44 mins ago
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
CLACHNACUDDIN 6 – 1 NAIRN COUNTY
SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2026
GRANT STREET PARK, INVERNESS
Goal Scorers: Troy Cooper (2′ & 9′), Jordan Macrae (13′ & 30′), Sam Thompson (56′), Mickey MacKenzie (59′); Wayne MacKintosh (34′)
Match Report by John Dolan
Player-manager Wayne Mackintosh stuck with the same starting 11 that drew midweek with Lossiemouth; however, his side fell well short of that perforrmace and in the end it was a well-beaten County that trooped off the Grant Street Park at the final whistle.
Trailing 4-1 at half-time, the visitors couldn’t muster a single shot on target in the second half.
Nairn’s consolation coming from Mackintosh – arguably his side’s best performer before taking himself off at the break.
Nairn had the first attempt on goal, just seconds after kick off. A free kick saw Calum Mackay fire just wide from 25 yards.
Clach then raced up the park with just two minutes on the clock to take the lead. Troy Cooper found his way on to a pass into the box and he made no mistake from 10 yards.
Some poor defending saw Conor Gethin’s side double their lead in nine minutes. A Sam Thompson corner on the left was met by an unmarked Cooper and his glancing header flew into the far side of McHale’s goal.
Just four minutes later, Cooper turned provider for goal number three. Former County man Jordan Macrae saw his first effort well saved by McHale, the keeper pushing the ball to his right. Cooper was first to react and his delivery into the area found Macrae who stroked home from close range.
Kenny McKenzie’s timely block then stopped Macrae getting his second goal in 25 minutes.
The momentum was with the home side and it was no surprise when they added a fourth with just half an hour played. After some poor play on the left by the visitors, Allan MacPhee latched onto a loose ball before crossing for the predatory Macrae, lucking at the back post, for an easy tap in.
But County gave themselves a glimmer of hope when they pulled a goal back four minutes later, Mackintosh heading home a Jake Thomson corner from the left.
And they almost pulled another goal back a minute later when Mackintosh fed Mackay, just inside the area, but impressive Clach stopper Harry Thompson stepped in with a fine tackle to deny him.
Nairn again went close six minutes before the break, when Thomson turned on the edge of the box before firing a low shot, which forced Ridgers into a great save low to his right.
County were now starting to ask a few more questions of their hosts; however, in the last action of the half, McHale produced a fine save to push MacPhee’s powerful drive over the top. (H-T 4-1.)
County made two changes at the start of the second half. Mackintosh and Thomson being replaced by Paul Brindle and Dale Wood.
County were looking to build on their promising finish to the first half; however, it was Clach who found the net again in 56 minutes. County struggled to clear their lines and when the ball fell for Thompson he kept a cool head to curl the ball just inside McHale’s left-hand post.
And Clach were celebrating again three minutes later, when Mickey MacKenzie skipped past a handful of Nairn men before picking his spot just inside the far post to make it 6-1.
With 15 minutes to go Nairn still hadn’t had a shot on target in the second half, but a free kick 25 yards out presented Mackay with a chance to test Ridgers, but the midfielder blazed wildly over.
McHale then pulled off a great save to stop Craig Lawrie making it seven on what was a desperately bleak afternoon for the County faithful.
CLACHNACUDDIN – Ridgers, Cormack, Nicholson, Thompson (Gillies 62), Cooper (Logan 69), Leszczynski (Havlicek 51), Keogh, Macphee Ross 62), MacKenzie (Lawrie 62), Macrae, Kerr. Substitutes not used – Coli, Colligan (gk).
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Carnihan, Gamble, Dingwall, Mackintosh (Wood 45), Mackay, Thomson (Brindle 45 (Walker 84)), Ewan, Eadie (yellow 40), K. McKenzie, Kelly (MacInnes 51). Substitutes not used – Dey, Voigt, Munro (gk).
Referee – Vladyslav Melnyk.
