Nairn County made it three matches undefeated with a 3-0 victory over Wick Academy at Station Park.
The home side threatened within the opening 60 seconds, with Andrew Greig cutting in from the left before seeing his deflected effort tipped around the post by Graeme Williamson.
County took the lead through a delightfully worked goal on eight minutes though. Stephen Rennie showed fine awareness to spot the run of Ciaran Young, who took the ball past Williamson before squeezing the ball into the net from a narrowing angle.
Wick spurned a glorious chance to equalise within two minutes, however, with a corner eventually worked to the back post where Mark Macadie was unmarked, but he was unable to beat Will Counsell from close range.
Play continued to flow from end-to-end, with Rennie and Young combining again to carve out a shot at goal for the attacker, who was denied his second by an excellent reflex save from Williamson.
Wick remained a threat in their efforts to claw back, with Sean Campbell seeing an effort on the turn tipped over by Counsell, before Ross Allan nodded wide from the resulting corner.
A swift breakaway by the visitors led to another opportunity on 32 minutes, with Alan Hughes shooting straight at Counsell.
Having weathered pressure Nairn looked to add a second before the interval, with Connor Gethins unable to force a shot at goal after Greig’s delivery picked him out in a promising position.
Nairn nearly made the perfect start to the second half when half-time substitute Adam Porritt forced the ball through to Greig, whose fizzing effort whistled inches wide.
County kept up the pressure, with skipper Fraser Dingwall seeing a header tipped over by Williamson from a Gethins corner.
Wick survived a scare on 49 minutes when another Gethins delivery was met by the foot of defender Joe Anderson, who inadvertently diverted the ball off the top of his own crossbar and over to Williamson’s relief.
The Scorries pushed for a way back into the game, with Sean Munro nodding wide, while Macadie found Counsell equal to a low drive from the edge of the box.
Nairn grabbed the all-important second on 65 minutes, when Greig’s delivery laid the ball on a plate for Gethins to hammer high into the net at the far post.
County were in unstoppable form by this point, and they added a third 10 minutes later through Young, whose effort ricocheted off Williamson before bouncing over the line following another Greig cutback.
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