October 9th 2026
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
NAIRN COUNTY 1 -1 NAIRN ST NINIAN
SATURDAY 4 JULY 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Kenny MacInnes (67′); Marc MacDonald (79′)
Match Report by John Dolan
County’s third pre-season friendly saw them welcome neighbours Nairn St Ninian to Station Park on Saturday. Despite creating a host of chances, a solitary goal midway through the second half from Kenny McInnes was all County could muster. While veteran Marc MacDonald’s well-taken goal, 11 minutes from time, secured a deserved draw for the North of Scotland Junior side.
After a quiet start to the game, County came close first to the opener in eight minutes.
A through ball to Adrian Voigt looked to have played him, but Saints’ new shot stopper Aiden Boyce was quickly out to get to the ball first.
But it was the Showfield side who should have taken the lead in 21 minutes.
MacDonald found himself one on one with the keeper and although he managed to nudge the ball past Tom McHale he was unable to keep his shot on target and it trundled just wide of the upright.
Saints threatened again when Sean McWilliams picked out Kyle MacDonald on the right. His cross almost found the in-rushing Joshua Stephenson at the back post, but the Saints man was denied thanks to some good defending from Jamie Carnihan.
However, with 34 minutes played it was Nairn’s turn to go close when Ben Barron’s shot from the edge of the box flew just over. A minute later and Millar Gamble headed just wide from a corner.
The home side were starting to turn the screw and with 39 minutes played Jake Thomson smacked a terrific shot off the far post as he moved in from the right.
Xander McAlpine was next to have a go for the home side, but his well-struck shot was blocked by an equally well-blocked challenge from Jack Anderson.
McAlpine had another chance just before the break, but his header was straight at Boyce. (H-T 0-0.)
Eight minutes after the break, Saints passed up a great chance to take the lead.
A careless ball from Fraser Dingwall was intercepted by McWilliams, who managed to side-step three County men before playing the ball into the feet of K. MacDonald, but the Saints man fired over from the edge of the area.
County replied three minutes later with a Barron header off a Thomson cross, which was well held by Boyce.
Dingwall then went close for the Wee County with a header from a corner.
But it took a timely challenge from substitute Angus Dey to stop K. MacDonald from putting Saints ahead – the Nairn man getting to the ball just in the nick of time.
The game immediately swung to the other end and Barron fired just wide from 14 yards.
The goal action continued and it took a Leo Walker clearance from almost on the goal-line in 62 minutes to deny M. MacDonald after he rounded the keeper.
And a minute later a Carnihan clearance off a McWilliams cross drifted just wide of the Nairn goal.
But it was the home side who eventually made the breakthrough.
With 67 minutes played, McInnes’s shot beat Boyce before crashing off Anderson as it made its way into the back of the net.
It was almost 2-0 in 73 minutes, but Andrew Maclean denied Johnathan Bain with a goal-line clearance.
However, with 11 minutes remaining Saints drew level when ex-County man M. MacDonald sent a delightful looping effort over substitute keeper Lewis Munro for a deserved equaliser.
With five minutes to go, Thomson looked like he was going to put County back in front when he turned inside the area, but then fired straight at Boyce.
Two minutes later, and Carnihan teed up Harrison MacKenzie, but his shot from 14 yards crashed off the upright.
In added time, the last chance of the game fell to M. MacDonald when he stung the hands of Munro and both sides had to settle for the draw – a result that will have pleased Saints boss Stuart Finnie far more than Wayne Mackintosh
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Carnihan, Walker, Gamble, Dingwall, Eadie, Mackay, Thomson, Barron, McAlpine, Voigt. Substitutes – McInnes, Dey, Bain, H. Mackenzie, Trialist, Mackintosh, Munro (gk).
NAIRN ST NINIAN – Boyce, Craigie, Murphy, MacLean, Anderson, Davidson, McWilliams, Logan, M. MacDonald, K. MacDonald, Stephenson. Substitutes – Grant, Hallam, Parsons, Macleod.
