December 5th 2023
IT was a point a piece at Christie Park as hard-working Huntly frustrated Nairn County with the visitors unable to find the sort of rhythm they would have wanted, writes Graeme Macleod. Huntly goalkeeper Andrew Pennycook was the first of the two stoppers called into action as he touched a Conor Gethins free kick from the right edge of the box over the top at the near post. A great pass by Kenny McKenzie sent John Cameron scampering to the by-line on the left 12 minutes in. His cut back found Gethins at the near post but the striker was thwarted by a timely intervention from Michael Clark. It was the home side who broke the deadlock three minutes later though. A throw-in on the right found Alexander Thoirs and his inviting low delivery was knocked into his own net by Glenn Main at the near post. A Gethins corner from the right was knocked down by Sean Webb to Cameron. His effort was cleared by a defender on the far post but the ball came straight back to the Nairn attacker but his second effort was pawed behind by Pennycook at his near post. But Nairn found a leveller five minutes before the break. Urquhart's ball into the box from the right found John Cameron and he evaded his man before drilling a low, angled drive through the legs of Pennycook from 10 yards out. Then, a minute later, the turnaround was completed. Robbie Duncanson was released down the right and when he hit the by-line, the Nairn skipper lifted his head and found the run of Sam Urquhart at the near post with the County wide man arriving right on cue to crash home the low cross to give the visitors the lead. But Huntly found an equaliser of their own just when it appeared as if Nairn would go in with a half time lead. Ian Cruickshank kept the move alive after County had cleared when he headed the ball back into the danger area from the edge of the box and no one had tracked the run of Alexander Thoirs, as the Huntly midfielder beat the advancing Calum Antell to the ball to knock home his side's second of the afternoon. A Sam Urquhart run on the right led to him feeding Cameron on 57 minutes. The attacker was crowded out in the goalmouth after beating two men with the ball dropping to Gethins but his shot on the turn was blocked. And the Irish striker injured his hamstring in the process with his place taken by sub Bradley Halsman. Urquhart took Gethins' place up front and on 63 minutes, he ran in from the right on to Callum Maclean's looped pass over the Huntly defence but somehow the home side managed to smuggle the ball behind at the near post. Cameron then fed Maclean down the left and his first time cross was met by an Urquhart diving header but the striker sent the ball flashing past the near post. A short Pollock free kick from the right on 78 minutes found Urquhart but his drive was beaten away by Pennycook at his near post. Huntly – Pennycook, Murison (yellow 90+1), Johnston, Clark (Wood 46), Lawson, Croll, Ingram, Thoirs, Duguid (McNamee 69), Cruickshank, Scoular (Duncan 57). Subs unused: Allan, Grant (gk). Nairn County – Antell, Skinner, McKenzie, Glenn Main (yellow 20), Webb, C. Maclean, Cameron, Pollock (y 25), Duncanson (A. Naismith 77), Gethins (Halsman 57), Urquhart. Subs unused: P. Macleod, Morrison, J. Maclean, Munro. Referee – David Watt. Graeme Macleod
