July 15th 2024
ROBBIE Duncanson's hat-trick was enough to see off Fort William in a low-key encounter at Claggan Park, writes Graeme Macleod. Conor Gethins saw a volley on the turn go straight at Douglas Maclennan in the Fort goal on three minutes before Sean Webb made a superb sliding intervention to take the sting out of Adam Porritt's close range effort at the other end. But Nairn opened the scoring on seven minutes. Tony Wallace's delivery from the right was taken down by Robbie Duncanson and the skipper was able to stab the ball beyond Maclennan from a central position eight yards out. Duncanson was denied a stunning second goal just five minutes later. Glenn Main's superb cross-field pass from the halfway line was perfect for the attacker to control before he unleashed a thunderous 25-yard volley that crashed off the underside of Maclennan's crossbar before Alan Pollock bundled the rebound wide. At the other end, the lively Scott Davidson swivelled and fired a volley narrowly over the crossbar from 20 yards out. Duncanson netted his second of the night 28 minutes in. Alan Pollock's cross from the left was poorly headed out by Fort defender Porritt going straight to Robbie Duncanson at the near post and from 10 yards out, the striker poked an angle effort under Maclennan and into the far corner. The hosts almost halved the deficit on 37 minutes. The County defence managed to block the first two efforts but when it came out to Craig Mainland, he rattled the outside of Antell's right-hand post with a rasping drive from 15 yards. The Fort midfielder was at the heart of things again three minutes later when he was slipped in on goal by Davidson's pass but his angled drive from 10 yards was diverted over the bar by the boot of the alert Antell. Gethins then saw a free kick from 30 yards out touched over the top by Maclennan but referee Billy Baxter awarded the hosts a goal kick. The Irish striker had the first chance of the second half when he was played in by Wallace but he pulled his low shot from 15 yards across goal and wide of the far post. Duncanson collected an Urquhart throw-in on the right and spun and volleyed first time but his effort from a tight angle was beaten behind by Maclennan at his near post on 57 minutes. From resulting corner, Urquhart blocked a Nairn shot five yards from goal but spun on the ball before slashing a shot wide of the near post. Then, on the hour mark, Sean Webb met a corner kick from the left with a towering header that appeared to have crossed the line before it was clawed away by Maclennan but Baxter signalled for play to continue. Pollock's left-footed effort from the edge of the box was well held by Maclennan on 69 minutes as Nairn continued their pursuit of a third goal. Fort William broke on 81 minutes with Davidson cutting inside Webb from the left but his drive was held by Antell. Robbie Duncanson completed his hat-trick with the last kick of the game. Pollock whipped in a cross from the left that was cushioned down by Ross Naismith for the forward to smash first time into the bottom right hand corner. Fort William – MacLennan, Foggo, Broomfield, Moffat, Porritt, Quigg, Maclellan, Mainland, Rennie (Macphee 86), Davidson, Tot (Lieder 75) (Hull 80). Subs unused: Taylor, Tawse, Munro. Nairn County – Antell, Skinner, Glenn Main (yellow 74), Webb, Maclean, Mackintosh (A. Naismith 75), Wallace (Cameron 67), Pollock, Duncanson, Gethins (R. Naismith 86), Urquhart. Subs unused: McKenzie, D. Maclean (gk). Referee – Billy Baxter. Graeme Macleod
