Forres Mechanics manager Steven MacDonald settles for Highland League point as Cans are held by Wick Academy
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Forres Mechanics couldn’t end their winless streak of results as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Wick Academy on Saturday.
The Cans have now drawn their last two after a run of five losses, and will target a return to winning ways when they visit Huntly this weekend.
Ross County loan midfielder Ryan MacLeman’s brilliant 30-yard strike cancelled out Wick’s opener to earn Mechanics a share of the spoils.
Forres manager Steven MacDonald said: “I think a draw was a fair result. It could have gone either way in the second half.
“I couldn’t have begrudged Wick a victory in the second half with the chances they had, but then right in the last minute we had three off the line.
“The way I look at it, we could have been out of the game by then, to be honest. I didn’t think we played well enough in the second half.
“I thought they were there for the taking at half-time and we never stepped on, so that was the disappointing thing from our point of view.”
Academy went in front after 21 minutes when Marc Macgregor threaded the ball though to Jack Henry, who took it in his stride and hammered it low past Stuart Knight.
Forres produced a stunning equaliser after 32 minutes when MacLeman unleashed a rocket shot from about 30 yards which flew over James More and into the net.
The goals have dried up for Forres, who have scored just four goals in their seven games since thrashing Strathspey Thistle 8-1 on January 7.
“We’ve had good spells over the last few games, and it is coming together, but we gifted a goal for the first one,” MacDonald said. “That’s a bad mistake – we tried to take the ball out and lost it.
“That’s a difficult one to come back from – but Ryan MacLeman hit a fantastic strike, a great goal.
“At times it looked like that was the only thing we were going to score from today.
“We’re lacking a bit of conviction and composure in front of goal, for sure. We’re lashing at things. The Wick keeper had a great game but it seemed everything went at the right height for him.”
