November 20th 2023
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 0 – 5 FORRES MECHANICS
Saturday 3 August 2022 Station Park, Nairn
Goalscorers: Morrison (4, 34, 54) Johnston (17), Ewen (33)
Nairn County went into their league encounter with local rivals Forres Mechanics looking for their opening league win of the season. However, by the final whistle they were blown away by the Can Cans.
Manager Ronnie Sharp was bitterly disappointed, particularly during the first period, in which they conceded four goals, against a fast- moving Mechanics who, opened on the front foot and who were determined not to give County an early foot hold on proceedings.
The Station Park side made one change to their starting line-up from team that had drawn with Rothes last time out. Nathan Grant came into the line-up in place of injured Callum Howarth, in an otherwise unchanged line-up.
The home side were stunned after just four minutes when the impressive Shaun Morrison swept the Moray side ahead in some style with a glorious opener. With Forres pushing forward at every opportunity, they added to their lead after 17 minutes.
A sweeping move ended with Callum Johnston smashing home a terrific effort from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.
Three minutes later, the same player almost added a third, with another effort that carried inches past the far post with Dylan Maclean looking on anxiously.
The pressure continued to mount on the home side, and with twelve minutes of the first period remaining Ross County loanee Connell Ewen headed a superb third for the visitors, when he outjumped the home defence to head home following a corner.
Within 60 seconds the visitors added a fourth effort when the impressive Shaun Morrison crashed home a quite superb effort for his second of the match. It has to be said that the home side were seen little in an attacking sense, with only the strong running from Scott Davidson trying to push County forward.
The second period began with the home side looking to push forward and claw their way back into the match.
Nine minutes after the restart, the home side were further behind, when a sweeping counter-attack from the Mosset Park side saw Shaun Morrison race past Adam Porritt before drawing Maclean from his area and beat the keeper with a clinical finish to complete a memorable hat-trick for the large travelling support.
Moments later Inverness Caledonian Thistle loanee Ethan Cairns almost grabbed his second goal for the club, but his effort came crashing back off the face of the crossbar.
Moments later the home side went close to reducing the leeway when Davidson weaved his way past two defenders and released Liam Shewan, but his final effort lacked any power and carried past the far post.
Dylan Maclean produced a superb full length save in pushing a powerful 10 yard right foot effort from Andrew Skinner round the post. County will want to get this result out of the system quickly before they head to Aberdeenshire this weekend for their league meeting with Formartine United.
NAIRN COUNTY: Dylan Maclean, Cameron Lisle (Seamus McConaghy 62), Kenny MacKenzie, Glenn Main, Nathan Grant, Adam Porritt, Andrew Greig, Angus Dey (Sam Gordon 62) Conor Gethins (Ciaran Young 71) Scott Davidson, Liam Shewan
Unused Subsitutes: Rory Williamson, Kieran Duffty, John Grant, Will Counsell (GK)
FORRES MECHANICS: Knight: Skinner, Wood, R.Fraser. Ewan, Groat (Davies 71) Johnston (Brady 65) J.Grant, Cairns, Morrison ( Fraser 76) Maclennan
Unused Substitutes: l.Davidson, Paterson, Trialist, Donaldson (gk)
Referee: Mr B.Baxter
