Nairn County beat Strathspey Thistle to collect first Highland League points of the season

Nairn County defeated Strathspey Thistle 4-1 at Station Park for their first Breedon Highland League win of the season.

In a game of two halves the visitors from Grantown enjoyed the better of the first period, but couldn’t score.

After the interval Wee County talisman Conor Gethins broke the deadlock with Ciaran Young, Fraser Dingwall and Andrew MacLeod’s penalty adding to the score before Michael Mackenzie netted a consolation for the visitors.

For Nairn the goals were their first in the Highland League this term with their maiden victory coming at the fifth attempt.

Strathspey remain without a point after five fixtures.

Nairn made two changes to the side which defeated Lossiemouth in the North of Scotland Cup in midweek. Kenny McKenzie missed out with injury and Jamie Carnihan was benched with Wayne MacKintosh and George Robesten brought in to start.

Strathspey made three alterations from their North Cup loss to Forres Mechanics. Caelan Mutch, Iain Ross and Ross Logan returned in place of Owen Loveland, Joe Cuthbert and Seamus McConaghy.

Thistle also fielded former Rothes, Deveronvale, Lossiemouth and Clachnacuddin striker James McLaren on the bench.

Early openings

The hosts had the first decent effort when Andrew MacLeod spun out of a couple of challenges and teed up Gethins inside the box, but his strike was straight at goalkeeper Ruardhri Nicol.

In the eighth minute the Grantown Jags threatened. James McShane’s pass picked out Logan who skipped past Fraser Dingwall and Ross Tokely.

MacKintosh made an excellent sliding challenge to stop Logan shooting, but the ball broke for Mackenzie who forced goalkeeper Dylan MacLean into a good save down to his right from 12 yards before Logan was flagged offside as he finished the rebound.

Shortly after Jack Mackay broke down the right for Thistle before finding Jack Davison and his curler from the edge of the box was clutched by MacLean.

After that early flurry the game became cagier with chances harder to come by, however, the endeavour of both sides couldn’t be faulted in the quest for the breakthrough.

In the 35th minute Strathspey passed up a good opening. Logan played a one-two with Davison and found space on the left side of the area.

But with a clear sight of goal Logan’s shot was tame and straight at MacLean.

Two minutes later the visitors had another great opening when Davison played Mackenzie through with the striker cutting onto his foot to shoot only for Callum MacLean to get back and block.

As the interval approached Robesten looped a header over as Nairn looked for more in the final third.

Then the lively MacLeod twisted into space but fired wide from 20 yards, before in the dying embers of the first period Gethins rifled narrowly off target from similar range.

Breakthrough arrives

Three minutes after the restart the deadlock was broken by Nairn.

Robesten burned passed Mutch on the left flank and the Ross County loanee’s dangerous low delivery was tapped home by Gethins inside the six-yard box.

Strathspey responded well to falling behind with Davison’s cross from the right breaking for Liam Grant at the back post, but Dylan MacLean blocked at close quarters.

Just after the hour mark the woodwork denied County. Gethins’ corner wasn’t fully cleared when Scott Davidson looped a header towards goal which Angus Dey flicked onto the crossbar before Thistle scrambled the ball clear.

But Nairn put the seal on the victory in the 73rd minute when two subs combined.

A free-kick wasn’t fully cleared and Kelly showed neat footwork to tee up Young and his left-footed finish from 14 yards found the right corner.

Five minutes later Young should have had another when Aaron Nicolson got the better of James McShane and set him up inside the six-yard box.

But the striker scuffed his attempt which allowed Alan Kerr to block on the line.

However a third Nairn goal did arrive in the 80th minute when MacLeod’s inswinging corner from the left was headed in by Dingwall from almost underneath the crossbar.

Two minutes from time it got even better for the home side when Mutch tripped MacLeod inside the area and after referee Stuart Randall pointed to the spot MacLeod rolled the penalty down the middle past Nicol.

In stoppage time Strathspey grabbed a consolation when Mackenzie fired into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.