November 20th 2023
RONNIE Sharp was heartened by what he saw from his side in last night’s narrow home defeat to Brora Rangers. Kyle Macleod nodded in the only goal of the game with 17 minutes on the clock as the visitors pulled off a single-goal victory at Station Park. Speaking after the match, Sharp said: “We were very poor on Saturday but a lot better tonight. I did not think there was much between the two teams. They have been champions twice in recent years and I was delighted with how we performed against them. “We let ourselves down in the last third of the park again, although I thought their goalkeeper had two great saves. The one in the first half from Jordan (MacRae) was just fantastic and if that went in, it might have changed the game a bit but it just goes to show you the difference in having a top quality goalkeeper in your team." “Brora are a strong, strong team and there is no doubt about that. But I thought we matched them in every department. I was hoping we could get at least a point out of it but it never seemed to happen for us.” The only goal of the game came when Steven Mackay kept Scott Graham’s deep cross alive at the far post with a speculative, looping header back into the danger area that Kyle Macleod cashed in on from close range. But Sharp never saw it as he was preparing a change. He revealed: “I did not really see it. I was making a substitution at the time, so I was sorting things out on the sidelines. Adam Naismith got hurt, so I was making speaking to Tom Maclennan, who came on, which meant I did not really see the goal but I heard from the other boys it was a bit soft.” Sharp felt that early change limited his options as he looked to press on for a late equaliser. He explained: “We went into the last 10 minutes a goal down with them down to 10 men but because we had to make the early substitution, it meant that we could not get an extra forward on. Ryan MacDonald was struggling late on too, so it meant we had to push him up the park. Making the early sub limited what we could do in the last 10 minutes.” Nairn now prepare for a visit to Keith which is followed up by a midweek home clash with Fort William before Turriff United are at Station Park a week on Saturday. Sharp said: “We have been playing quite well lately. We have lost by a single goal to Fraserburgh, Formartine and now Brora. The thing is turning that around and taking the chances that we create. We have done well against a high standard of team recently which is encouraging and hopefully we can now kick on and take some points.” Graeme Macleod
