40 mins ago
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 3 – 0 TURRIFF UNITED
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2025
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Ben Kelly (5′), Fraser Dingwall (9′), Paul Brindle (90+1′)
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Andrew Greig
Match Report by John Dolan
County made it four straight wins and moved up to a heady seventh place in the SHFL with this comfortable win over Turriff United.
Ben Kelly gave them an early lead and it was followed quickly with a second goal from captain Fraser Dingwall. Second half substitute Paul Brindle rounded off the scoring with a cool finish, a minute into added time.
Nairn boss Wayne Mackintosh listed Gary Pullen, on loan from Brora Rangers, among the substitutes.
County began in the ascendancy and took the lead with just five minutes on the clock.
Andrew Greig found space down the left. He then picked out Ben Barron, but his header came back off the bar; however, Kelly muscled his way in to force the rebound over the line.
And before the visitors had time to recover, they found themselves 2-0 down with just nine minutes played. Turriff struggled to clear a corner from the right and when the loose ball fell perfectly for the unmarked Dingwall he had time to control before picking his spot just inside the upright.
Turriff keeper Cameron Reid then denied Nairn a third when he pulled off a terrific save to keep out Calum Mackay’s 30-yard free kick.
At the other end, Nairn keeper Lewis Munro was called into action when Timi Fatona turned his marker but Munro read the danger well, coming off his line, to get down to smother the full back’s effort.
County continued to dominate and Kelly wasn’t too far away with header in 26 minutes.
Reid again came to his side’s rescue when a long ball found Barron, but the keeper, well out of his box, did enough to take the ball off the striker’s toes.
Despite the visitors edging back into the game, there was a lack of penetration in the final third from them and County went in at the break comfortably ahead. (H-T 2-0.)
A bright start to the half by the visitors saw Murray Thompson find space down the left before looking to pick out Aidan Sopel; however, Callum Maclean got his head to the ball first to concede a corner.
County worked the ball to the other end and Greig was unlucky to see his bending effort come back off the inside of the post.
Greig threatened again when he beat Dylan Stuart in a race to the ball just inside the area. The Nairn wide man then turned his challenger before drilling a low shot just wide of the far post.
A terrific long ball from Angus Dey looked to play Greig in, but Owen Kinsella got a toe to the ball to deny him. From the resultant corner, Maclean headed inches over at the back post.
The visitors though were starting to see more of the ball, but again with no real threat on Munro’s goal.
Nairn were far from out of it and were denied a third when Mackay tried to get on the end of another fine through ball from Dey only for Reid to beat him to it.
It was the visitors’ turn to go close when Thompson picked out Miller Keir, charging through the middle, but his drive was deflected for a corner.
A beautiful touch from Brindle found Greig galloping down the left, but his cross into the box was poor and Reid easily gathered.
With the clock running down, Turriff threatened with an Andrew Watt header, but it was easily held by Munro. The keeper was in action again having to deal with Keir’s dangerous looping header. And seconds later his outstretched boot denied a certain goal.
However, a minute into added time it was well and truly “game over” when Brindle latched on to a delightful Jamie Carnihan pass before calmly dispatching the ball past the advancing Reid.
NAIRN COUNTY – Munro, Carnihan, Voigt, Maclean, Dingwall, Eadie (Pullen 57), Mackay, Dey, (K. McKenzie 74), Barron (Brindle 66), Kelly (As-Chainey 66), Greig. Substitutes not used – Maclean (gk), Bain, Thomson, Watson.
TURRIFF UNITED – Reid, Fatona, S, Robertson, Kinsella (yellow 41), Donald, Douglas (McLean 57), Garnham (Stuart 14), Watt, Keir, Thompson (McKeown 74), Sopel (Taylor 74). Substitutes not used – Herbet, E, Robertson, Smith, Souden, Yeats.
Referee – Vladyslav Melnyk.
Next Saturday, County travel to Lowland League side Berwick Rangers in the first round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup. Kick off 3.00 pm.
