Inverurie Locos 2 v Keith 0
MAROONS GIVE LOCOS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
Well, after 266 long days of no competitive Highland League action, Keith got their truncated 2020-21 season underway at Harlaw Park on Saturday. Inverurie Locos are likely to be one of the title challengers, but the Maroons, with new management duo of Andy Roddie and Tommy Wilson at the helm, made the homesters fight all the way, finally losing by a couple of goals, and playing the last five minutes with ten men after Craig Macaskill received a yellow card.
Nobody would have begrudged Keith a share of the spoils, but Lady Luck didn’t smile very much at them. There were plenty of positives to be gleaned from the outing, not least the showing of the two loanees Liam Strachan and Logan Watt, from Formartine and Fraserburgh respectively.
This was the 39th League clash between the two sides, the Maroons last winning on Harlaw Road on 20 February 2016, with a 4-2 score-line, but I’ll tell you what, they let Andy Low and his troops know they had been in a game.
It was end to end action throughout with the Maroons playing down the Harlaw slope in the first half. Greg Simpson was alert in coming out quickly to the edge of the box in the 17th minute to block Nathan Meres, but a couple of minutes later he was helpless as Neil Gauld cleverly lobbed him from 20 yards.
The visitors weren’t unbowed and hit back with three quick fire corners, which on another day might have been rewarded with a leveller.
The second half continued in the same vein with the Maroons taking the game to their hosts with some slick moving football. Midway through the period Michael Selfridge went on a surging, weaving run with his curling shot clearing the bar by inches.
More than holding their own against the Harlaw men, the Maroons were trying to get back on an even keel when they were stunned in the 76th minute with a second goal. The ball was pinging about in their crowded penalty area and Gauld nabbed his second goal with a header.
Then, with five minutes remaining Craig Macaskill, who had been booked in the first half, received a second yellow card for a middle of the park challenge.
Overall, an opening day defeat, but a good team display with some fine individual performances, that bodes well for the season. The heads didn’t go down at any point during proceedings and their fitness levels looked good as well. There is a decent looking player pool at the Club, and if you slip up then there are capable replacements willing to take up the cudgel as it were.
KEITH – Simpson, Young, Smith, Strachan, Robertson, Spink, Macaskill, Brownie (Watt), Keith, Selfridge, Duncan (Olumofe). Subs unused – Porteous, Gray, Stewart, Hutcheon, Dey.
Referee - Mr D MacFarlane.
Saturday 28th November 2020, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson