Nothing humble about Cans' performance

Forres Mechanics 3 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4

Forres boss Charlie Rowley was proud of his players performance in the AJG Parcels North of Scotland Cup final despite going down 4-3 to Inverness Caley Thistle. The Mechanics created three times as many clearcut opportunities as their SPL opponents and dominated proceedings but two goals in a minute followed by a first half penalty left them with just too much to do.

Despite the disappointment of the defeat Rowley rejected any suggestions of a dejected dressing room with pride coming after the fall, “We put so much effort in, there was desire and quality but we didn’t get the trophy at the end of the day. I wouldn’t say dejected is the right word though, which it usually is if you lose a final, but we are proud of the way we played. We all enjoyed our performance but we didn’t take our chances and that was our downfall.

“It was a really unusual game for us, to create so many chances and not take more of them. We are used to creating one or two chances per half, taking them and defending well but I thought overall our performance was great.

“We are labelled a one dimensional team but anybody who was here today can put that theory to bed because some of our one touch play was excellent. We battered them in the second half and I think overall in the game there was just a fifteen minute spell in the first half where we were second best.”

On a day where there was a lot of teenage talent on show Rowley was in little doubt that Forres had the pick of the bunch in forward Lee Fraser. The striker gave seasoned professional David Proctor a torrid time and the Can Cans manager lavished praise on the youngster.

“He should be playing in their first team let alone their U19s, his overall performance today was as good as I have seen from a centre forward in the Highland League and he is only 18! Even at 3-0 down at half time I thought we could turn things around because the front two were exceptional. It was a phenomenal performance from Lee and topped off that performance with a goal.”

Both teams traded chances in the opening five minutes with Scott Moore firing just over the bar from 10 yards before Stuart Knight made a fine save diving to his right to clutch a powerful header from forward Shane Sutherland.

Irish international goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey matched that stop as he arched his back to grab a Ryan Green header off the goal line after the big striker tried to guide the ball into the corner of the net from 7 yards.

Scott Moore and Kyle Scott both went close before Lee Fraser spun clear of both centre backs and raced towards goal only for a last gasp challenge from Matt Murphy to unbalance the striker as he shot, sending the ball floating off target.

At the end of the first quarter of the game Forres had created enough clearcut chances to win it but they had failed to net and were punished as ICT scored twice in a minute. On both occasions they found some space on the left wing and produced a killer ball into an area between defence and goalkeeper that led to a relatively simple finish.

The first time it was Aidan Chippendale who curled a low ball in for Shane Sutherland to ram it into the roof of the net from 8 yards and then 60 seconds later Sutherland was clipping a ball through which Stuart Knight failed to reach and Billy Mackay lobbed it into the empty net from 16 yards.

It was rough justice on the Mechanics and they were soon to find themselves three down. Nathan Sharp got too close to Andrew Grieg, who was probably half the centre back’s size, and the winger took the chance to go over and win a penalty kick which Mackay fired past Knight.

A goal before half time might have helped turn things back in Forres’ favour and Kyle Scott came within a whisker of getting one with an excellently executed touch, turn and shot which zipped just wide.

Half Time: Forres Mechanics 0 Inverness Caley Thistle 3

The lifeline Forres required was handed to them in bizarre circumstances as referee Doug Ross halted play when Ross McPherson lunged in to poke the ball wide to Simon Allan, clearly intent on showing the midfielder either a yellow or possibly red card for the challenge. However a discussion with standside linesman Mike Sinclair lead to the conclusion that McPherson not only went for the ball without endangering the player he also received a boot in the leg for his trouble, inside the penalty area. Spot kick!

Simon Allan came forward and netted with his customary aplomb. Tuffey guessed the right way and went early but still couldn’t reach the well struck shot that flew into the keeper’s bottom right hand corner of the net.

Ryan Green should have done better with a free header from the penalty spot then Nathan Sharp was unable to react quickly enough as the ball bounced up and hit him on the head before floating over the bar, despite the goal, just a yard away, being at the centre back’s mercy. Then good work by Green set up the scampering Scott Moore and his ball across the face of goal was met by the flying figure of Kyle Scott, but again the sphere sped over the bar.

Realistically Forres could have been in front again, or at least level, instead they were hit with another suckerpunch. Some restructuring at the back left them a man light when Aidan Chippendale collected the ball on the right. As the defence shuffled across right winger Andrew Grieg was left free and he collected the deep cross from the left and drilled the ball to Stuart Knight’s right to make it 4-1.

Still the Can Cans weren’t beaten. With seventeen minutes left on the clock a Simon Allan long throw as cleared to Kyle Scott and as he jinked his way past players, twisting and turning but never drawing a foul, it seemed that he was running out of room but somehow he dug out a fantastic cross from a crowded position on the byeline and Scott Moore rose to power a header off the underside of the bar and over the line, albeit for just a second.

Sub Kevin Duguid had a great chance to make it a one goal game when Kyle Scott’s knockdown landed in front of him but he rushed his shot and sent it weakly towards the ICT goal when he may have had time for a touch and finish.

Having put so much into the game there was a feeling Forres were beginning to tire and the visitors finally gained some possession. Aidan Chippendale went close with a 20 yard shot at the end of a 70 yard run.

The Mechanics did pull it back to 4-3 in injury time when Scott Moore managed to divert the ball through a ruck of players into the path of Lee Fraser who netted from 7 yards out but there wasn’t time for a final chance that might have forced penalties. Inverness Caley Thistle held on to claim the cup.

Forres Mechanics: S Knight, G Fraser, S Allan, G Grant, N Sharp, R Macpherson, W Barron (K Duguid 65), S Moore, L Fraser, K Scott, R Green (G Tweedie 87) Subs: G McNab, M Davidson, J Main

Scorers: S Allan (53 pen), S Moore (74), L Fraser (90 +2)

Booked: S Moore (48), G Fraser (85) Sent Off: -

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: J Tuffey, A Skinner, K Gillet, M Murphy, D Proctor, L Polworth, A Grieg (R Watson 87), M Laing, S Sutherland, W Mackay, A Chippendale Subs: H Stewart, C Dingwall, K Whyte, E Baldy

Scorers: S Sutherland (26), W Mackay, (27, 42 pen), A Grieg (70

Booked: - Sent Off: -

Referee: Douglas Ross

Gazette Gold Star: Kyle Scott; On an afternoon of terrific performances from 1 to 11 Scott’s intelligent play and composure in the middle of the park saw him make a fool of some full time opponents. He was the best player on the park and the only thing missing from his performance was a goal.