Turriff Utd 1 v Keith FC 3

MAROONS MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW 

Keith made it three league wins in a row for the first time in over five years lifting themselves up into 10th spot in the table at the same time. However, they had to dig deep despite a whirlwind start when they scored twice inside the opening five minutes as a plucky Turriff side made them battle all the way.

With influential Ryan Robertson and Michael Selfridge both absent, it was always going to be a hard match, but nobody would have forecast the quick fire opening. Within three minutes of the referee signalling kick off, on fire James Brownie slotted home his 6th goal in 9 games. The ink in my pen had hardly dried when another on form hot shot, Matty Tough, raced in from the right wing to gleefully crash home his 3rd goal since his November move from Newmachar. 

Chances then abounded at both ends on the heavy pitch, but with no more first half scoring. Turriff, desperately needing points on the board, came out full of vim and vigour after half-time, and it was no surprise in the 57th minute when on loan centre forward Aaron Reid reacted in a crowded penalty area to hit the back of the net.

The Maroons were then denied by their ex-goalie David Dey and Scott Gray had his effort cleared off the line, before the hosts hit the post at the other end. With the Maroons defending stoutly, another ex-Maroon Matty McDonald thumped a 15 yarder off the crossbar with five minutes remaining. Then Tough popped up on his own goal-line to head the ball away. However, Keith’s grit and determination paid off in the dying seconds when another of Craig Ewen’s finds, Kieran Mooney, raced through to blast high past the helpless Dey, for his first goal for the Club and also the Maroons’ 50th league goal against Turriff. 

Maybe not the best of performances, but indicative of the fighting spirit instilled into the side, valiantly battling throughout.

KEITH – Demus, Thomas, Yeats, Abdulkarim, Strachan (Emmett 64), Yunus, Ironside (Hutcheon 64), Brownie, Tough, Gray (McKeown 77), Mooney. Subs unused – Andrews, Irvine.

Referee – Mr F Mazzoni