Naismith enjoys hat-trick joy after six-month lay-off

Strathspey Thistle midfielder Ross Naismith was pleased to put his injury nightmare behind him by scoring his first ever hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-1 home victory over Fort William.

The 25-year-old has recently recovered from a six-month lay-off with an ankle injury but looked back to top form with a well-taken treble against the Claggan Park side.

Naismith knows this weekend’s trip to titlechasing Formartine United is an altogether tougher prospect.

He said: “Any game against Formartine United is a difficult one and we’ve suffered a few defeats there over the years.

“As we found out earlier in the season when we managed to draw 1-1 with them on our own pitch, they’re pretty good going forward but they can sometimes be a little bit suspect at the back so hopefully we can go there and put on a good show.”

Naismith’s hat-trick took his tally for the season to four goals and gave him bragging rights over his brother Adam, who plays in defence for Ross’ former club Nairn County.

He added: “That hattrick was long time in coming. I got my first goal of the season against Forres Mechanics a month ago.

“I hurt my ankle at the end of last season, it just wouldn’t get any better and as a result I ended up out of the game for six months.

“In last Saturday’s game the goal which gave me the hat-trick came from the penalty spot but my favourite was definitely the second goal. “It was an allround good team goal, I started off the move in my own half, we managed to work it up all the way and I finished it off with a header from closerange.

“We are playing really well at the moment and our manager Gordy Nicolson has got us working well as a team. We have Scott Lisle up front and with his pace it’s easy for us to play the ball over the top.

“He’s so quick that more times than not he gets on the end of it.

“At the back Martin Duncan and Stephen Rennie, who are really good footballers, have also got us well-organised so we are all enjoying life at the moment.

“For my own part, I’m playing in a midfield three but I’m the one that pushes forward more than the others to link-up with our strikers and I’m really enjoying that role.

“The system that Gordy is playing at the moment really suits me a lot and the fact that I’ve now scored my first Highland League hat-trick, to give me the bragging rights over my brother Adam, makes it even better.

“Having said that, Adam has always been a defender, so there is little chance of him ever scoring a hattrick.”