Brora Rangers player-manager Steven Mackay says his men are out to make amends when they host Nairn County on Saturday.
The Cattachs suffered a shock 1-0 defeat when they faced Nairn in August – one of only two defeats the league leaders have endured this season.
Mackay’s men head into the fixture on the back of an 8-0 thrashing of Lossiemouth and with a three point advantage over second-placed Inverurie Locos – plus a game in hand.
But the Brora boss knows his side learned a valuable lesson from defeat by Nairn and is determined to avoid a repeat.
He said: “They played well and deserved to beat us. It was a bit of a wake-up call for us.
“We are well aware of the threat they pose.
“They have had a pretty good season, albeit they would have been disappointed to lose at home to Rothes on Saturday.
“We will prepare properly for the game and be focused on getting another three points on the board.”
A long-range strike from Max Ewan gave Nairn victory in August and Mackay admitted it was no more than Ronnie Sharp’s side merited.
He said: “We came up against Nairn on a really good day for them.
“We played poorly and didn’t look like scoring.
“The most disappointing thing was they looked like they had a bit more hunger than us.
“Sometimes you get a game like that which can work as a reality check. Since then the boys have kicked on.
“We just have to make sure we are not complacent as we were when we played Nairn the first time.”
Brora have claimed 45 points from their opening 17 games and are the league’s top scorers and possess the meanest defence.
Mackay knows there is a long way to go in the title race but is delighted with his side’s return from the first half of the campaign.
He said: “We are pleased to be top at the midway point.
“We know we still have a lot of work to do and a lot of hard games to come. We are happy with where we are situated and we have learned a few lessons along the way.
“The boys have reacted well on those occasions.
“We aren’t losing an awful lot of goals and at the other end we are scoring at will.
“It is a really good combination and our job is to keep that momentum going.
“We can’t afford just to turn up to games expecting to win as that won’t happen.”
