July 15th 2024
Both Dylan Mackenzie and Scott Davidson bagged the goals they craved to get their seasons up and running in front of goal as we recorded our first league win since the end of July with this midweek success at Huntly. Twin strikers Mackenzie and Davidson had both endured a barren run since the start of the season but the pair are now off the mark after they were on target at Christie Park. Manager Ronnie Sharp was without Cohen Ramsay and Liam Shewan through injury while Adam Porritt was suspended after his red card at the weekend. In came Ciaran Young for a first start with Rory Williamson and Callum Ednie also restored to the starting line-up. Mackenzie took Conor Gethins’ place up front with the Irishman among the substitutes. It meant the teams were: Nairn County – Dylan Maclean, Sam Gordon, Callum Ednie, Glenn Main, Ryan Fyffe, John Treasurer, Seamus McConaghy, Rory Williamson (yellow 88), Dylan Mackenzie (Conor Gethins 74), Scott Davidson (y 87), Ciaran Young (Angus Dey 81). Subs unused: Lewis Mitchell, Scott Mutch, John Grant, Will Counsell (gk). Huntly – Euan Storrier, Alexander Jack, Logan Johnstone, Kyle Dalling, Michael Clark, Glenn Murison, Greg Buchan, Cameron Heslop (Alexander Thoirs 62), Joel MacBeath, Caiden Imbert-Thomas (Trialist 46), Gavin Elphinstone (Reece McKeown 62 (y 85)). Subs unused: Jack McCormick, Cai Matthew, Paul Esslemont, Keith Robertshaw. We threatened on five minutes when Sam Gordon’s in-swinging free kick from the right was headed out to Scott Davidson at the edge of the box but his first time shot was held by Euan Storrier in the Huntly goal. A minute later, Mackenzie burst in behind the Huntly defence down the inside left channel but he pulled his shot across goal and just past the far post. Mackenzie was not to be denied on 10 minutes though. Gordon played a short corner to Williamson on the right and he whipped in a first time delivery. The ball dropped at the feet of Ryan Fyffe 15 yards out and although his shot was blocked by a defender, Mackenzie was on hand to rifle home the loose ball. Young then found the by-line on the left on 28 minutes and his cut back picked out Davidson at the front post but the striker’s effort was deflected just off target. Davidson continued to plug away and on 37 minutes, he headed Seamus McConaghy’s cross from the left straight at Storrier. Logan Johnstone’s teasing cross from the left for Huntly on 39 minutes dropped over Dylan Maclean but Joel MacBeath could not apply the finish at the back post. Davidson then had the time to lift his head 22 yards out from goal five minutes before the break but he dragged his left-footed effort past the right-hand post. The centre forward got his rewards just over a minute into the second half. He was hauled down for free kick on the right edge of the penalty area and he stepped up himself to lift the ball over the wall and beyond Storrier. After waiting so long for his first goal of the season, Davidson netted his second just two minutes later. Some fantastic work by McConaghy out on the left saw him weave past two men before feeding Davidson. The striker had his back to goal and managed to pin his marker before spinning him and slamming the ball beyond Storrier from eight yards. Davidson was then slipped in by Young on 55 minutes but his attempted loft over the goalkeeper cleared the crossbar. The woodwork prevented us from going four ahead on 59 minutes. Gordon’s corner from the right was cleared to Williamson at the edge of the box. He took a touch to set himself before attempting to guide the ball inside the right-hand post only to see it come back off the upright. John Treasurer’s miscued clearance on 66 minutes fell at the feet of Greg Buchan, who slipped in Trialist but his low shot on the angle from the left was held by Dylan Maclean at his near post. Then, three minutes later, Zander Jack was free to control a diagonal pass out to the right and advance in on goal but his driven effort was repelled by the boot of Maclean. Callum Ednie’s throw-in down the left touchline found Young, who wriggled past Michael Clark along the by-line on 72 minutes before cutting back to Davidson but he was denied a hat trick by a timely deflection from a Huntly defender. Davidson almost turned provider three minutes later after hitting the by-line on the right and playing the ball across to McConaghy at the far post but he was denied by a goal line block. Trialist went inside Treasurer on 77 minutes but his shot was blocked by Maclean, who looked on course for a clean sheet until the final minute. A low delivery from Jack on the right took a nick off MacBeath at the near post to deflect it past Maclean and give Huntly a consolation.
