17 mins ago
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 2 -1 STRATHSPEY THISTLE
SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Calum Mackay (31′), Ben Barron (70′); Andrew Macleod (63′)
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Calum Mackay
Match Report by John Dolan
County made four changes to the side that lost the previous week at Keith.
Striker Ben Barron dropped to the bench along with Calum Maclean, while Tyler Eadie didn’t make the squad.
In came Paul Brindle and Andy Greig, while captain Fraser Dingwall returned from injury and Tom McHale took the gloves, while Dylan Maclean was named among the substitutes.
The visitors were first to threaten when a slack pass from Dale Wood in 11 minutes was intercepted by Calum Brown, but he took the ball too wide and his effort from a tight angle was easily gathered by McHale.
The visitors threatened again in 27 minutes. Alister Morrison found space in the box to tee up Dean Stewart, but the centre half side footed over the top from just inside the area.
At the other end, Brindle and Greig linked up well inside the box, but the Jags managed to clear for a corner.
And it was from that corner that Nairn took the lead in 31 minutes.
Calum Mackay sent the ball in and although keeper Danny Gillan, virtually on his goalline, got a hand to it, he couldn’t stop it dropping behind him at the back post.
Mackay then passed up a great chance to double his side’s lead.
Brindle found space down the left before putting in a great ball to the midfielder; however, his touch let him down, with only the keeper to beat, and he could only look on as the ball rolled agonisingly away from him.
The remainder of the half saw the game swing from box to box, but with not a lot either to thrill the crowd; nonetheless, it was County who went in at the break with their slender lead. (H-T 1-0.)
County should have been 2-0 up with their first chance after the break.
A long ball sent Brindle scampering towards the Jags goal; however, the striker’s shot took a deflection off Gillan and went wide of the target.
The Grantown men went close in 52 minutes when Josh Rice curled a shot just inches too high of the frame.
The game swung to the other end and a Fin As-Chainey header found the head of Mackay, but his header landed comfortably in the arms of Gillan.
But it was the visitors who found the way to goal in 63 minutes.
Millar Gamble was adjudged to have fouled Andrew Macleod a yard outside the box – there may have also been a handball. From the free kick Macleod sent a low ball under the County defensive wall and McHale was left rooted to the spot as the ball rolled past him into the net.
Brindle was then inches away from restoring Nairn’s lead in 73 minutes with a shot from the edge of the area, which flashed just the wrong side of the upright.
Thistle then went agonisingly close when Macleod was denied a second of the afternoon – McHale’s outstretched boot deflecting his goal-bound shot for a corner.
It was end-to-end stuff now and when Brindle fed Greig to his right, in 69 minutes, the winger unleashed a shot across Gillan, but it cannoned off the far upright.
Seconds later, Nairn were back in front in a move started and finished by Barron for his 14th goal of the season.
The big striker laid the ball off to Mackay who then picked out Brindle. The striker spread the ball wide to Greig and his cross found the head of Barron, who beat the keeper from about 12 yards as the ball squeezed just inside his right-hand post.
As the clock wound down, the only realy talking point thereafter was a rammy in the home dugout, which led to Nairn boss Wayne Mackintosh being shown a red card.
Aaron Doran’s side made Nairn work hard for their win, but in the end the Jags couldn’t do quite enough to snatch an equaliser and Nairn probably did just enought to complete a league double over their rejuvinated visitors.
The result leaves Nairn in ninth place in the SHFL, with 46 points from 29 games.
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Wood, Gamble (yellow 22), Dingwall, Carnihan (Voigt 78), Macinnes (Barron 68) As-Chainey, K. McKenzie (Dey 29), Mackay (y90+4), Brindle, Greig. Substitutes not used – Maclean, Watson, Thomson, Kelly, Maclean (gk).
STRATHSPEY THISTLE – Gillan, A. Morrison, Macphee, R. Macleod (yellow 84), Stewart (y34), Mutch (Lisle 63), McShane, S. Morrison, A. Macleod, Rice (y90+4), Brown. Substitutes not used – Flett, Docherty, Black, Fraser.
Referee – Stuart Randall.
Up next for Nairn is the visit of title-chasing Brechin City this Saturday in a rearranged Breedon Highland League match. Kick off 3pm.
