Date	Saturday, 22 January 1949
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Huntly 1:1 Ross County
Venue	Christie Park
Referee
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: Fred Newton, 2: Jimmy Farmer, 3: Fred Nimmo, 4: Finlay Browning 1, 5: John Patience, 6: George Sutherland, 7: Barney Smith, 8: Jock Finlay, 9: Charles (Chic) Ogilvie, 10: Alick Ferguson, 11: John (Johnny) Bremner
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 1 Huntly 1 After completely outplaying the home side during the second half, Ross County had to be content with a division of the points, when they met Huntly at Cristie Park, on Saturday. Even on the muddy pitch the ball was constantly being swung about, and the crowd appreciated the quick, first-time tackling of the County side, although, naturally, reserving the biggest cheers for the Huntly raids. Rain was still falling as Patience won the toss and immediately Huntly took up the offensive on the right wing. Macdonald sent across a low centre which Farmer cleared, but the winger regained possession to test Newton with a shot which was turned round for a fruitless corner. Mills, Huntly's schemer in chief, was unlucky when Patience deflected a drive which looked destined for the net. At last the County attack got moving, and Findlay waltzed along the right wing before lobbing the ball into the Huntly goalmouth, where Paterson's head cleared the danger. Back came the attack, this time on the left, where, following a bout of interpassing between Ferguson and Bremner, the ball came into the centre for Crawford to throw himself at Ogilvie's feet to dispossess him. A big kick let Mennie away, but his parting shot hit the bar and came out. The centre got through again and Newton was rather fortunate, when he came out as the ball struck his outstretched arm and he was able to drop on it. Next a run along the wing by Ogilvie and a centre, which was taken off Ferguson's head for a corner. From this, Sutherland headed over. After 15 minutes, Mills completely outwitted the County defence, passed to Macdonald, and the winger's perfect cross was headed home by Mennie. Robertson next tested Newton, who punched over, and from the resultant corner, the goalkeeper went full-length to save from Macdonald. Again Macdonald ran through and Patience shouldered him off the ball. To the consternation of the Ross defence, referee Shanks awarded a penalty. Veteran Willie Cooper came up to take the kick, but Newton made a magnificent full-length save inches from the post. County, having weathered the storm, gradually beat Huntly back on to the defensive, and Bremner had a grand chance when he found himself in possession with a clear field, but he decided to shoot instead of running on, and missed by yards. Then Smith brought Crawford to his knees to save a low shot and Findlay essayed a grand drive which went a yard wide. Again the Ross forwards returned to the attack and Crawford had to be at his best to save from Ogilvie. Browning placed a free kick into the goalmouth and Ferguson rose above the six inches taller Paterson to head over Crawford into the net. Half-time came with Mennie firing over from ten yards. On resumption, Ross County proceeded to take complete charge of the exchanges. A beautiful drive from Findlay went wide with Crawford well beaten, then the keeper held a terrific shot by Bremner. Farmer was having time to run half the length of the field, and from one of his parting clearances, Ferguson headed goalwards. The ball stuck in the mud on the goal-line and Crawford fell on it before a forward could tap it in. In another attack, Findlay suffered a hip injury, when tackled by Cooper, and had to leave the field. Ogilvie was next prominent with a shot which hit the upright and was scrambled away for a corner. From this resulted a melee in the Huntly goal-mouth, when shots from all angles were blocked and the ball finally cleared. Against ten men, Huntly made two isolated raids which proved dangerous. Mennie burst through, only to see the ball hit the cross-bar and Newton to punch clear the rebound. Then Macdonald showed Nimmo a clean pair of heels before shooting for the far post, an effort which resulted in the best save of the match, when Newton hurled himself headlong at the ball, which was leaving him, and he held it at full stretch. Findlay had returned to hobble along the right wing, but in the next County attack, Ogilvie received Crawford's elbow in the stomach and he too had to retire for attention. The Huntly goal was bearing a charmed life as attack after attack rained down on it, but Crawford was excelling himself, aided in no small measure by Paterson and Cooper. County wing halves, with a complete grip on the game, were coming forward to try their luck, but always a defender's body or foot imparted the necessary change of direction. Just on the whistle, Sutherland unleashed a foot-high drive labelled "goal," but out came Cooper's foot and the ball skidded off inches past the upright. Huntly supporters breathed a sigh of relief at the close, when the twenty-two mud-covered players trooped off. The County side played well to a man, but extra bouquets must go to Newton, for his magnificent saves, one from the penalty and the other from a second-half shot, and for his good work in the first half, when another goal may have inspired Huntly, and to Browning, a power in defence and schemer in attack, full of whole-hearted endeavour and playing as strongly at the close as the beginning. The Huntly team tired in the second half, and County were that extra yard faster on the ball, which turned potential home attacks into powerful County thrusts. With a little more steadiness in front of goal and someone to carry the ball nearer instead of shooting from too far out, the result would have been a decisive victory for Ross County. Muir of Ord left back A. Jack made his second appearance for Nairn County, on Saturday, in the game against Lossiemouth. Last season he was a consistent player for Ross County.