Nairn County 0 v Keith 2

MIKEY AT THE DOUBLE DUMPS NAIRN

There’s only one Mikey Ironside! Aye, that could have been Keith fans’ battle cry on Saturday, when the wee fella’s dandy double earned Craig’s Commandos their first win at Nairn for 4 years, and their first away win for 7 months. Goals are a bit like hens teeth for the Maroons these days, but Mikey’s deadly first half brace put the kybosh on the Wee County making it six successive wins.

A massive three points hauled Keith above Lossiemouth in the league table, and the zero goals against gave Craig Reid his 20th clean sheet as Maroons custodian.

Now, this was always going to be a tough shift with Wayne MacIntosh’s side sitting in 7th spot, 10 places above us in the Table, and Aberdeen loanees Zack To and Jack Searle turning out for their parent Club in the Challenge Cup at Elgin.

Play swung from end to end in the opening stages with Reid pulling off a fine one handed save to deny Calum Mackay in the 13th minute, before Horace Ormsby fired straight at County goalie Lewis Munro midway through the half, Liam Duncan firing the rebound inches wide. The Maroons then had a wee let off on 31 minutes when a Mackay header was fingered onto the bar by Reid, with Jordan Lynch completing the clearance.

Three minutes later I was up aff my seat in the Stand when a Lynch shot was parried by the goalie but the alert Ironside gleefully rammed the loose ball into the old ingin’ bag – Ya Beauty Mikey, get in there!!

Two minutes from the half-time cuppa my old bones propelled me aff my seat again, when the bold Mikey latched onto a superb Nathan McKeown through ball to ram home with great aplomb from 12 yards – Ya Beezer Mikey!

On the stroke of half-time Jordan Cooper let fly from the edge of the box and his drive whistled over the bar with Nairn on the ropes.

A triple substitution by County at the start of the second period made no impact to be honest with Keith battling stoutly, defending robustly and breaking upfield whenever they could. Apart from one or two off target headers and a couple of wayward shots, the nearest the homesters came to scoring was a Paul Brindle shot in the 70th minute which rattled back off the inside of the post.

In truth, County huffed and puffed with Reid not having a direct second half save, thus handing the Maroons their 94th win in 187 League meetings between the sides. Wee Mikey got the goals that mattered, but the whole side, including all five substitutes, gave their all the whole afternoon.

KEITH – Reid, Craib, Lynch, Addison, Spink, Cooper (Bird 89), Ormsby (McAllister 80), Gill, McKeown (Paterson 89), Duncan (Barron 80), Ironside (C Robertson 74). Sub unused – Smith.

Referee – M Bolton

Saturday 11th September 2025, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson