1pm 15 November 2025
North Caledonian League
St Duthus 1 Clachnacuddin reserves 2 (att 54)
Way back in pre-blog 2002 I watched Tain Thistle play a summer welfare league fixture on a pitch known at Links Park. Back then it was also home to winter league Tain St Duthus.
But, as is common in this part of the world, teams come and go. Tain Thistle are no more and, after a few years in abeyance, the town's winter side was reformed as St Duthus FC.
At first the new club also played on the same Links Park pitch, but more recently they've developed a new ground, just across the road, named Grant Park.
The pitch is fenced off along both sides, there's a pair of dugouts and, in a corner near the entrance, a small wooden building serves as a tea hut and provides some covered standing for spectators. Players still change at Links Park, which is close enough to return to at half time.
The home side went into this fixture bottom of the league, but still in touch with the clubs just above them. Clachnacuddin's second team, often referred to as their 'A' side, started well took an early lead.
There was little between the sides though, and the game's best moment was a St Duthus equaliser just before half time.
In the second period the away side had more of the play but both teams had chances. None were taken though and it looked to be heading for a draw until a Clach goal a minute into stoppage time.
There were several more minutes of stoppage time to come, during which St Duthus had a series of free kicks and threw everyone forward. But they couldn't create a clear chance and the away side held out to win.
This lengthy trip - Tain is about a 45 minute drive north from Inverness - brings my quest to visit every ground in Scotland's football pyramid down to just five remaining.
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