7.30pm 22 July 2021
Forres and Nairn Welfare League
Kinloss Sappers 7 The Vikings 0
That this game was moved froward 24 hours from the rest of the week's Forres and Nairn Welfare League fixtures was a bonus for me, and it gave both sides the extra incentive of a chance to top the table.
The winners of this would move into pole position for at least 24 hours, and it was Kinloss Sappers who went top after an emphatic win against one of their title rivals.
The scoreline was harsh on The Vikings though. The Elgin-based visitors were in the match until Kinloss got their third goal, about 10 minutes into the second half.
Kinloss had scored twice in the opening 20 minutes, but it was only finishing that let the away side down. Had they been sharper in front of goal they wouldn't have been behind.
But once the home side extended their lead to 3-0 the visitors' resistance ended. Kinloss eventually got seven, including a couple of late goals that rubbed salt into Viking wounds.
Technically this was, I think, the first game I've been to that was 'behind closed doors'. Spectators are officially barred from Forres and Nairn Welfare League games at present, although I'm unsure why as the Scottish Government allows appropriately-distanced outdoor gatherings.
I'd contacted Sappers in advance to ask if it was possible to watch. The club checked with the league and, after a delay, the league eventually decided the 'no spectators' rule was still in force, despite Covid restrictions being eased across Scotland.
I was able to watch from outside, through the fence, and a handful of other people also watched the action. To be honest I doubt any more people would have been there even if spectators had been permitted.
Kinloss Sappers are an Army team, representing the 39 Engineer Regiment which is based at Kinloss Barracks. The site used to be RAF Kinloss, as it was when I visited 15 years ago to see Scottish Junior side Kinloss FC on a grass pitch.
The grass pitch is still there, with lines marked out, but Sappers play on a nearby enclosed artificial pitch. It's main feature is a small stand, complete with seats, that was used by both sides' substitutes and coaches.
The sports ground at Kinloss is in a public area, so no security to negotiate to get access, just the hurdle of the Forres and Nairn Welfare FA's puzzling 'no spectators' rule.
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