Formartine United manager Paul Lawson has praised his players for getting the club’s season back on track.
The Pitmedden side endured a difficult stretch towards the end of 2019 with a five-game run without a win ending their hopes of challenging for the title.
But Lawson’s side have enjoyed a storming start to the new year with Saturday’s 5-0 thumping of Huntly their sixth win in seven games.
The Formartine player-manager said: “We feel as though we have turned the corner after a poor couple of months. The last six games have been more like us, apart from the Keith game (a 2-1 defeat).
“The last two games have been particularly pleasing and keeping two clean sheets has been great.
“The goals are getting shared around which is a good thing as well.
“We talk about momentum. We want to keep the run going. We are still in the League Cup and that is the aim.
“We want to keep this winning mentality going ahead of the semi-final (against Rothes on March 14). We have some tough games coming up, including against Brora home and away, but that is a challenge the players should relish.”
The North Lodge Park side sit sixth in the Highland League table and Lawson admits the chance of winning silverware in the Highland League Cup is the primary objective over the remainder of the season.
Brora will take on Buckie Thistle in the other semi-final with the final scheduled to take place on April 11.
Lawson said: “The Highland League Cup is the priority. It has to be.
“We shot ourselves in the foot in terms of challenging for the league and we only have ourselves to blame.
“The League Cup is still there to play for and we are aiming to win that as well as trying to finish as high up the league as we can.
“We want to build some momentum going into the summer and then we can look at starting next season better than we did this year.”
Lawson has also been delighted with Scott Lisle’s contribution in his first season as a Formartine player.
The striker took his tally for the season to 18 goals with a strike against Huntly on Saturday.
Lawson added: “Scott has been great for us.
“He started the season playing wide left but he has been playing through the middle over the last few weeks and he has struck up a good partnership with Conor Gethins.
“They have been working well for us. With his energy and desire, he is going to get chances.
“It is about taking them when they come along and he has been doing that.”
