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A Nathan Meres hat-trick ensured Locos bounced back from defeat last week with a comfortable win at Seafield Park. Meres completed his treble with the final kick of the game, having scored two in the first half to add to Blair Smith’s early opener.
Meres was back in the starting lineup having been unavailable of late and was a threat to the home defence all afternoon. Smith too was returning to the team having started on the bench last week, and he needed less than 5 minutes to give Locos the lead. Logan Johnstone’s cross from the left was only half cleared and Smith volleyed home from just inside the penalty area.
This Strathspey team is not as brittle as it has been in recent seasons and the hosts responded well to the early set back. Zack Ellis had to be alert to keep out a Keiran Chalmers effort curled towards the top corner. The chances were still coming for Locos though. Meres dragged an effort wide and Aidan Wilson’s snap shot was also just off target.
The lead was doubled shortly before the half hour mark. Cole Anderson won the ball high up the pitch and found Meres, who slipped the ball past the onrushing Euan Storrier. Mark Souter got on the end of Calum Dingwall’s free kick but could only head straight at Storrier before Meres found the net again late in the half. Johnstone was again involved as his long throw was helped on by Lloyd Robertson and Meres fired home from 12 yards.
Kieran Duffty put an effort narrowly off target for the Jags at the start of the second half and Robertson was also wide from distance. The game then settled into a pattern, with Locos seeing a lot of the ball but unable to break down a resilient home defence, while Strathspey couldn’t create any clear chances from their breakaways.
With ten minutes remaining, Meres was a whisker away from connecting with Cole Donaldson’s dangerous ball across goal, and with the clock running down Kacper Bednarowski passed up an even better chance, failing to get firm contact from close range when he looked odds on to score. The fourth goal finally arrived at the death. Jamie Calder’s clearance was charged down by Bednarowski and the ball fell to Meres, who curled past Storrier to complete a memorable afternoon.
Dean Donaldson will be delighted that his team once again followed up a disappointing result with a victory. He may feel that Locos could have had even more to show for their dominance but four goals and a clean sheet away from home will always be seen as a very good result.
