Date	Saturday, 17 September 1932
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 2:1 Nairn County
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee	Tom Maclean
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: Peter Brett, 2: Thomas Anderson, 3: Hector Stewart, 4: Roddie Garrow, 5: Ackie Urquhart, 6: Robert MacLeod, 7: J Black, 8: Dave Cowie, 9: Ian Aird 2, 10: Fred MacLeod, 11: Alexander (Ackie) MacPherson
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 2, Nairn County 1 Ross County gained another two Highland League points on Saturday, and incidentally inflicted the first defeat of the season that Nairn County has suffered, while avenging their own defeat at the hands of Nairn the previous week in the Qualifying Cup tie. The score was two goals to one in favour of Ross-shire, and not even the most ardent Ross-shire spectator dare grumble with the result, although Nairn might have a grouse that they did not make a draw of it. There were numerous chances for both sides to get more goals, but they were thrown recklessly away, while now and again good goalkeeping played its part in keeping the score down. Brett, in particular, had two very fine saves, one bordering on the marvellous when he flung himself at full length on the shortest of notice at a hard, low drive from Morrison and turned the ball round the post. The other clearance was a one-handed effort from a header by Morrison, which Brett managed to tip over the bar. These were two incidents where the home side was lucky to get off without losing a point. At the other end, Nairn had the luck when Macpherson dribbled the ball right on top of Mackenzie; had he elected to shoot, a very fine individual effort would certainly have met with the success it deserved. Aird figured in another Nairn let-off. He deprived Mackenzie of the ball by charging him, and with both the centre and goalkeeper on their backs and out of the goal mouth, the ball was allowed to bob about for want of a cool Ross-shire head to shove it home. Excitement round the goalmouth was apparent on both sides. The forwards, when a good scoring opportunity presented itself, too often lost their composure and shot hastily and rashly, or allowed the defence to cover up and clear. Aird was the only person to show any semblance of composure in front of goal. His two goals were pictures of coolness and quick thinking. He made the first opening for himself. Beating Thompson, the Nairn back, he kept him on his blind side until he outpaced him, then parted to the unmarked Macpherson, who with commendable coolness waited for the centre to take up position before lobbing over an inviting ball, which Aird promptly headed into the net. In securing the other, and winning point, Aird’s experience and coolness were very much in evidence. Fred Macleod received the ball from a throw-in, beat Robertson and passed to the unmarked centre. Nine times out of ten, a centre finding himself in Aird’s position would have driven hard at the ball. Not so Aird; he hit the ball hard enough to go over Mackenzie's head into the net. The goalkeeper prepared himself for a drive and consequently was not ready to contend with a nice easy ball, and was completely deceived. Nairn were the first to score. This was after five minutes, and the goal was in the nature of a gift from Anderson, whose hesitancy in clearing allowed Morrison to slip an easy one past Brett. The goalkeeper, with Anderson in a position to clear, relaxed his vigilance, and when the back failed to get his kick in and Morrison shot, Brett was left quite unprepared. The struggle throughout was carried on at a fast pace. Ross-shire did the bulk of the attacking, and Thompson and Macgregor, the veteran Nairn backs, had a hard day of it, especially Thompson, who for all his years is still in the first rank of Highland League defenders. Urquhart struck a very fine game at centre-half. He was the only half-back of the three to try and find the wings with the ball. The constant regularity with which the Ross wing halves swung the ball into the middle was monotonous, and Bowie, the opposing centre-half, soon tumbled to their game and simply waited for the ball in the centre of the field. On the other hand, the Nairn wing halves varied their game, and in intercepting were past masters. Harvie, the left half, was outstanding. Of the occasional balls sent out to the Ross-shire right wing, Harvie let few if any past him. He completely blanketed Black, with the consequent result that this clever winger never got into the game. There was another small part of the game in which Nairn had Ross beaten to a fizzle, and that was in the throw-ins. To Ross, a throw-in was of little or no advantage—although their winning goal was the outcome of a touch. Nairn, on the other hand, made splendid use of every touch they got, and always succeeded in booting the ball into the centre. Ross County inside men and wing halves should have prevented this as Nairn used the same tactics on every occasion. The half-back threw the ball to his man, who promptly returned it to the thrower with his body or head, to give the latter a free kick, invariably with plenty of time to place his shot. An interesting feature of the game was a comparison between Morrison, the Nairn centre-forward, and Aird. Both are often mentioned as being “the best centre-forwards in the Highlands.” Aird certainly had it on Saturday. He is quicker on the ball, has a better eye for an opening, and leads his line with dash and discretion. It is safe to say that if Aird had had the same support as Morrison had, he would have secured the proverbial “barrow-load” of goals. In Donnelly and Robertson, Nairn have easily the cleverest inside men playing in North football, allied with the most experienced players in their respective positions. Cowie will certainly give any of them a run, but the big Ross-shire inside right had too much defensive work to perform on Saturday, and also was playing below form. Referee Tom Maclean, although not always pleasing some of the “hot heads,” governed the game in a fair and just manner. If he did go wrong at any time, it was done with equality and the one side got as many “let-offs” as the other. One of his decisions, which at the time was not understood, was very interesting, and to be commended. With Aird and Thompson going for a ball, the latter, who was preparing himself for a punt, shouted, “Right!” Referee Maclean awarded a free kick against him for “conduct likely to secure an unfair advantage over an opponent.” The free kick was granted just on the penalty line, but a goal could not be scored direct from it.