December 23rd 2024
RYAN MacBean's injury time winner earned Nairn County U20s all three points at Lossiemouth as they immediately bounced back from last week's disappointing defeat at Alness United. The visitors to Grant Park started well and Willie Barron's free kick forward was flicked on by Craig Munro to Nick Highet but he hooked his first time shot across goal and beyond the post. Four minutes later, Highet played a neat through pass into the stride of Matty Macleod and the striker weaved past one defender but his shot under pressure from the second centre half was weak and scooped up by the Lossiemouth goalkeeper. Macleod called the goalkeeper into action again on 38 minutes as he latched on to Adam Porteous's through pass but his angled drive was beaten away by the Lossie stopper at his near post. What followed was a series of Nairn corners and the visitors were denied an opener from the second set piece delivery as Munro's header was hacked clear from the goal line. Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half and somehow the Nairn clean sheet remained intact on 78 minutes as Struan Tweedie threw himself in front of a low shot after the ball had been played across goal with the Nairn full back making a superb block before seeing the follow up strike the post and another effort squirm across goal and wide of Fraser Wilkie's left-hand upright on the 'keeper's first North of Scotland League start. It was a miss the visitors were to rue as County won it in injury time. A low corner from the left was flicked on by trialist at the front post and sub Ryan MacBean was quickest to react as he bundled the loose ball home from almost on the goal line just inside the near post. Nairn County – Wilkie, Tweedie, Ednie, Munro, Barron, Alexander, Barton, Grant (Trialist 79), Highet, Macleod (MacBean 75), Porteous. Subs unused: Colliar, Trialist (gk). Graeme Macleod
