United hit for six by Nairn
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Two late first half-goals were the signs of something worse to come for Turriff United as they welcomed Nairn County to the Haughs on Saturday.
The first forty minutes of play, split between cold winter sunshine and driving rain played out fairly evenly for the sides.
Turriff were first off the mark with pressure on the Nairn defence after 10 minutes leaving Matty McDonald with a shot at the keeper from the edge of the box, but which was knocked out for a corner.
He would be caught three minutes later by the offside trap on a second break which ended in a one on one with the keeper.
Nairn's first solid effort came from a Dylan MacLean long ball played into Connor Gethins, but goalkeeper David Dey saved the shot.
Turriff threatened again in the 18th minute when Jordan Cooper’s cross from the right sailed into the box to find Keir Smith who was unable to connect with it fully and sent it off to the left of the goal.
Again it was close for Turriff with 35 minutes played when McDonald was again offered up a one on one at the edge of the box but sent it off wide to the left of goal.
In an indication of what was building, Gethins was next with a shot on goal for Nairn after finding himself at the edge of the box on the right of the pitche with no one but Dey in his way.
In this instance, his reaction sent the ball off over the top of the goal, but that would not be the case the next time he connected with it.
In 43 minutes he would do just that as sloppy defending from Turriff who tried to play the offside trap on the Nairn forwards, failed leaving Glenn Main to head a high ball down, which saw Gethins the first to jump on it in the box and send it home from close range as Turriff appealed for offside, but the goal stood.
It would take just a further sixty seconds for Nairn to double the lead when Seamus McConaghy was on the receiving end of a long ball with no defenders around him allowing for an easy tap in and Nairns second.
Opening the second half, Turriff were first off the mark with two free-kicks in quick succession from the halfway line, both played well into the box, but in both instances, United were unable to make the final connection to send it home, including Keir Smith's effort in the box which rolled past the left hand post at an almost agonisingly slow snails pace.
Matty McDonald would also see a long range effort fired from the centre line sheer off to the left of the Nairn goal.
Turriff continued to pile on the pressure but Nairn's response would see them claim their third on 62 minutes when Gethins a good 15 yards outside the box connecting perfectly with a cross ball to rifle it home past Dey for the the visitors third.
The next shot on goal would again come from Nairn when three minutes later a McConaghy effort from 30 yards out rattled the crossbar.
Gethins completed his hat-trick on 68 minutes minutes when he headed home Tom MacLennan’s free-kick.
On 74 minutes Gethins struck his fourth home when having found his way past the almost non-existent Turriff defence found himself, yet again one on one with Dey where he was left with almost unprecedented time to make up his mind how he would send it home, which he did with a left-footed lob over the keeper from just inside the edge of the box.
Further attacks from Turriff were again pulled short by the Nairn defence and a quick counter would give Nairn their sixth on 89 minutes when Angus Dey found himself in open space at the edge of the box and fired it home into the right of the net.
