Forres through to cup semis
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FORRES Mechanics have progressed to the semi-finals of the North of Scotland Cup.
Charlie Rowley’s side won Tuesday’s Moray derby against Rothes, claiming a 5-2 success to book a home tie against Strathspey Thistle or Nairn County on September 16.
Cans boss Charlie Rowley was satisfied with his team’s response to a bruising 5-0 league defeat at Turriff on Saturday.
He watched his team lose a bizarre early counter, credited as an unlucky own goal off goalkeeper Stuart Knight, before coming back well to win fairly comfortably.
“We had to lift ourselves from another early disappointment in a game situation and to do that was really pleasing,” he said.
“We got ourselves 4-1 up and just took our foot off the gas and Rothes came back into it with nothing to lose.”
The Speysiders’ co-boss Willie Duncan said: “Frustrated is the best way to describe how we feel.
“We contributed to the game really well in the second half but we cannot keep giving teams soft goals like we did again tonight.”
Rothes lined up with their goalkeeping coach Scott Riddoch between the sticks and handed a debut to Inverurie loan youngster Ryan Keir – who would go on to make a significant impact.
It was Keir who unleashed a terrific 40 yard shot on three minutes which smashed off the post and bounced off keeper Knight before spinning back into the net, giving Rothes the lead.
Forres were level on ten minutes when a Liam Baxter drive was blocked and Stuart Soane reacted to nod in the loose ball.
Poor Rothes defending was punished by a clinical 15 yard strike by Craig McGovern to edge Mechanics ahead on 27 minutes.
Craig MacMillan crashed a shot off the Forres bar soon after but the home side increased their lead when a Soane ball across the box was steered in by Baxter.
Two minutes after the break, Soane met a corner kick with a header which Riddoch got his hands to but the ball spilled goalwards and Scott Moore claimed the final touch on the goal-line.
Back came Rothes with a cracking 25 yard curling drive from Keir to make it 4-2, before Matty Bobrowski had a goal disallowed for offside.
Gordon Finlayson struck the bar for Forres, then at the other end the impressive Keir forced a superb save out of Knight with a swerving free kick and twice fired over with powerful long range efforts.
Mechanics finally put the game to bed when Baxter surged clear through the middle and knocked it past Riddoch before firing into an empty net for his second of the night.
A young Caley Thistle side won 3-2 at Halkirk United in the night’s other quarter-final.
Forres: Knight, Finlayson, Allan (McLellan 71), Grant, S.Fraser, MacPherson, Moore, Soane (Ross 68), L.Fraser (Jones 46), Baxter, McGovern. Subs: Forbes, Simpson.
Rothes: Riddoch, Smith, Ewen, Donaldson (Brian 20), Horsburgh, Shand, Hodge, Keir, Bobrowski, MacMillan, Paterson. Subs: Gallacher, McIntosh, Thomson, McCullagh.
Ref: D.Ross
Pictures from Tuesday night’s tie plus more reaction from both clubs in Friday’s Northern Scot.
