14 hours ago
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 1 – 1 WICK ACADEMY
SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Ben Barron (76′); Marc MacGregor (29′)
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Paul Brindle
Match Report by John Dolan
Nairn were looking to build on their terrific midweek win over Brora Rangers, but in the end had to settle for a draw in a game which they dominated after the break following a fairly even first 45 minutes.
Wayne Mackintosh made three changes for the visit of the Scorries: Adam Voigt, Calum MacLean and Tyler Eadie coming in for Dale Wood, the suspended Angus Dey and injured captain Fraser Dingwall. Millar Gamble was given the captain’s armband
Wick threatened first with an early corner. It led to a fluffed clearance from Maclean, which put his side on the back foot; however, the home side managed to clear.
Another corner, for the visitors, saw Owen Rendall outjump everyone, but his header flew over the top.
County replied with a fine run from Paul Brindle, which saw him leave three players in his wake; however, keeper Lewis Gallacher was alert to the danger and managed to block the striker’s shot.
Brindle went even closer to breaking the deadlock when he met a pin-point ball from Andy Greig. His looping header beat the keeper, as he advanced off his line, but the ball went narrowly over.
Brindle then picked out Greig on the edge of the area, but the winger sent his effort well wide of target.
It was Wick’s turn to threaten and when they broke upfield Marc MacGregor’s cross into the area took a deflection before skimming the top of the bar.
And it was visitors who went in front, following an error from Tyler Eadie in 29 minutes. The midfielder tried to clear, but the ball smacked off a Wick man and fell for MacGregor who raced in on goal and, despite the attention of a couple of Nairn defenders, twisted and turned before firing low into the bottom corner.
County then went close twice. With 33 minutes on the clock Kenny McKenzie slipped Rendall inside the area before pulling the trigger, but his shot flew narrowly over.
And a minute later, Gallacher was at full stretch to tip Greig’s shot over the top when it looked to be arrowing into the top corner.
Another chance came Nairn’s way just before the break. Greig fed Finn As-Chainey and his delivery picked out Brindle; however, he was unable to get his angled drive on target. (H-T 0-1.)
County introduced Ben Barron at the start of the second half – McKenzie making way for the big striker.
And straight from the restart, County were on the front foot. A Greig delivery found Brindle who burst into the right side of the Wick box and, despite Rendall’s close attention, the Nairn man got a terrific shot away, but it flashed just over.
At the other end, Gordon MacNab found space in the Nairn box, but at the vital moment lost control and the ball rolled harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
MacNab went into the ref’s book in 52 minutes for a foul on Greig. From the free kick, the ball fell for Maclean, but the defender couldn’t keep his shot on target from close range.
A Mackay long ball in 63 minutes almost put Barron in the clear, down the left channel, and it was only down to Randell getting a slight touch on the ball, which deflected it out of play.
The striker was again out of luck, a minute later, when As-Chainey picked him out in a crowded box, but his shot came back off the frame before being cleared for a corner, which Barron also got on the end of, but his header went wide.
A ball over the top saw MacGregor outstrip Gamble, but from a fairly tight angle the Wick man dragged his shot wide of the far post.
With 17 minutes left, a Barron shot from the edge of the box was on target, but it lacked the power to trouble Gallacher.
The Wick shot stopper then came to his side’s rescue again when he tipped a goal-bound Brindle header onto the frame of the goal.
As the game moved into the last quarter, it was virtually one-way traffic towards the Wick goal.
And the home pressure finally paid off in 76 minutes when the Wick defence failed to deal with a Voight cross into the box and when the ball broke to Barron the striker lashed the ball low beyond Gallacher.
The Wick keeper again excelled when Jamie Carnihan’s cross almost deceived him, but he did just enough to back pedal to push the ball over.
An Owen Harrold foul on Barron led to a free kick 20 yards out, but Mackay fired his effort well over.
Maclean then conceded a free kick at the other end. From the set piece, MacNab picked out the unmarked Steven Sutherland but his shot flashed wide of the far post. And with that effort both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils – the visitors more likely to be the happier of the two sides, given the sustained pressure they found themselves under in the second half.
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Carnihan, Voigt, Gamble, Maclean, Eadie, Mackay, K. McKenzie (yellow 35) (Barron 45), Brindle (y56), As-Chainey, Greig. Substitutes not used – C. McKenzie, Watson, Thomson, Maclean (GK)
WICK ACADEMY – Gallacher, Harrold (yellow 86), Coghill (79), MacGregor (Ewing 83), Reid (Sinclair 66), Kennedy, Hancock, Hughes (Henry 66), MacNab (y52), Sutherland, Rendell. Substitutes not used – Boyd, Aitkenhead, Bain (GK)
Referee – Stephen McDade
