October 5th 2026
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 3 – 0 ROTHES
SATURDAY 25 JULY 2026
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Leo Walker (12′), Paul Brindle (81′ & 85′)
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Paul Brindle
Match Report by John Dolan
County got their 2026/27 SHFL challenge underway with this comfortable win over the Speysiders.
Leo Walker opened the scoring in the first half. County went on to dominate and a second half double from Paul Brindle was no more than the home side deserved – and home keeper Tom McHale will surely have much busier afternoons as the campaign gathers momentum.
Wayne Mackintosh’s side put their visitors on the back foot from the off and a few minutes in Jamie Carhihan pulled the ball back from the byline for Jake Thomson, but he was denied by a fine parry from keeper Stewart Black
A mimute later and Brindle smacked the face of the crossbar with a shot from 22 yards.
Nairn then took the lead in 12 minutes, but there was an element of luck about Walker’s first goal in the Highland League.
The defender launched the ball into the Rothes box. It appeared he was looking to pick out Ben Barron, moving in at the back post; however, the blustery conditions saw the ball change track before dipping over Black and it ended up in the back of the net.
For the remainder of the half, it was one-way traffic towards the Rothes goal.
Walker’s fine cross found the head of Barron, but he couldn’t get enough on his delicate flick for it to trouble Black, who was well placed to gather. Then a 25-yard free kick from Calum Mackay flew just wide of the upright.
Rothes finally threatened in 37 minutes.
Fraser Dingwall and keeper McHale got their wires crossed and Thomas Brady looked to capitalise, but McHale just managed to get a boot to the ball first.
Black then came to his side’s rescue just before the break getting a strong hand to a Barron shot to push it over the top.
Brindle then looked like he was about to burst the net when he turned just inside the box, but Gavin Thomson did just enough to get a challenge in and deflect his effort wide.
As the half-time whistle blew County should have been further ahead, but Walker’s goal was all they had to show for their almost total dominance. (H-T 1-0.)
County were on the front foot straight after the restart.
A good turn and cross from Brindle inside the area found the head of Barron, but the striker was alway stretching and couldn’t direct it on target.
A long ball by Carnihan almost put Barron free down the right, but Thomson stuck out a boot in the nick to time to put the ball out of play.
The secod half was turning into an action replay of the first half with County well on top. And Kenny McKenzie was next to go close with a shot from the edge of the box, which flahsed just over.
McKenzie then turned provider in 68 minutes. His pin-point cross from the left was met by the head of Brindle, but he sent his effort narrowly over the top.
Thomson was next to have a go, but Black got down to push his header away following a great ball from Mackay.
But County finally broke Rothes’ stout resistence when the visitors failed to clear their lines in 81 minutes and when the ball fell to Brindle he sent a looping effort from the back of the box that Black, at full stretch, was unable to keep out.
And Brindle put a more realistic gloss on the scoreline four minutes later with his composed finish, picking his spot from the edge of the box, to make it 3-0.
Although the visitors offered a bit more in the second half they never really looked like scoring and once Nairn got their second goal there was only ever going to be one outcome.
NAIRN COUNTY – McHale, Carnihan, Gamble, Dingwall, Mackay (yellow 74), Barron, Thomson (y71), MacInnes (Dey 58), K. McKenzie, Brindle, Walker. Substitutes not used – Bain, Eadie, Voigt, Wood, Munro (gk).
ROTHES – Black, Thain, Hastings (Cornish 82), Thomson, Alexander, Lean, Harkness, McConnachie, Duncan (McDade 60), Brady (Lisle 46), Cameron. Substitues not used – Skinner, Milne.
Referee – Mark Bolton.
