Nairn County boss Steven Mackay hopes his team can find their shooting boots for Saturday’s GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup tie at Keith.
The Wee County reached the first round stage via a 1-0 preliminary round victory over Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park.
But they have been frustrated thus far in the Breedon Highland League, with tough games against Brora, Banks o’ Dee, Rothes and champions Brechin bringing no points – or Nairn goals.
Mackay wants to see their issues in front of goal ease in the cup at Kynoch Park, and said: “We’re probably not creating enough chances.
“Up until the Brechin game, we were very lean in the chances we’d created.
“Against Brechin, although we didn’t score, we actually created quite a good few chances more than we had in previous games, which gave us a little bit of confidence going into this game.
“But that’s certainly an area we’ve underachieved so far, although we have had a tough start, but equally you want to go into those games and not only be tight defensively, but cause a problem offensively, and we haven’t been able to do that.
“We’ve been looking at that at training with a view to hopefully being able to change that on Saturday.”
For clubs who fall outside the Highland League’s expected title challengers, the League Cup represents a chance to push for silverware.
Mackay revealed a cup run is something the Nairn squad have laid out as a key objective, adding: “We looked at the cups – both the Highland League Cup and North Cup, and even Scottish Cup as well.
“I’m not going to stand and say: ‘it’s a cup we’ve identified we’re going to go and win’, but it’s certainly something we want to progress in and do as well as we possibly can.
“We got through a tricky first round the other week about Wick. This will be equally as tricky, but if we can win this game and the draw is kind to us, you just never know.”
Nairn will be without attacker Andrew Greig for the trip to Keith, as they try to get to the bottom of an ACL problem.
‘It’ll just depend if we’ve got a hero in our midst on the day’
Meanwhile, after two draws between Keith and Nairn last season on league duty, Maroons boss Craig Ewen is expecting another nip-tuck affair.
He said: “It’s a game both teams will think they can win.
“We’re expecting a really tight game. Even though there’s been some changes in personnel on both sides, generally it’s normally a close game.
“It’s cup football, a break from the league and it’s just the old chestnut of whoever’s better on the day gets through to the next round.
“We’d obviously love to get a wee cup run and go as far as we can.
“I’m looking forward to the game.”
Ewen, whose side have picked up four points from their four league games so far this term, added: “It’ll just depend if we’ve got a hero in our midst on the day who can provide a bit of quality in the final third.”
Injury will rule out Liam Duncan (knee/hamstring) and potentially Ethan Smith (hamstring) for Keith, while Michael Ironside is unavailable, with doubts over Connor Killoh, Matthew Tough and Nathan McKeown – who all came off injured playing for Keith’s under-20s on Monday.
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