Post Match Reaction: It Was Three Going On Five
A 3-0 victory at Huntly secured the perfect send off for Les Fridge's Nairn County side as they finished their league season on a high. The result also secures a ninth place finish in the Highland League - two spots lower than last year - as they climbed above Clachnacuddin with this victory.
The visitors shocked their hosts with a goal inside the first five minutes as Shaun Kerr was on hand to place home after Gregg Main's shot had come back off the post. They doubled their lead two minutes short of the half-hour mark when Duncan Jones smashed home his second free kick in as many weeks.
After the full time whistle, Nairn boss Les Fridge gave his reaction to the win as well as briefly looking back on the season as a whole when he spoke to Nairn County FC Online. He said: "It was three going on for or five for us today with the amount of chances we created, especially in the first half. It's nice to finish the season on a high because we wanted to get the three points and hit the 40-point mark.
"We had a terrific season last year yet we're only three points behind it. So considering the middle part we had in the season which was very disappointing - I think we didn't manage a win in 10 games. So considering that, the way we started and the way we finished I'm obviously delighted."
Fridge was forced to re-shape his team somewhat as he brought in no fewer than 14 new faces to his pool since the end of last season. But the changes were forced upon the manager to an extent as he faced up to the loss of several players who had
"At the end of the day, we signed the best of the players that were available and they have come in and done very well for us, for example Shaun Kerr and Scotty Graham to name just two. I knew Shaun was a goal scorer and it was a case of getting him in and getting him fit. He got two today but he probably should have had four as he missed two easier chances in the first half if the truth be known. But he has come in, he's scoring goals and he's looking a bit sharper again. He went through a spell where he had family bereavements during the season so obviously we lost him for a while and he lost a bit of his fitness. It took a while for him to get back to where he was but he's looking really sharp now and it's just a pity that the season is now finished. But he'll get a good pre-season under his belt and hopefully be firing on all cylinders when we start again."
Kerr's strike partner Scott Graham has grown in stature of the course of the season and is now poised to establish himself as a first pick in the team when they return for the new campaign. His capture has proved to be a shrewd bit of business for Fridge who picked him up from bottom dogs Fort William. The manager said: "Bringing in Scotty was similar to when we got Martin MacDonald from Brora. I had him watched and I watched him myself a few times and I saw something that I thought we could develop and it's worked for us. It has taken him a while to get in the team and establish himself but over the last six or seven games he has been immense and was so again today."
After Kerr had knocked in Nairn's opener, County grabbed a crucial second goal before the break to give themselves a platform to go on and record the victory when Duncan Jones hammered home a 22-yard free kick. Fridge said: "It's a typical Duncan Jones free kick. He did the same thing last week and he's now got three goals in four games. It was a great goal but he had a couple of efforts from outside of the box and if they hit the target then they were in, there's no doubt about that. He's one of the best strikers of the ball I think you'll come across."
The one downside to the victory was the fact that it brought the season to an end just at a time when County look to be back to their best as they picked up 13 points from their final six games. Fridge said: "We're back scoring goals, playing well and looking solid. I always said it wasn't an excuse but we went seven weeks without a game in the winter and that just knocked us totally out of our stride."
He added: "We were up in the top three or four in the league for the first half of the season but after the layoff we just could get going again. But now that we have got going again it's the end of the season."
Fridge is pleased with the way his side have brought the curtain down on the campaign despite the tender age of the team overall. He said: "We have a very young team and the problem with a young team is inconsistency. But the only way they can become consistent is by playing so it is a Catch 22. But towards the end of the season in the run that we've been on, we've played a lot of the younger players and they've done well and gained experience. So it is just a case of trying to build on this over the next two or three years and trying to add to it. Like I say, we were only three points off last year and last year was a terrific season for us."
He added: "I am also always looking to bring in fresh faces if I think they are better than we've already got or they will bring us another dimension. And it's throughout the season as well as the close season that we're on the lookout.
"I think the majority of the squad are signed up for next season anyway which is pleasing. But obviously I'll be keeping a look out to try and add a few new faces."