Nairn 2 – WAFC 1

3 minutes later Nairn had a good
attempt at levelling the score-line. Brian Macleod pinched the ball off the
feet of young Bryan McKiddie and whipped a dangerous cross into the Academy
box. It took a ricochet off the out-rushing Academy defence and fell again to
Macleod who hit it on the half-volley but More got down well to make the save.

With 4 minutes of the half left
Shaun Kerr almost capitalised on a mistake from More, as he spilled a crossed
ball. He recovered however just in time to grab the ball as Kerr was poised to
pull the trigger.

The last attack of the half saw
Academy almost extend their lead. McKiddie delivered a good cross into the
Nairn box which skimmed off the head of Henstridge and fell to Macadie but his
goal-bound shot was blocked by Martin Sanderson.

Half Time 0 – 1

Nairn started the second half on
the attack. Willie Barron got the better of Neil Traill and flashed a shot
across the face of goal that More just managed to get finger-tips to and that
deflected it enough to deny Shaun Kerr a tap-in at the back post. 

With 10 minutes of the second
half played Academy again came close to extending their lead. Macadie stormed
up the wing and crossed for Manson at the back-post but he couldn’t get enough
power on the ball and side-footed his first-time attempt into John Campbell’s
mid-drift.

Stewart Ross wins the ball against Steven Edwards – Photo ATH Ross

Both sides made personnel changes
either sided of the hour mark. Gary Weir coming on for Sean Henstridge and
Martin Macdonald replaced by Chris Finnigan.

Weir was less than 5 minutes on
the park before he was involved in another promising Academy attack. Manson
supplying the cross from the wing, for Weir to control and square to the
on-running McKiddie but his attempt went straight to keeper Campbell. 

With Nairn now playing 3 men
up-front they levelled the scores with 67 minutes on the clock. Academy gave
the ball away cheaply from a throw-in, and Shaun Kerr flicked a Flannigan cross
for Barron who intersected the Academy defence, beat More to the ball and
drilled it home from 10 yards.

1 – 1

3 minutes later and Nairn
completed their smash and grab of all 3 points. Macadie gave the ball away in
mid-field and Willie Barron marched through the middle of the park before
unleashing a dipping shot from all of 30 yards out that sailed over the top of
an out-stretched More into the top corner of the net.

1 – 2

Neil Macdonald almost added
insult to injury a few minutes later when he drove at the Academy defence
before letting fly with a 30 yard drive that just whistled past Mores right
hand post.

More took route 1 from the
goal-kick and Gary Farquhar almost caught the Nairn defence napping with a
curling snap-shot, but it was just high of target.

With 5 minutes left Stewart Ross
almost rescued a point. Macadie rolled the ball into his path and from 25 yards
out he hit a rocket-drive that shaved the top of the Nairn cross-bar.

Full Time 1 – 2

Richard Hughes said after the
game “I feel sorry for the guys coming away from that game with nothing. We’ve
had to change a lot of personnel around in the last few weeks between injuries
and one thing and another, and I though we played some good stuff and
controlled the bulk of the game. The first half in particular we looked
comfortable and if we had taken another of our chances I feel we would have
killed the game. We had 3 minutes of madness in the second half with us giving
the ball away cheaply that lead to both goals. Barron’s second goal was
opportunist, but he saw the chance and it paid off for him, so you have to give
him credit for that. We will learn though from our mistakes, and we won’t dwell
on this as we have an important game on Tuesday night in the cup semi-final. It’ll
be a tough game I’m sure, but I really believe the boys have it in them to win it,
and it would be great for them and the club if we could get into the final.”