Keith 4 v Lossiemouth 4

MAROONS IN EIGHT GOAL THRILLER

If there were any neutrals at Kynoch Park last Saturday they were surely licking their lips at witnessing an all action affair.  Let's face it, £8 admission, the away team leading 3-0 after only 24 minutes, the home team clawing back to go 4-3 in front then having a man sent off with 26 minutes remaining, and the visitors nabbing a share of the spoils with a last gasp penalty conversion.  What more could you want on a Saturday afternoon?

There was a minute's silence prior to kick off in respect of former Keith FC Committee Member George "Dod" Clark, who sadly died last week, and also the late john Fairclough, former striker who died recently at the age of 97 years.

Lossiemouth may be firmly stuck in second bottom place in the league, but they came whirling out of the blocks to leave their hosts gasping with a 3 goal salvo inside the opening 24 minutes.  They opened the scoring after only 8 minutes when Ryan Sewell was allowed to slam home an 18 yarder. Michael Selfridge twice went close in response, but the visitors netted again midway through the half, an abject failure by the home rearguard to clear their lines, and Fraser Forbes gleefully drove the ball into the roof of the net. A debacle was on the cards two minutes later when more defensive dithering saw Ryan Stuart easily whip home from 12 yards.

The Maroons made an almost immediate response to halt the slide by making a double substitution whipping off defensive duo Stewart Hutcheon and Macaulay Rae. Seconds before, Andy Smith shot straight at the goalie.

There was a chink of hope with 34 minutes on the clock when Cammy Keith clinically slotted home from 12 yards.  After the half-time cuppa, and probably some stern words  by the management in the home dressing room, saw the Maroons take the game by the scruff of the neck.  Seven minutes in and Cammy Keith saw his shot hit the post but Andy Smith pounced to whip home from close range for his first goal in 11 months.

Five minutes later it was all square when Selfridge rammed home his 5th goal of the season from eight yards.  As the game continued fast and furiously, a blistering Ryan Spink 20 yarder was tipped over the bar by visiting custodian Stewart Black. A ripsnorter of a comeback seemed complete with 63 minutes on the clock when who else but skipper Cammy Keith sent a 15 yarder whistling into the corner of the net for his 19th goal of the campaign.

Ah, but this game still had more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie thriller! First, barely a minute after watching his side take the lead, Scott Begg received a second yellow card to leave his team a man short for the remaining half hour or so.  Even then, the Maroons looked to be heading for their first win since 1 December 2018, but just as the normal ninety minutes was drawing to a close, Lossie were awarded a spot kick following an alleged Spink infringement. Up stepped James McLaren to confidently slot home the award.  Five minutes of stoppage time failed to separate the sides after that.

KEITH - Simpson, Hutcheon (Brownie 28), Spink, Rae (Young 28), Smith, Robertson, Macaskill, Begg, Keith, Berton (Lennox 66), Selfridge.  Unused Subs - Gray, Porteous, Stewart. 

Referee - Mr B Misiak

Saturday 2nd March 2019, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson