Conor Gethins credits Nairn County's management team with fitness work as hat trick hero closes in on double century
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Conor Gethins is closing in on membership of Nairn County’s exclusive 200 club after sinking a treble at Mosset Park on Saturday.
The super-veteran goalscorer claimed a remarkable 17th hat trick of his Wee County career to reach 197 goals – second only to the legendary Davy Johnston on 286.
Those latest goals – a penalty, a poacher’s finish and a wonderful free kick – came in a 15-minute rampage and turned a 3–1 deficit against Forres into a 4–3 win.
That made it four wins and a draw for Nairn in their last five outings.
Gethins, a candidate for the managerial job after Ronnie Sharp’s autumn departure, says he is thriving under the fitness regime of new boss Steven Mackay.
Mackay, a fitness fanatic and ultra-distance runner in his free time, has placed a new emphasis on that side of the game.
“Since the management team has come in, we’ve mostly worked on fitness – I turn up when I can!” the 39-year-old Gethins joked.
“At my tender age, the runs are tough but in the last couple of weeks I’ve turned up for them. I feel like if I don’t do them I’m going to be left behind fitness-wise. Even though I’m sore, I just get on with it.
“The new guys have come in and done amazing, bringing in a new philosophy.
“Ronnie Sharp was great with me, but the guys are great with me too – they know I’m not a young guy, so I need to have a rest now and again.
“Credit to the three of them. Our fitness really showed in the last 10 or 15 minutes against Forres.
“We were still covering the ground and getting back into position. It was really impressive.”
Nairn now have a free weekend approaching before a home match the following week against Formartine United.
Manager Mackay will again work the players hard in the meantime.
“We’ll train on the Saturday, I probably bore the players to death talking about the importance of fitness but even at this level it is massively important,” Mackay said.
“It is something I’m hugely passionate about and I know the difference it can make. The boys are now buying into that. We’ve got them on GPS trackers, monitoring their distances and all the different metrics.
“It is important to show them all the information, because we see the contrast from when we first came in and the statistics then, to where we are now. It is far superior.
“They are covering more ground and working harder. They go right to the end. That kind of mentality and fitness level can win games.”
