November 20th 2023
THE under-20 blew Forres Mechanics away with a thumping 6-0 win at Mosset Park in the North of Scotland League. Nairn threatened on 10 minutes but top scorer Ryan MacBean could only turn Seamus McConaghy’s corner kick from the left straight into the arms of Forres goalkeeper Jamie Brown from five yards. Fraser Wilkie was called into action at the other end four minutes later when he dived to his right to clutch Romario Brudenell’s low shot from 18 yards after a deep Forres free kick had only been half cleared. Nairn hit the front on 16 minutes. Sandy Main slipped a ball through to the unmarked Seamus McConaghy, who had timed his run well to advance into the right channel. He bore down on goal before planting a shot past Brown from 10 yards that trundled past the goalkeeper at his near post. McConaghy almost turned provider three minutes later but his free kick from deep on the right was blasted into the side netting by Jack W. Maclean at the far post. But McConaghy did claim himself an assist on 22 minutes. Craig McDermott won the ball some 35 yards from the Forres goal before playing in McConaghy on the left and continuing his run into the box. McConaghy delivered a first time low shot that McDermott ran on to and swept home at the near post. Nairn added a third just two minutes later. Cameron Maclean’s long free kick from the halfway line was only flicked on by Forres defender Stewart Fraser at the edge of the box. Seamus McConaghy had anticipated the centre half not dealing with it as he gambled by making a run in behind and it paid off as he was unmarked to loop a header over the exposed Brown. Then, on 26 minutes, Seamus McConaghy completed his hat trick. Ian Payne whipped over a cross from the right that went all the way through to the unmarked McConaghy and he had the time to take a touch just inside the left edge of the box before flighting a right-footed effort over Brown and into the far corner. McConaghy then played a neat through pass to put Alex Geddes in on goal five minutes after half time but the striker blasted his first time shot over the bar. But Seamus McConaghy had his fourth of the night on 62 minutes. He collected a Forres clearance outside the left edge of the box before slaloming goalwards, evading two challenges and planting a pinpoint shot across Brown and into the bottom right corner. McConaghy played a nice one-two with MacBean just outside the Forres box on 68 minutes but his shot was parried by Mechanics stopper Brown. It was six for Nairn 10 minutes from the end and again McConaghy was involved. He nutmegged trialist out on the left before picking out Joe Cuthbert at the edge of the box. And he took a touch to set himself before smashing the ball into the top left-hand corner. Forres Mechanics – Brown (Storrier 76), N. Kennedy (Trialist 44), Trialist, McCartney, Fraser (yellow 57) (Michie 76 (y 84)), Ball (MacPherson 46), Simpson, Paterson, Trialist (Ward 76), M. Kennedy (y 52), Brudenell. Subs unused: -. Nairn County – Wilkie (Stewart 75), Cuthbert, Jack W. Maclean, Cameron Maclean, Trialist, S. Main (Tweedie 76), Payne (Wheeler 72), McDermott (Trialist 65), MacBean, Geddes (McWilliams 76), McConaghy. Subs unused: -. Referee – Gordon Seago. Graeme Macleod
