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CALLUM MACLEAN, DYLAN MACLEAN & KENNY MCKENZIE TESTIMONIAL
NAIRN COUNTY 1 – 3 INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
TUESDAY 23 JUNE 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Calum Mackay (41); Hamzad Kargbo (19′), Paul Allan (22′), Luis Longstaff (64′)
Match Report by John Dolan
Nairn’s pre-season games got underway on Tuesday when League 1 Champions Inverness Caley Thistle provided the opposition for a testimonial match in honour of keeper Dylan Maclean (30) and defenders Calum Maclean (34) and Kenny McKenzie (33) – all three having played for ICT youth teams.
English trialist Hamzad Kargbo and midfielder Paul Allan had Inverness 2-0 up after 20 minutes, but Calum Mackay pulled a goal back before the break. A lovely free kick from Luis Longstaff completed the scoring for Inverness not long after the break.
Not unsurprisingly, the visitors took the game to their hosts, but their first goal attempt didn’t arrive until the 11th minute when recent signing Graeme Shinnie pulled the trigger, just inside the Nairn box, but the ball smashed off Millar Gamble before being cleared.
Caley threatened again when Trialist pulled the ball back for Kargbo, but again the effort was blocked.
But Kargbo wouldn’t be denied the chance to impress ICT boss Scott Kellacher (a former County striker). With 18 minutes played he found space in the box before drilling an angled drive past Maclean.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 when Calum MacLeod cut the ball back from the byline, picking out Allan and he lashed home from close range.
The Caley Jags were dominating and Kargbo threatened again; however, Maclean was off his line to put in a block that sent the trialist crashing to the ground and requiring some treatment before playing on.
County gradually eased themselves into the game and almost pulled a goal back in 32 minutes.
Jamie Carnihan galloped down the right before crossing into the box for Mackay. The former ICT midfielder got his head to the ball and, although his effort beat Logan Ross in the Caley goal, the ball came back off the left upright.
Nairn were seeing more of the ball and six minutes before the break, McKenzie threaded a great ball through to Mackay and he kept his composure to slot the ball between Ross and his left-hand post.
With the last action of the half Shinnie teed up Shae Keogh, who put in powerful shot, but Maclean did well to gather. (H-T 1-2.)
Caley almost stretched their lead early in second half when Adam MacKinnon picked out Kargbo, but the big striker couldn’t get the better of Maclean.
Caley went close again when MacLeod headed just wide from a corner.
The visitors continued to press, but found the County defence not giving much away; however, a free kick conceded in 62 minutes saw Longstaff send a delightful low effort from 22 yards beyond the diving Maclean.
A fine through ball from Liam Sole found Morgan Bates racing towards the Nairn goal, but he was unable to get his shot away thanks to some good defending from County captain Fraser Dingwall.
With eight minutes to play, Longstaff came close to his second of the night when he turned inside the box only for his goal-bound shot to be cleared almost on the goal line.
At the other end, new signing from Rothes Jake Thomson robbed Sole before moving to the edge of the area, but a Caley man managed to block his well-struck shot.
An entertaining enough game for the good crowd that turned out and Nairn boss Wayne Mackintosh will be pleased with his side’s showing against a team that will be playing Championship football next season.
NAIRN COUNTY – Maclean (Jeffrey 81), Carnihan (Kelly 74), Walker, Maclean (Thomson 60), Dingwall, Gamble, Mackay (Dey 75), Eadie (Trialist 75), Brindle (Barron 45), Bain (Voigt 45), Mackenzie (McInnes 67).
INVERNESS – Ross (Munro 45), Macleod (Kerr 75), Boutin (Leighton 75), Shinnie (Thompson 63), Savage (Clark 65), Allan (Rodgers 63), MacKinnon (Harkness 63), Mackay (trialist) (Sole 45), Kargbo (trialist)(Bates 55), Trialist, Keogh (Longstaff 45).
