December 5th 2023
NVERNESS CT won a close friendly at Station Park with two goals early on in the second half. Inverness dominated possession as expected it but it was Nairn who had the best chance of the first quarter of the game. Kenny McKenzie did well down the right and pulled the ball back to Jack Maclean, who found Ross Naismith in the box. He dragged the ball across goal to the returning Gary Kerr and the centre forward swivelled and got his 10-yard shot away but he was denied by the boot of visiting stopper Ryan Esson. It was Inverness who opened the scoring six minutes into the second half. Ryan Macleod could not keep a hold of a shot from range, parrying the ball back into the six-yard box for Felicziano Zschussen to clip home. County responded well and nearly levelled on 55 minutes. Some great build up play involving Gary Kerr and Ross Naismith saw Kenny McKenzie played in on goal but he slashed his rising shot into the side netting. But Inverness doubled their lead on the hour-mark. A teasing cross in from the left was slicing into his own net by Cohen Ramsay in his attempts to clear. The home side went up the other end six minutes later but Gary Kerr's flashing header at the near post off Jack Maclean's deep cross from the right flew across goal and wide. Then, on 67 minutes, Kenny McKenzie advanced in on goal but Esson stood up well to make the block from the Nairn midfielder. At the other end, Ryan Macleod did well to deny Jake Mulraney after the Inverness attacker drifted past a couple of Nairn challenges. Inverness made it three with 10 minutes remaining. Dan Mackay cut inside on to his right foot just outside the left of the box and lashed a rising shot across Ryan Macleod and in off the crossbar. Nairn County – Foster (R. Macleod 46), J. Maclean, C. Maclean, Urquhart, Glenn Main, Porritt (Munro 68), R. Naismith, K. McKenzie, Kerr (Ewan 68), D. Mackenzie (MacRae 46) (D. Mackenzie 85), Ramsay. Subs unused: MacDonald. Inverness CT – Esson (C. Mackay 72), Seedorf (Stark 57), Harper (Johnston 68), Donaldson, Raven, Lawton, Chalmers (Wilson 60), MacDonald (Brown 72), Mulraney, Zschusschen, Bell (D. Mackay 72). Subs unused: – Referee – David Osborne. Graeme Macleod
