Nairn County manager Ross Tokely hailed Andrew Greig’s performance and their clean sheet after victory over Lossiemouth.
The Wee County triumphed 4-0 at Grant Park to earn their third win and third shut out in the Breedon Highland League this season.
Winger Greig – who has returned to action this term after suffering a torn meniscus in March 2023 – was a standout scoring twice and setting up another.
But Tokely also praised his backline for keeping the Coasters out.
He said: “I thought Andrew was really good, he was a constant threat down the left hand side.
“Andrew missed a whole year with injury and is just getting his fitness back so we’ve been really careful at times with him.
“He’s building up some form and momentum and scoring some goals. The first one was excellent and the second was a really good finish.
“I’m still at him to improve the final ball, but he was a constant threat for the Lossiemouth defence.
“Overall I thought we were excellent and deserved the win. We could have scored more, but I thought we dominated the game from the start.
“I do enjoy us keeping clean sheets and we work at training with the defence to get that so it’s pleasing it happened.
“It wasn’t just the back four, in midfield we got the first and second balls, I told them we’d have to do that and then going forward we looked dangerous.
“I’m delighted for the lads to get the win.”
Match action
Following a cagey start Lossie had a glorious chance in the 17th minute.
Liam Archibald’s inswinging corner from the left was flicked towards goal before Brandon Hutcheson’s attempt from inside the six-yard box was smothered by goalkeeper Dylan Maclean with Wayne MacKintosh hacking the loose ball off the line.
Within a minute the Wee County went up the other end and opened the scoring.
Scott Lisle burrowed down the left flank, laid the ball back to Greig close to the left angle of the penalty area and he picked out the top right corner with a sublime curling shot.
Nairn looked to add to the score: Ben Barron glanced a header wide and the lively Lisle and Greig both saw net-bound shots repelled by goalkeeper Stuart Knight.
Five minutes into the second period the visitors did double their lead and it came from the same combination as the opening goal.
Lisle got away from Niall Kennedy on the right wing and his low delivery was dispatched by Greig at the back post.
Despite Lossie making changes and committing more players forward they struggled to create chances.
A Liam Archibald header straight at Maclean in the 62nd minute and Ross Morrison’s 20-yard free-kick in the closing stages, which Maclean also held, were as close as the Coasters came in the second period.
Nairn sealed their win in the 72nd minute when Barron’s glancing header from Greig’s inswinging corner on the left made it 3-0.
On 82 minutes County made it four. Sub Sam Gordon was tripped by Owen Paterson inside the box and Lisle found the bottom left corner from the spot.
Coasters fall flat
After wins in the North of Scotland Cup and the league under interim manager Gavin Price this was a setback for Lossiemouth.
Coach Ian Campbell said: “I’ve said many times we’re the rollercoasters, we had two positive results and we feel like we’re getting somewhere.
“Then we looked leggy, we were second best. We weren’t getting to the first ball, we weren’t getting the second balls and we just looked flat.
“It’s really disappointing and the boys are devastated, but we’ve got to take it on the chin and try to push on.
“The boys are still positive, but we need to cut out performances like that.
“We have a couple of decent performances but then we have a performance like that in us.
“Sometimes you can put things down to individuals, but when you have the majority of the squad not quite at it then you’re up against it.
“Even the subs came on and didn’t really influence the game, whereas, in other games they have changed it for us. It’s a bad day at the office for us.”
Conversation