or you make a fight of it at 2-1."

After an even enough start at Mosset Park, Nairn took the lead just before the half hour when a Conor Gethins corner was nodded in at the front post by Callum Maclean.

A speculative effort from the corner of the box from Andrew Macleod on 36 minutes found the far top corner, going in via the post, and Forres suddenly needed half-time.

Forres had a big chance 10 minutes after the start of the second period. The ball fell to Lee Fraser eight yards from goal, he took his time before slotting it past Nairn keeper Dylan Maclean but Steven Mackay was on the line to clear, before Ethans Cairns turned over the bar.

Just three minutes later the game was put out of Forres' reach when another Gethins corner was nodded in at the near post, this time by Ciaran Young.

On the hour mark, Tom Brady was shown a straight red card for a challenge that was adjudged by the referee to have been high.

Andrew Macleod's neat side-footed effort from just inside the box made it 4-0 on 73 minutes, with substitute Scott Davidson going through one-on-one to add the fifth on 87 minutes after possession was given up cheaply in midfield by Samba Badjana.

Forres travel to The Haughs to take on Turriff United this weekend.

"We have got to see a reaction from our young boys," MacDonald said. "We started the season well but that's a couple of bad results we have had now so it's going to be tough on Saturday.

"It's a place we have never done well at to make things work, we have struggled down there for some reason, so it will be a real challenge and interesting to see how we react to it.

"The cups are gone and it's about concentrating on the league again. We are in a good position, we have started the league well, if we get three points on Saturday we'll feel a lot better but if we don't it's going to be a long winter."