Nairn County manager Ronnie Sharp says players need to realise the Highland League has gone
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NAIRN County manager Ronnie Sharp says players need to realise the Highland League has gone with promotion and relegation now in place.
He says the Highland League has now become the fifth division of Scottish football and players have to be aware a sixth division awaits any team that finishes bottom.
His views come after Nairn County suffered a 5–0 hammering to Forres Mechanics at home on Saturday.
Nairn are still looking for their first win of the campaign, but only suffered their first loss on Saturday after respectable draws against Banks O'Dee and Rothes.
But Sharp says with new teams in the division and the opportunity of playing at a higher level, the Highland League they knew previously no longer exists.
"The Highland League is gone, it is fifth tier football now with promotion and relegation," said Sharp.
"We are playing against players now who can play at a higher level.
"You have the likes of Banks O'Dee bringing in better players, you have Brechin City bringing in better players.
"We are giving a lot of chances to the boys, but they have to produce the goods."
Nairn County are in 13th place and head to Pitmedden on Saturday to face Formartine United.
Sharp is confident his team can improve this season, but says repeat performance like against Forres Mechanics could land them in trouble.
"Formartine are a strong team that play a certain away and we have to handle it.
"We have too many defenders out but we have to find a way.
"If we can do it against Banks O'Dee and Rothes we can do it again. But if we keep making mistakes we won't compete at all.
"We get another one or two of these results then we have a real problem."
