January 3rd 2025
MATTY Macleod scored one and set one up as Nairn County under-20s scrambled a draw against Ferrybache in Culloden. It was a performance which dipped below the standards set in the previous two outings and the Inverness Amateur League Division Two outfit led twice, opening the scoring six minutes in. Craig Munro headed a Seamus McConaghy corner kick from the left across goal and wide at the near post on two minutes but four minutes later, Ferrybache's first corner led to the opening goal. The delivery from the left was missed by County goalkeeper Fraser Wilkie, leaving the Ferrybache attacker with the simple task of knocking the ball home from a few yards out. McConaghy saw a 20-yard shot deflected on to the crossbar on 27 minutes and from there, it was third time lucky for Craig Munro as he found an equaliser on the half-hour. The ball in from the resulting corner broke to the centre half and he saw his shot deflected wide and from the next set piece, the defender's 18-yard effort was again deflected behind. But this time, from a Macleod out-swinging corner on the right, Craig Munro got his head to the ball and sent it looping in at the far post. But Ferrybache found a way back in front a minute before half time with Scott Shields firing home a free kick from all of 30 yards out. Nairn were back on terms again 11 minutes after the turnaround. Good work by Alex Geddes forced a Ferrybache defender into a pass back to his goalkeeper which lacked conviction and that allowed Matty Macleod to nip in and round the advancing stopper before rolling the ball into the net. Geddes then tested the goalkeeper himself with an angled drive from 10 yards out on the left that was beaten away by the shot stopper at his near post before the striker managed to flick on fellow sub Craig Given's cross from the left on 83 minutes but from only a few yards out, Ryan MacBean could only direct his header over. County's final chance came two minutes from the end with Matty Macleod opting to shoot from a tight angle almost on the by-line on the left and when his effort was blocked by the goalkeeper, Joe Cuthbert stepped into blaze the follow up over the bar from 10 yards. Nairn County – Wilkie (Stewart 46), Wheeler (Tweedie 60), McDermott (Colliar 71), Cameron Maclean, Munro, Cuthbert (Given 57), Payne (MacBean 77), McConaghy (Cuthbert 80), MacBean (Geddes 56), M. Macleod, Gordon (S. Main 47). Subs unused: – Graeme Macleod
