July 15th 2024
FRASERBURGH edged a tight clash at Station Park to take all three points from a Nairn County side who saw first half missed chances cost them. After the visitors had edged in front just before the break, they then put County under a period of pressure after the turnaround and although they failed to create much in the way of chances, they did enough to find a second half which killed the contest. Willie West ghosted into the box from the right to meet a forward pass but the midfielder saw his shot from a tight angle blocked by the boot of Ryan Macleod. A quick throw-in on the right caught Nairn cold on 12 minutes with Willie West collecting the ball on the by-line before clipping in a cross that found the head of Paul Campbell but he glanced his effort just past the far post. Nairn were almost in front in freak circumstances two minutes later. Ryan Cowie's clearance on the halfway line after a Broch corner had been cleared whacked off Gregg Main and looped towards the Fraserburgh goal with visiting goalkeeper Paul Leask just able to backtrack in time to keep it out. Cowie almost provided a goal at the other end on 15 minutes when he pulled the ball back from a corner on the right to Marc Lawrence on the edge of the box but he smacked the crossbar with his first time shot. Macleod excelled again on 22 minutes as he bravely dived at the feet of Campbell to make the save after the Broch striker had timed his run to spring the offside trap. Leask made a superb save on 25 minutes to keep out Gary Kerr's towering header back across goal after the Nairn centre forward had met Gregg Main's clipped ball into the box from the right. It was County's turn to be denied by the bar on 28 minutes as the ball spun up inside the box and was caught by Jordan Macrae with a magnificent looping overhead kick from 15 yards but with Leask beaten, the ball bounced down off the woodwork and agonisingly away from goal. The hosts went close again on 35 minutes with Callum Maclean rising highest to meet Kenny McKenzie's corner from the right but his glancing header clipped the far post on its way past. But it was the visitors who found an opener three minutes before half time. Michael Rae appeared to commit a foul as he hauled back Gregg Main 30 yards out from the Nairn goal allowing Jamie Beagrie to nick the ball off the Nairn midfielder but play was allowed to continue and Beagrie advanced into the box before squaring for Paul Campbell for him to tap in. The Broch started the second half on the front foot and on 54 minutes, Beagrie's raking low shot from just outside the box went past the left-hand post by a whisker. Fraserburgh found a second goal on 70 minutes. Nathan Stuart whipped in an inviting delivery from the right that was met by the head of Jamie Beagrie, who had timed his run into the box to meet the ball with a downward effort that sneaked under Ryan Macleod. Macleod made a decent save on 79 minutes as he tipped Willie West's powerful drive from the right edge of the box over the crossbar by his near post. A Fraserburgh break almost saw them add a third in the final minute but Marc Dickson's low shot from 18 yards trundled past the post. Nairn County – R. Macleod, J. Maclean, C. Maclean, S. Mackenzie, Glenn Main, Morganti, Naismith (D. Mackenzie 66), K. McKenzie, Kerr, Gregg Main, (yellow 63) Macrae (Barron 75). Subs: Ednie, Riddell, Mackay, Wilkie (gk). Fraserburgh – Leask, Stuart, Hay (yellow 80), Cowie, Taylor (y 26), Rae (y 86), Beagrie, West, Campbell (y 44) (Johnston 81), Lawrence (G. Buchan 87), Combe (Dickson 75). Subs unused: C. Buchan, Reid, Christie, Flinn (gk). Referee – Will Smith. Graeme Macleod
