Forres Mechanics manager Steven MacDonald reflects on Highland League defeat at Wick Academy and says Cans were nowhere near their best

Forres Mechanics couldn’t handle a heavy pitch and conceded ‘terrible’ goals on their way to defeat at Wick Academy on Saturday.

So says Cans’ manager Steven MacDonald, who admitted his team “weren’t good enough” as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Harmsworth Park.

“We didn’t turn up and Wick thoroughly deserved their win,” he said.

MacDonald felt that the home side adapted better to the conditions on a heavy playing surface at Harmsworth Park.

Owen Rendall put the Scorries in front from close range after eight minutes and Mark Macadie got in behind the defence to add a second with 25 minutes gone.

Wick added their third a minute after the break when Marc Macgregor rolled the ball past Jack Robertson after linking up well with Kyle Henderson.

Forres made a quadruple substitution early in the second half and shortly afterwards, on-loan Cove Rangers keeper Robertson went off injured, to be replaced by Cammy Farquhar.

Substitute Liam Grant reduced the deficit after 65 minutes with a low shot from the left edge of penalty area.

“I think Wick played to the conditions better than we did,” MacDonald said. “It was a very heavy pitch but Wick handled it better – we didn't handle it at all, and that’s basically what it came down to.

“We’d said at half-time how disappointed we were with the way we’d played in the first half, and let’s go and sort it out in the second half – then straight away we lose another terrible goal and that was pretty much the game.

“To be fair, we kept at it and had a lot of chances after that. The subs definitely made a difference but the damage was done by then.

“We weren’t good enough and we didn’t deserve anything. No excuses – we didn't handle the conditions as well as Wick did.”

Wick Academy manager Gary Manson said: “If you take away their goal, it would have been the perfect day.

“I said to them at the end, at this time of year you get pitches like that and it’s never going to be pretty.

“We took our goals really well and then defended admirably. It was a thoroughly deserved win.

“It could have been more but you’d have taken 3-1 at the start of the game all day.”