Post Match Reaction: Fridge Rues Loss of Key Players
Three first half Keith goals all but killed off yesterday's match as a contest as the home side ran out 5-2 winners over Nairn County. But Les Fridge's men mounted a late fightback which saw them reduce the deficit to 4-2 at one stage. It would have been one of the most remarkable Nairn comebacks of modern times considering how little the visitors had offered in front of goal prior to hauling the two goals back. But in truth it never really looked on the cards, especially after Martin MacDonald and Scott Graham passed up chances to really put the metaphorical cat among the pigeons and make it 4-
After the match, Les Fridge spoke to the club website. He said: "I thought we started the game very well and up until the half hour mark we were matching them. There didn't seem to be any problems and we were giving as good as we were getting.
"The first two goals and the last two goals were very poor defensively from our point of view because we made mistakes and you can't afford to make mistakes against a team of this calibre."
He added: "We were missing seven players today which didn't really help. Iain Brooks and Scott Nicholl are still out while Jason Robertson's on holiday. Willie Barron was working and Shaun Kerr had a funeral yesterday as well as Steven Edwards and Brian Macleod - even though he was on the bench today - are not fit. That's seven players, five who have been featuring and its very difficult to come to a place like this when we're minus players.
County conceded four goals in a 23-minute spell either side of half time which included what was effectively a fatal third goal on the stroke of half time giving Fridge's men an insurmountable task in the second half.
The manager said: "The third goal was a bit fortunate for them. It took a deflection off Duncan Jones which unsighted John Campbell. When you're in a game and things don't go for you, they don't go for you. If it had been only two or three nil when we had that late surge anything could have happened because we definitely had them on the back foot."
There was further injury woe for Fridge when midfielder Darren Jarvie had to be withdrawn because of a hamstring injury after only 35 minutes while Gregg Main lasted just two second half minutes before he too had to be replaced because of injury.
Fridge said: "That didn't help matters (Jarvie and Main picking up injuries) and it just seems to be the way it's going at the moment. We have quite a big squad but all of a sudden we've been hit by injuries, suspensions and work commitments and now we're down to the bare bones. But we are just going to have to get on with it and monitor things through the week to see if we'll be able to get a couple of boys back."
Last Tuesday's draw for the second round of the Scottish Cup threw up an away tie at Buckie Thistle for Nairn on October 27. It's the second tie in succession away at a fellow Highland League side for County after they dumped Rothes 4-1 at MacKessack Park in the first round last Saturday.
Fridge said: "We know what we've got to do and we know where we've got to go to do it. We could have been drawn away to a club that we don't have a clue about and that would have meant a lot of travelling as well. It would have been nice in the Scottish Cup to have pitted ourselves against a team from outwith the Highland League but that's just the way it goes. We've drawn two Highland League sides now and we're happy enough to go there (Buckie)."