July 15th 2024
IT was a disappointing return to Station Park for Stuart Finnie’s side as they lost a competitive game at Station Park for the first time since the club moved under-20s fixtures there in the summer of 2016. Nairn started well but Elgin hit them with three goals in four minutes starting on the 10-minute mark. The first came when a deep Elgin corner from the left was clipped back into Jake Thomson at the far post. He cut inside Danny Highet with the Nairn midfielder tripping the City man and Moray Taylor stepped up to tuck away the penalty. City won the ball back from the centre with Jake Reynolds-Jones finding himself in possession 25 yards from goal within no Nairn player near him. The striker then lifted his head and blasted a rising effort past the dive of Aidan Stewart to double his side’s advantage. Then, on 14 minutes, Jake Reynolds-Jones was played through on Stewart and rounded the exposed County stopper to roll in his second of the night. Nairn almost pulled a goal back on 32 minutes when Ryan MacBean showed good strength to take down a bouncing ball at the edge of the box and blast goalwards but his effort was superbly palmed over the crossbar by Elgin goalkeeper Trevor Dear. Jack Maclean picked the pocket of Elgin defender Ashley Ballam on 56 minutes and looked to pick out McConaghy in the middle with a delivery in from the right but the ball was nicked off the midfielder’s toes. But the visitors added a fourth on 62 minutes. Liam Watt’s out-swinging cross from the right was touched into the ground by Ashley Ballam at the far post with the ball bouncing up over Stewart and into the net. Ciaran Young played a neat backheel on 73 minutes to put Jack Maclean running in on goal but Trevor Dear in the Elgin goal stood up well to beat away with midfielder’s drive. Young threatened himself on 79 minutes when his left-footed shot from the right-edge of the penalty area went just past the near post. The home side netted a consolation in the final minute when Jack Maclean rose highest in the box to meet McConaghy’s in-swinging corner from the left with a header that bounced past Dear. Nairn County – Stewart, Cuthbert (S. Main 74), Jack W. Maclean, Cameron Maclean (yellow 14), Tweedie (Davidson 46 (y 61)), Morrison, Jack Maclean, Highet, MacBean (Young 53), McWilliams (Campbell 71), McConaghy. Subs unused: Wilkie (gk). Elgin City – Dear, Duncan, McDade (Niedzwiedz 80), Ballam, Edwards, Scott (Robertson 71), Thomson (Brown 84), Watt, Reynolds-Jones (yellow 77), Loveland, Taylor. Subs unused: Niedzwiedz, Brown, Proven, Kelly (gk). Referee – Gordon Seago. Graeme Macleod
