It was a war of attrition in the first period with the majority of the best opportunities coming from set plays as more often than not some fine balls into the box from open play never quite found their mark.

Lossiemouth skipper Steven Dixon managed to find space at the edge of the box in the 18^th minute but he was unable to get the ball out of his feet quickly enough and in the end John Campbell made a comfortable save from a poked effort in a crowded box as the defenders and attackers joined in.

Campbell did even better to prevent Jamie Mackay as he turned and volleyed a knock down from Steven Rattray goalwards but surprisingly Mackay was booked as he tried to get a toe to the rebound in an incident which also saw Neil Macdonald booked. Three other players were booked in a first in which there wasn't a tackle of note.

At the other end Steven Edwards, who had curled a 25 yarder wide of the target in the 10^th minute struck another from a similar distance towards the top corner and it took a fantastic stop from Darren McConnachie, who tipped it onto the junction of bar and post on the half hour.

Just before the break a spell of Nairn pressure saw Willie Barron denied by a goal line clearance from George Russell as the skipper got free from his man to flick on a Duncan Jones corner. Then Darren McConnachie denied Shaun Kerr to keep it goalless at half time.

Half time – Lossiemouth 0 Nairn County 0

It looked as though one goal may win the game and it was the visitors who got that goal in the 50^th minute. Duncan Jones poked the ball from the middle of the park towards Kerr. Darren McConnachie appeared to have won the race for the ball however with the striker right on top of him he failed to get a strong connection and Shaun KERR was able to sidefoot the ball into the empty net as it broke to the side of the two players.

Just five minutes later Kerr grabbed a second in bizarre circumstances. A ball into the box saw Martin Sanderson get a foot to the ball before Steven Rattray who caught the defender in his follow through. When the ball came to Steven Edwards it appeared as though it would be knocked out of play and the majority of the players on the parked stopped. However Shaun Kerr never and Edwards played it through the striker who was left one on one with the keeper.

Darren McConnachie did well to make the initial save pushing the ball wide but KERR picked it up and came back inside, twisting past two men before dribbling a shot back in at the near post from 7 yards out.

Although Lossiemouth pressed forward the Nairn defence did well to hang tough with a no nonsense approach which almost saw the supply of match balls drying up. In the end they could have added to their tally with a number of breakaways in the last ten minutes. Gregg Main and Chris Finnigan in particular going close as the Wee County comfortably saw the game out.

Full time – Lossiemouth 0 Nairn County 2

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