Deveronvale 1 v Keith 2
LAST GASP WINNER AND CAMMY’S 350TH GOAL TO BOOT
Surprisingly this wasn’t the most enthralling of encounters, but boy, it wasn’t half filled with drama, and landmarks. You couldn’t really write the script, but just look at the circumstances. It was the 150th Highland League encounter between the sides stretching back to September 1938. It was the stage for Cammy Keith’s 350th competitive goal, and it provided the last gasp winner for the Maroons, Michael Selfridge scoring with the very last kick of the game.
Unfortunately, with Princess Royal Park being spectatorless, due to Aberdeenshire’s Tier 2 Status, it was a bit of a ghost ground, with sadly so few people in attendance to witness the drama and history unfold.
If truth be known, the Banffers, under the interim leadership of Craig Stewart, were the better team in the first half, forcing Andy Smith into a goal-line clearance, and also striking the face of the crossbar with an inswinging free kick.
However, there was jubilation in the visiting ranks, when skipper and all time top scorer Cammy Keith jinked and weaved in to the right hand side of the penalty area, and with great aplomb sent the ball nestling into the old onion bag for that magical 350th goal. My pen was red hot and smoking at that point as it sizzled with my scribbling! Time on the clock? 53 minutes - speak about a ‘golden goal’.
Eighteen minutes from the end, the legendary No: 9 was substituted by Scott Gray, and got a standing ovation from the small Keith contingent in the Stand.
Vale pushed forward looking for a leveller and with eight minutes remaining, the far side assistant referee spotted the ball hitting Andy Smith on the chest, squirming up and hitting his arm – penalty! Up stepped Robert Scott to make no mistake with the award.
Ach well we thought, a share of the spoils was better than nothing at all, but then scenes of delirium for those of a Maroon persuasion was sparked when Michael Selfridge rammed the ball over the line amidst a crowded penalty. The very last kick of the game as the referee blew his peeper right away, pointing to the centre of the Stand to signal the end of proceedings.
An ebullient Keith contingent celebrated a third successive victory, whilst the beaten Banffers trooped wearily off with hanging heads, sadly thinking of what might have been.
KEITH – Simpson, Hutcheon, Smith, Yunus, Spink, Robertson, Brownie, Strachan, Keith (Gray 72), Selfridge, Watt. Subs unused – Young, Stewart, Duncan, Porteous, Yeats, Dey.
Referee – Mr D McFarlane.
Saturday 19th December 2020, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson