July 15th 2024
A 4-2 win away at Inverness Amateur Premier Division side Culbokie saw Nairn County under-20s earn their first victory of pre-season. The visitors started well and on just four minutes, Jack W. Maclean advanced down the left before cutting inside and on to his right foot but his shot from the edge of the penalty area bounced across goal and wide. The opener arrived 10 minutes later. A handball on the edge of the Culbokie box allowed Cameron Maclean to step up to a free kick. And his low drive took a slight deflection off a defender to wrong-foot the goalkeeper with the ball flashing into the net. The visitors doubled their lead on 22 minutes. Seamus McConaghy delivered a corner kick from the right that was missed by the goalkeeper with Euan Wheeler flicking out a boot to turn home his first under-20s goal from eight yards. Tyler Eadie then skipped past two challenges down the right before pulling the ball back to McConaghy. He then laid it off to Sam Campbell but the midfielder guided his shot from 15 yards past the post to miss out on finishing off a fine move by a matter of inches. McConaghy and Wheeler almost combined again from a corner kick two minutes before the break, this time with the centre half sending a header at the back post off a looping delivery from the left just off target. The visitors capitalised on a defensive mistake to stretch their lead to three on 58 minutes. Seamus McConaghy nicked a pass out by the last Culbokie defender before selling the goalkeeper a dummy and rolling the ball into the unguarded net. But Culbokie pulled a goal back just three minutes later. A loose pass in midfield allowed the hosts to advance forward with goalkeeper Aidan Stewart beaten by a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner. The arrears were reduced to just one with 15 minutes left for play when a corner kick from the right was powered into the Nairn net with a header back across goal. County regrouped though and on 79 minutes, Jack W. Maclean advanced into the space that had opened up in front of him but his low cross from the right was just too far in front of substitute Ciaran Young for the substitute to turn home. But Ciaran Young got his goal to secure the win six minutes from the end. The centre forward took a superb first touch at the edge of the box to take Jack W. Maclean’s pass infield from the left into his stride. And after looking up, he then picked his spot beyond the goalkeeper with his second touch, despatching a cool finish from 12 yards out. Nairn County – Wilkie (Stewart 46), Cuthbert, J. W. Maclean, R. Mackenzie (yellow 36) (S. Main 52), Wheeler, Cameron Maclean, Eadie (Gordon 59), McDermott (Cruden 69), MacBean (Young 66), Campbell (McWilliams 59), McConaghy (Geddes 69). Subs unused: -. Graeme Macleod
