Nine weeks without a Saturday Highland League fixture at Mosset Park for Forres Mechanics. Is the league set-up costing clubs?

A NINE-WEEK gap between home Highland League fixtures on a Saturday afternoon for Forres Mechanics has been branded "ridiculous" by manager Steven MacDonald.

The Can-Cans started the campaign at home in July and hosted Keith on August 19 – but aren't scheduled to play another Saturday home game in the league until October 21 against Huntly.

A home match with Inverurie Locos was postponed on August 12 due to the visitors playing in the Highland League Cup, while a home match against Clachnacuddin on September 9 was postponed as Forres visited Brora in the same cup. Another Saturday, August 26, was dedicated to the same competition.

MacDonald has questioned the decision to give priority to the cup – believing that clubs like Forres are missing out on playing league matches and raising invaluable funds through hospitality and larger gates while the weather is good.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "You can say it's a coincidence or unfortunate, but it's poorly planned.

"Guys will say there is nothing we can do but it need to be looked at. At the start of the season you look at home games and plan for hospitality and income. Saturdays are the biggest days and we have been decimated.

"We have only had two games on Saturdays at home in the league. We have brought the League Cup forward but also prioritised it, so it's not on a Wednesday, and it doesn't fit in. I understand the sponsorship reasons but it's affecting the main competition too much.

"I personally thought the cup was good at the end of the season. If play-offs get in the way then that's understandable, but at the start of the season the priority should be league games.

"We want to play games in the league on Saturdays when we have our best weather. It isn't good enough and needs to be looked at again. How are Highland League sides supposed to survive like this?"

Mechanics are on the road in the cup again this Saturday – with the Scottish Cup draw handing them a trip north to take on Caledonia North side Golspie Sutherland.

The Can-Cans will be looking to react to a "tough" week, which saw them concede 11 goals without reply and crash out of two cups.

MacDonald's side were beaten 2-0 by a Turriff United side that played 85 minutes with 10 men on Saturday, before youth product Aaron Snyder was sent off late on for Forres.

"We started the game well and Calum (Frame) getting in behind them caused the sending off," he said.

"We are thinking then that we are in a good position. We went in at half-time at 0-0 and were disappointed, but in a good position.

"We tried to be more aggressive in the second half and take the game to them, but the plan went out the window as they got a corner and scored from it.

"That gave them more impetus and belief and straight away they got a second from a free-kick after a catalogue of errors at the back from us and it deceived Lee (Herbert) and went in.

"The week took its toll then and the confidence was sapped and we were feeling a bit down. Overall you couldn't say we did enough.

"We have to pick ourselves up because it's a very important game on Saturday. We got a really good report on Golspie so we know what we are going into.

"They are a team that have nothing to lose and a good team in their league. They will notice we have had a bad week so we have got to deal with that and give them maximum respect."