Peterhead
5
County started with Brian Macleod at sweeper, where he played for the second half of last week's game at Stenhousemuir, alongside Martin Sanderson and Martin MacDonald in front of John Campbell, while Chris Finnigan and Gregg Main took up the wide positions in midfield. Wayne Mackintosh, Steven Edwards and Willie Barron played in the middle of the park while the strikers were Shaun Kerr and Iain Brooks.
After making a positive start to the game in the opening 15 minutes, Nairn found themselves a goal down somewhat against the run of play it could be argued. Former Forres Mechanics full back Steven Mackay clipped an inch perfect through ball to Polish trialist Konrad Kozminski and he slotted the ball past the advancing Campbell from 15-yards.
This seemed to open up the floodgates for Steve Paterson's men as they added a second only six minutes later when Graham Sharp's simple cross from the left caught out the County defence as Kozminski rose highest at the back post to power a header past Campbell.
It was three with only 24 minutes on the clock when the home defence failed to deal with a Peterhead corner from the right. The ball dropped to the feet of Stuart McKay in the box after several failed Nairn clearances and the former Inverurie Locos striker drilled a low shot through a forest of legs and past a rooted Campbell.
A mix up between Campbell and defender Martin Sanderson led to the visitors' fourth goal. Steven Mackay's long free kick from inside his own half was left by Sanderson for his goalkeeper but Kozminski nicked in between the pair and got their first before clipping a cool shot over the exposed goalkeeper to complete his hat-trick.
Nairn had the chance to pull one back in the 41st minute when Peterhead goalkeeper Will scythed down Gregg Main in the penalty box. Referee Watt pointed to the spot and Iain Brooks stepped up to blast the spot kick goalwards but Will made amends for his foul as he parried the ball wide for a corner. (H-T 0-4).
The visitors made a plethora of substitutes at half time and that, combined with Nairn's added impetus, made the game a more even affair with the home side seeing a lot more of the ball.
In fact, Les Fridge's side almost pulled a goal back in the 56th minute when Barron played a short corner on the left to Neil MacDonald. His out-swinging cross flashed across the face of goal where both Kerr and Brooks were agonisingly close to making a connection which would have led to a certain goal.
The hosts were back on the attack on the hour mark when Kerr knocked the ball through the legs of Iain Good and cut in from the right but his reluctance to shoot with his left foot led to him running across goal and up a proverbial cul-de-sac of defenders and the chance was gone.
It was again Nairn who were on the attack in the 74th minute when midfielder Wayne Mackintosh cracked a low shot goalwards from 25-yards that was parried by substitute goalkeeper Mikel Kulac. A Peterhead defender just managed to edge out Scott Graham in the race to the loose ball at the expense of a corner.
The visitors rubbed salt into the Nairn wounds ten minutes from time as they added a fifth goal with their only real chance of the second half. Willie Barron was caught in possession by Stuart Soane and he fed the ball into the on-rushing Jamie Buchan on the left channel. The former Aberdeen midfielder then drilled home a low shot that beat Campbell at the keeper's near post.
County almost grabbed a consolation goal in the 87th minute. The Peterhead defence headed clear a Nairn corner from the left but only as far as Mackintosh who caught his 20-yard volley as clean as a whistle but was denied by a diving save from Kulac. (F-T 0-5).
Goals: 0
Shots on target: 4
Shots off target: 2
Corners won: 5
Offsides against: 2
Fouls conceded: 13
Woodwork hit: 0
Yellow cards: 1
Red cards: 0
Goals: 5
Shots on target: 5
Shots off target: 3
Corners won: 5
Offsides against: 2
Fouls conceded: 10
Woodwork hit: 0
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0
1)John Campbell: 5
24)Martin Sanderson: 5
17)Steven Edwards: 6
22)Gregg Main: 5
[23)Marc MacDonald 48]: 3
5)Martin MacDonald: 5
6)Wayne Mackintosh: 6
7)Willie Barron: 5
13)Chris Finnigan: 6
[19)Glenn Main 59]: 3
9)Shaun Kerr: 5
[15)Scott Graham 66]: 2
10)Iain Brooks: 5
11)Brian Macleod: 3
[2)Neil MacDonald 28]: 3 y 70
[14)Angus Lawrie 73]: 2
Subs unused:
30)John Calder
1)Jim Will: 8
[20)Mikel Kulac 62]: 3
2)David Donald: 7
3)Steven MacKay: 8
[12)Jamie Buchan 62]: 5
4)Bobby Mann: 6
[14)Iain Good 46]: 5
5)Callum Macdonald: 7
6)Stuart Soane: 8
[19)Hamish Munro 80]: 2
7)Graham Sharp: 6
[16)Bryan Gilfillan 46]: 5
8)Stuart McKay: 8
[18)Dane Ballard 80]: 2
9)Martin Bavidge: 7
10)Konrad Kozminski: 9
[17)Ross Gardiner 62]: 4
11)Steven Istead: 6
[15)Dean Cowie 46]: 5