ALL good things come to an end and Formartine's quest for an eight consecutive win was emphatically halted by a well drilled County side who's extra drive won over a lacklustre looking Formartine.
Formartine United ................................1
Nairn County .......................................3
The turn around in fortunes is difficult to pin point with the same starting eleven for the seventh outing in eight but even before Stewar
t Gray was substituted at half time and skipper Kenny Coull went off early in the second half with a shoulder injury the signs were there that County were up for the task ahead in the final fixture of the season and the home team had lost their cohesion and imagination.
Perhaps, with John Gardiner not being present due to work commitments, the players missed the gaffers dulcet tones and general words of wisdom, but as the second half unfolded it became more evident that visiting players and supporters began to believe that Formartine were there for the taking and that whatever united tried it was not going to be their evening.
Leading scorer Barry Somers hopes of finishing the season as the Highland Leagues top scorer also received a dent when he was forced to play the second 45 minutes between the sticks as Stewart Gray's replacement.
The evening began with Referee Roddy Cobb being given a guard of honour by both teams as he trotted out for his final match as a referee and it was a rare accolade for the quick witted whistler who has had a lengthy career in the refereeing ranks.
Formartine, under the supervision of Lenny McDonald for the evening went with Richie Singer in the centre of the park alongside Barry Somers with Maitland and Young in the wide areas. Their opponents had Tony Low occupying the right wingback role with Robbie Duncanson and Craig Campbell their dual attacking threat.
There was very little between the teams in the first half with neither team stamping their authority on the opening exchanges. Formartine created an opening when Kenny Coull flicked the ball to Marc Young who picked out Richie Singer on the run, but his first touch slowed the move slightly and allowed cover to arrive before he could apply a finish.
Barry Somers then headed just wide from a Singer corner as the home team threatened again.
The best chance of the half came from a Tony Low burst down the inside right channel that saw him get in behind Ally Graham and advance to the byeline before laying it back into the path of Dale Gillespie. The former Inverness Caley Thistle midfielder placed it deliberately towards the bottom right hand corner of the net but Stuart Cumming managed to flick out a foot to divert what would have been a certain opener.
Nairn then had a penalty claim waved away when Ally Graham, unaware of the run in behind him, clipped the heels of Dale Gillespie just inside thebox.
As the half drew to a close the Wee County's Gregg Main let fly a couple of times before the break both from outside the box. One flew high wide and ugly while the second saw Stewart Gray grab the ball at the second attempt.
Stewart Gray had collected a knock from a clash with Robbie Duncanson in the first half and he had to be replaced at half time with Barry Somers donning the gloves while Patrick Vigurs was introduced into midfield.
The game needed a goal and two came along in the space of two minutes. The opener arrived for Formartine and it came from a Richie Singer set piece in the 67th minute. His corner from the right seemed tailor made for Stuart McKay but the striker's miss-kick fell perfectly for Marc Young to drill it home from 6 yards.
Just moments later a Robbie Duncanson's through ball seemed to have runaway from Gregg Main but he went shoulder to shoulder with James Seivwright, who was the favourite for the ball, the Nairn midfielder went down and referee Roddy Cobb blew his whistle and pointed to the spot much to the surprise of the home fans. Craig Campbell duly stepped up and slotted his kick into the bottom left hand corner past the despairing dive of stand in keeper Somers..
With just three minutes left Nairn's top scorer Campbell doubled his tally when a deft flick from Robbie Duncanson set him scampering in behind the home defence and he steadied himself before blasting the ball past the diving Barry Somers.
With Formartine now pressing for an equalizer, Patrick Vigurs was sent clear to tamely direct his shot at the advancing Donaldson. McKay, Young and Bagshaw all attempted to force their way into shooting opportunities without success. It somehow seemed inevitable that Nairn would capitalise on the space left in the Formartine rearguard. The ball was played over the head of the Formartine defence by Paul Macleod for Craig Campbell to run through to complete his hat trick in emphatic fashion waiting to see what Barry Somers would do before slotting the ball home.
Despite the reverse United can still go to Wick on Saturday for their final game of the season knowing that 3 points will see them overtake Huntly and take a credible 6th place in their opening season, and with the additional motivation of their manager back in the dug out the aim could well be achieved.
Teams:
Formartine United: Gray (Vigurs), Cumming, Graham, Somers, Simpson, Seivwright, R. Maitland (Irvine), Singer, McKay, Coull (Bagshaw), Young. Subs: Shinnie, S. Morrison.
Nairn County: Donaldson, Hind, Mackintosh, Campbell, B. Macleod, Gillespie, Low (M. Macleod), Duncanson, Glenn Main, Gregg Main, P. Macleod. Subs: Riddell, Park, Macdonald.
Referee: Roddy Cobb.
