The rejuvenated Speysiders extended their unbeaten run to four games with a commendable draw against a side which beat then 5-0 in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season.
Rothes manager Steven MacDonald felt his team should have gone on and won the game, and said: “We did really well in the first half, we were excellent and were able to combat their long ball game, we were well on top.
“I told the players at half-time this was a game we really had to win, we were in a great position, 1-0 up against a team with only 10 men, but for me we bottled it in the second half, failed to put the game to bed and in the second half Forres were much the better team.”
Mechanics’ manager Charlie Rowley said: “They were better than us in the first half when we were, to put it mildly, woeful. Going down to 10 men after just 25 minutes didn’t help, Graeme Grant picking up a second yellow card, would you believe for moaning, the first time I’ve heard that being classed as dissent. I asked referee Tommy Shaw the reason for the sending-off twice, and that’s what he told me.” Rothes opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a fine solo effort from youngster James Mackay but the Can-Cans levelled from the spot nine minutes after the break when Andrew Macrae was brought down in the box and Alan Pollock scored the penalty.