Forres Mechanics came out on top in the dress rehearsal for the League Cup semi-final thanks to a second half penalty from Graeme Shinnie. Lossie were just about holding their own against a team who’d won six straight home games, but a reckless handball in the box by Steven Sim saw the Lossie man receive a second yellow card and concede the spot kick.

Lossie were without Nikki Smith and Jamie Bagley, but started with new signing David Wilson up front. Forres kicked off with the same side responsible for putting four past Inverurie Locos the previous weekend, while disco dancing Fraser Bremner had to make to do with the bench.

The miserable Forres committee stood cap in hand once again before the few punters who bothered to make the effort to turn out, charging an entry fee for the second time following the abandonment of the initial game.

From kick-off Forres made their physical advantage count, overpowering Lossie on the ground and in the air. An example of the beautiful game this rarely was, with personnel at RAF Kinloss rumoured to be concerned about the ball interfering with their radar, so long was it spending in the clouds.

Dan Smith was first to go close for Lossie, hitting the side netting from the side of the penalty area. Colin Charlesworth was on hand at the other end to stop Forres going ahead, blocking a shot from Scott Moore following a corner. Kyle Scott came closest of any player to scoring, striking a shot against the bar from the corner of the box with McConnachie beaten.

The last chance of the half fell to Lossie. Shawn Scott used his pace to beat the Forres back line to a diagonal ball over the top but his shot from the edge of the area flew a few feet over the crossbar.

Half time - Forres Mechanics 0 Lossiemouth 0

The game turned in favour of Forres just before the hour. A cross from Bruce Milne should have been easily cleared by Steven Sim but, for reasons known only to him, the Lossie man chose to punch the ball clear when heading it looked easier. Already on a yellow card, Sim had his face in his jersey as the realisation of what had happened dawned on him and a second yellow saw him ordered from the pitch. Graeme SHINNIE stepped up to take the penalty and squeezed the ball inches past the hand of McConnachie at the base of the post.

Lossie needed some cool heads to see them through the following period of the game, but audible displays of frustration from the Lossie defence showed they realised the trouble their team mate had left them in. Second half substitute Stuart Strathdee was drafted into midfield to help out, leaving Lossie short of an outlet for the ball and stuck in their half for long spells.

Forres pressed for a second goal and came closest through Green, whose header at the back post was saved at point blank range by McConnachie. Forres could have had a second penalty awarded when Kevin Stuart appeared to handle the ball but Kyle Scott’s noisy appeal was waved away by Forres-born referee Graham Fraser.

The closing minutes of the game featured the strange sight of Forres adopting the favoured game plan of Rothes – waste as much time as possible doing anything but playing football. Several attempts to keep the ball next to the corner flag, combined with the amateurish efforts of Stuart Knight to delay a goal kick, all smacked of desperation, coming from a side a goal and a man up at Mosset Park, a ground Forres had turned into something of a fortress recently.

The stalling tactics worked, however, and the sides end up with a league win each in the derby games this season. The league cup semi-final will decide who gets bragging rights over the summer, not to mention a memorable place in the final.

Full time - Forres Mechanics 1 Lossiemouth 0

Teams

Lossiemouth - Darren McConnachie: Steven Sim, Sam Milton, Kevin Stuart, JJ Urquhart, Martin McMullan, Colin Charlesworth, Dan Smith, Shawn Scott, David Wilson, Kevin Flett
Forres Mechanics - Stuart Knight: Simon Allan, Graeme Shinnie, Graeme Grant, Nathan Sharp, Ross MacPherson, Neil Whyte, Bruce Milne, Kyle Scott, Ryan Green, Scott Moore

Lossiemouth - Stuart Strathdee (David Wilson, 51), Gary Macdonald (Dan Smith, 62), Tony Ross (Colin Charlesworth, 78)
Forres Mechanics - Ricky Wardrop (Kyle Scott, 60), David Chambers (Scott Moore, 64)

Lossiemouth - Steven Sim (second yellow, 59)
Forres Mechanics - None

Referee

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