Aaron Nicolson was relieved to get his first Nairn County goal and is desperate to add to his tally in the North of Scotland Cup final.
The Breedon Highland League side take on Ross County in Sunday’s showpiece at Grant Street Park.
Nairn are in good form having won their last five games in all competitions.
Striker Nicolson arrived at Station Park after leaving Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the summer and opened his Nairn account against Turriff United at the weekend.
Looking ahead to his first senior final the 18-year-old said: “Getting that first goal was playing on my mind and with every week that went by it probably weighed more and more on my shoulders.
“I was delighted to get that goal on Saturday, especially with the cup final coming up.
“The week before against Wick I came away thinking I could have scored a hat-trick.
19' Goal for Nairn!
A real positive spell for Nairn ends with Aaron Nicolson getting the decisive touch on a Steven MacKay cross!
🟡 1-0 🔵 pic.twitter.com/70XuXSca1c
— Nairn County FC (@NairnCounty) November 4, 2023
“I was thinking about that all week so I was desperate to score against Turriff and it was a big relief to do it.
“But now I need to go and get a few more. My aspiration would be to keep it going and get a goal in the final.
“That’s what all strikers want to do and if I did that hopefully it could help us win the trophy.”
‘All the people connected to Nairn are delighted’
The final is Nairn’s first since 2016 as they look to lift silverware for the first time since their triumph in the North of Scotland Cup in October 2012.
Nicolson appreciates the importance of the occasion to those connected with the Wee County and hopes they can cause a stir against Premiership opposition.
He added: “We’re on a good run of form, looking at it on paper people might not give us a chance because we’re playing Ross County.
“But nobody expected us to beat Caley Thistle in the last round so there’s nothing for us to fear.
“If we play the way we can then I think we can definitely cause a problem or two.
“To get to this final is good and it’s an exciting time for the club and it’s good to be part of it.
“You can see all the people connected to Nairn are delighted to be in a final and it’s great to see.
“It’s not just the players and staff, there’s the committee and the supporters and they’re a big part of it.”