Forres Mechanics chart progress through 2024 from lowly placing to beating Buckie Thistle and Brechin City with fresh faces adding Mosset Park firepower
A gradual improvement was the story of Forres Mechanics’ 2024.
After a disappointing showing in the second half of last season, Cans made good strides forward this term thanks to some canny acquisitions from manager Steven MacDonald.
A year which began with just one win in their first 15 outings progressed to a team taking the scalp of champions Buckie Thistle and current leaders Brechin City on consecutive weekends.
A previous shot-shy Mechanics found their goal-den touch, with new boys Kyle MacLeod, matt Jamieson, Aidan Cruickshank and Jordan Alonge joining longer-standing players like Calum Frame and Mark McLauchlan in vastly boosting the club’s firepower.
Forres finished last season having scored just 46 goals in all competitions, with centre back Lee Fraser - now retired from the game - the leading marksman on seven.
In 2024-24, six players have netted six or more goals to take the Cans past last season’s measly tally just halfway through the campaign.
Mechanics’ year opened with a 2-0 defeat at home to struggling Deveronvale, just two weeks after being crushed 8-1 at home by eventual champs Buckie Thistle to end 2023 on a miserable note.
A 4-1 victory at Clach offered some hope in February, before a run of five draws and seven defeats in their next 12 games pushed Forres down to third bottom in the table - their lowest ranking in many years.
Winning their last two league games at least completed the season on a positive note, with one of those wins subsequently scrubbed from the record after Cans fielded two substitutes under the age of 16, breaking league rules.
Action was needed in the summer to improve Forres’ ailing fortunes, and MacDonald worked wonders to persuade ex-Buckie man McLauchlan to stay at the club as captain despite strong interest from elsewhere.
Jamieson and Cruickshank joined from neighbours Elgin City while Shaun Sutherland was to prove to be another good signing, the ex-Clach man bolstering the midfield.
MacLeod’s arrival on loan from Brora bolstered attacking options and it soon became evident that Forres has the power to trouble even the strongest of opponents.
A stunning 8-0 North Cup win over Rothes came in the midst of a four-game winning sequence where 20 goals were amassed.
Then a shock 4-0 loss at Keith saw a young Forres side go through a sticky patch, but emerge from the shadows with back-to-back 4-3 victories over Huntly and Wick Academy.
Midfielder Alonge arrived from Rothes and quickly added goals from the centre of the park.
A brave Scottish Cup exit to a strong Jeanfield Swifts team and a league loss to Deveronvale was followed by two stunning successes over Buckie and Brechin, the latter ending the leaders’ unbeaten start thanks to Cruickshank’s stoppage time winner from distance.
Perhaps the year didn’t end as well for Mechanics, as inconsistency continued to creep in and this culminated in a 6-1 home loss to Turriff United when Cans were definitely not at the races.
Some injuries took their toll late in 2024, but with Forres sitting 12th and within reach of top-half sides, there’s plenty of scope for their improvement to carry on into the new year and beyond.
