July 15th 2024
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 1 – 0 CLACHNACUDDIN
SATURDAY 8 APRIL 2023
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goalscorers: Conor Gethins (48)
Royal British Legion Nairn County Man of the Match: Callum Maclean
County completed their home League programme with a hard fought victory over Clachnacuddin, at Station Park. A Conor Gethins counter minutes after the resumption was enough to earn County their tenth league victory of the season.
The home side opened brightly and came close after just three minutes. A diagonal ball from Fraser Dingwall released Scott Davidson down the right, his superbly weighted cross into the box, saw Conor Gethins just fail to make contact on the six-yard line.
The visitors were being pushed back particularly during the opening period, with the home side looking to make an early breakthrough. A Ross Tokely ball into the visitor’s penalty area ended with Ciaran Young firing a left footed effort wide of the far post with Keeper Rae looking on.
Scottie Davidson was causing the visitors no end of bother down the right flank, and another teasing cross into the box should have produced the opener. Amazingly, Ciaran Young with time to set himself fired past the post with the goal at his mercy.
Nine minutes later the visitors rear-guard was opened up again. This time Davidson and Gethins combined to create the opening, and when the ball fell to Young, on the edge of the box, his final effort flew over the crossbar with Rae caught in no man’s land.
The second period started with the Grant Street Park side on the attack, and only a superb challenge by Callum Maclean denied Lewis MacKenzie the opener after 46 minutes.
That missed opportunity was to prove costly for the Black & Whites as the home side swept in front two minutes later. Conor Gethins raced onto a long through ball, and with the visitors defence trailing in his wake, the striker lobbed the advancing Rae from the edge of the box to fire the home side ahead in some style.
The match was being punctuated with too many fouls, due in the main to referee Brown, who failed to allow advantage on too many occasions to the frustration of supporters, players and the respective dugouts.
The home side should have doubled their advantage after 65 minutes, when Scottie Davidson passed up a gilt edged opportunity when he fired over with a right footed effort from close range.
The visitors countered, and a nice piece of play saw Robbie Thompson test Dylan Maclean with a 20 yard shot that the keeper dealt with confidently under pressure from Lewis MacKenzie.
The games final opportunity fell to the home side in injury time. Neat build up down the right touchline found Scott Davidson inside the box, with time and space, however the striker wasted the opportunity by firing past with a powerful right foot effort.
The home side thoroughly deserved the points with a powerful performance throughout. They always looked the more likely to break the deadlock, and so it proved. They created numerous opportunities, where as the visitors struggled to gather any rhythm throughout.
NAIRN COUNTY: Dylan Maclean: Callum Maclean, Matthew Strachan, Ross Tokely, Fraser Dingwall, Wayne MacKintosh (Angus Dey 58) Kenny McKenzie, Alisdair Gillies, Conor Gethins (Sam Gordon 68) Ciaran Young (Kenny MacInnes 79) Scott Davidson
Subs not used: C. Howarth, S. Rennie, A. Cruickshank, L. Munro (gk)
CLACHNACUDDIN: D.Rae: D.Morrison, C.Black, B.Cormack, M.Callum, J.Anderson, R.Thompson, R.MacLeod (G.Warren 72) H.Nicolson, H.Hennem, L.MacKenzie (T.Cooper 79)
Subs not used: J.Calder, F.MacKenzie, R.Walker, D.Sienkowski
Match Referee: Lewis Brown
