Post Match Reaction: Fridge On Forres Defeat
A poor derby encounter at Mosset Park was settled by a Forres goal in the 74th minute as the home side took all three points. It was Gordon Winton's first win over Nairn as the Mechanics' manager and County's first defeat to their nearest geographical rivals since December 2005. Since then, Nairn had managed to put together a seven match winning run against the Can Cans.
Nairn boss Les Fridge was disappointed with the way things turned out after his side seemed to have turned the corner with a battling draw against Huntly last week. That is now five defeats in six games for
He said: "I always thought it was going to be a scrappy game and both sides cancelled each other out a lot of the time. It was always going to take a mistake or something like that to win it and that's how it turned out.
"I thought we started the game really well but we lost it a bit. But we managed to finish the first half strongly. I warned the boys at half time that the only real problem they (Forres) were causing us from set pieces. They are a big, strong side with four or five big boys and the only real problems we were getting was from throw ins and corners and it proved that way with the goal coming from a long throw in."
Fridge added: "We do have a young team and we have lost a lot of boys this year as I have said in the past. It's a case of just going with the younger boys for us now and just giving them the experience to build on."
He added: "Like I say, it was disappointing today. We had enough shots on goal and we created things. We also had one shot knocked off the line in the first half. It's difficult though and it would have been nice to field the same team as last week because we produced such
County lost the game thanks to a simple Forres goal which came from a long throw in and a head flick on.
Fridge said: "Up until the goal, I thought we had been defending well. Martin MacDonald was coping well with the height of Ryan Green but he is going to win his fair share of things. They got a long throw and he managed to win the flick on and we go the sleep then the next thing it's a goal. But both teams had a couple of chances and it had 0-0 written all over it. It was only going to take one goal to win the game."
Ever-present defender Martin Sanderson came off during the second half and Fridge revealed the former Clach man has picked up a knock.
He said: "He (Sanderson) said he had taken a knock and was struggling so we had to take him off. It meant we had to rejuggle everything which doesn't help."
The manager did have some positive news during the week when five first team players pledged their futures to the club by committing to contract extensions.
The manager said: "Willie Barron and Steven Edwards were going to be out of contract in the summer so Steven has signed a one year contract and Willie has signed a three year contract. Also, Wayne Mackintosh has signed a two year extension, Willie Ridgers has signed for another year and so has Scott Nicholl."
He added: "We're hoping that Scott will come back between now and the end of the season and we will work on his fitness. It has been a hard time for him because of injury."
Meanwhile, former County player Andrea Coletto watched yesterday's game from the Mosset Park stand. He has been training with the club since severing his ties with junior club Nairn St Ninian and could be snapped up by County in time for next week's home match against Lossiemouth. The Italian came through the youth ranks at Station Park but fell out of favour after only a handful of first team appearances. He resurrected his career at the Showfield club though and has been given the chance to earn himself another crack at the Highland League after joining the squad for training a couple of weeks ago. And fellow transfer target Gary Black stated that he is hopeful of joining the club soon. The former Clach man was also in attendance at yesterday's match but moves to bring the defender to Nairn from Forres have stalled lately as the two clubs cannot agree a transfer fee.