October 9th 2026
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 0 – 0 DEVERONVALE
SATURDAY 29 AUGUST 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Fraser Dingwall
Match Report by John Dolan
A point apiece, but Nairn boss Wayne Mackintosh will at least be pleased with keeping a clean sheet following last week’s heavy defeat to Clach.
Brora loanee Aidan Wilson returned to the starting line-up after missing the last two games through injury. Dale Wood also came in for Ben Kelly.
The visitors went close to the opener in 10 minutes when a free kick was cleared to just outside the box. It fell for Demilade Yunus. The Vale captain went for precision rather than power and he was unlucky to see his effort come back off the bar.
Vale threatened again. This time a clever pass from Jack Mitchell put Stewart Gray in on goal, but his low drive was smothered well by Tom McHale.
Wood’s put his keeper in trouble with a short pass back allowing Mitchell to challenge. McHale then smashed the ball off the Vale man. The ball spun across the face of the open goal, but there were not takers from the visitors.
At the other end a Wood cross to the back post found Calum MacKay, who went close to turning the ball home.
Mitchell was proving a handful for the home defence and he tried his luck with a curling effort, but McHale was able to gather.
With almost half an hour played, Wilson was inches away with a terrific 30-yard free kick that flashed just wide of the upright.
Good play on the right from Mitchell saw him put in a teasing delivery, but Gray sent his header wide. It looked as though Gray took the ball off the head of a couple of his teammates who were better placed.
But three minutes before the break, Max Ewan and Wilson combined superbly before Ewan fired just wide from the edge of the area.
The first big chance after the break came from Nairn. Jamie Carnihan made a good run down the right. His cross into the box found MacKay, but the midfielder was unlucky to see his first-time shot fly just over.
Minutes later and Wilson went close with a low shot that drifted just wide of the upright.
It was Vale’s turn to go close when Murray Esson sent in a high ball to the back of goal, which found Mitchell, but his toe-poke rolled just beyond the far post.
Another good delivery from Carnihan found the head of Wilson, but the striker couldn’t find the target and it flew over.
With a minute remaining McHale did well to block Mitchell’s header off a corner.
And the last chance of the game fell to Nairn, two minutes into added time, when Wilson’s cut-back picked out Fraser Dingwall, but he fired tamely at the Vale keeper.
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Carnihan (yellow 54), Gamble, Dingwall, MacKay (H. MacKenzie 89), Wilson, Thomson (Davidson 45), Ewan, Eadie, Wood, K. McKenzie (y57) (Voigt 60). Substitutes not used – MacInnes, Dey, Bain, Brindle, Walker. Munro (gk).
DEVERONVALE – Robertshaw, Binnie, Esson, Bradford (yellow 70) (Goldie 72), Smith Yunus, Mitchell (y86), Stephen, F. Alberts (Park 69), Celmiro, Gray (B. Alberts 72). — Substitutes not use – Wood, Smith, Stewart, Jarvie, Hopkinson (gk).
Referee – Vladyslav Melynk.
