December 5th 2023
A FOUR-GOAL defeat was harsh on Stuart Finnie's under-20s as they took on their second friendly of the summer with a visit to North Region Junior cracks, Forres Thistle. The Jags led 1-0 at the end of what was an even first half and with Nairn legs tiring, two late goals were added by the hosts, who had doubled their lead shortly after the turnaround. County threatened on 19 minutes with Seamus McConaghy winning the ball high up the park and stinging the palms of Forres goalkeeper Euan Storrier from 20 yards out. Off the corner kick that followed, Sam Gordon flashed a near post header narrowly over the bar. McConaghy went low with his next effort on 28 minutes but again Storrier was equal to it as he dived to his left to deny the Nairn midfielder. At the other end, County stopper Fraser Wilkie blocked a Matty Fraser effort and although the ball then struck Struan Tweedie and was heading goalwards past the grounded goalkeeper, Euan Wheeler was on hand to hook the ball over his head and away from the goal line. Wilkie then dived to his right to palm away a Sean McIntosh header off a corner on 33 minutes and the Thistle striker should have done better a minute later with a free header off a cross from the right but he sent the ball sailing well over. County were just two minutes from reaching the break with the match still level when Charlie Beck swept the ball home from close range as he ran on to a cut back from the left. Cameron Maclean then headed Sam Gordon's free kick over the bar at the far post on the stroke of half time before McConaghy fired straight at Storrier shortly after the restart. McIntosh spurned another free header opportunity for Forres on 51 minutes before Charlie Beck doubled his tally on 59 minutes with an almost identical goal to the first, this time running on to a low Fraser delivery from the right to despatch the ball beyond Wilkie. As Nairn pushed forward looking for a goal to show for their efforts, Brandon Hutcheson ran on to a ball inside from the left to curl a shot into the top right-hand corner to make it three and just after McConaghy had picked off a loose Thistle pass out of defence and blasted over the bar, Forres added a fourth in injury time to complete the scoring. Forres Thistle – Storrier, Browett, Black, McLellan, L. Davidson, Short, Beck, Jennings, McIntosh, Fraser, Paterson. Subs: M. Davidson, Duguid, Gemmell, Grant, Mackintosh, Hutcheson, McLeod. Nairn County – Wilkie, Tweedie (Geddes 66), Wheeler, Cameron Maclean (y 89), S. Main, Cuthbert, Payne, McConaghy, MacBean (Colliar 81), Gordon, Given (Campbell 57). Subs unused: – Graeme Macleod
