Keith 1 v Brechin City 3
MAROONS FRIGHTEN BRECHIN IN OPENER
It’s probably appropriate that the Olympics are currently underway in Paris. It’s 100 years since they were last held there and Eric Liddell sprinted to 400 metres Gold, breaking the World Record in the process. A month later, Keith FC entered the Highland League, and a century, and seven League Titles later, the bold Men of Kynoch Park are still going strong.
The Maroons kicked off their 2024-25 league campaign with a home match against likely title favourites Brechin City. Although Craig’s Commandos ended up on the losing side, they gave the Hedgemen a run for their money.
Injuries and a suspension saw 18 year old Callum Robertson handed his full debut in defence, as was on loan Grant Moroney, a 19 year old from Formartine. Other competitive debutants were Scott Barron and Horace Ormsby. I think it’s safe to say all four performed with distinction.
End-to-end play in the opening stages, showed the Maroons to be well organised, and they shocked the visitors midway through the half when Mikey Ironside kept a cool head, and showed nifty footwork to slot past Leonard Wilson, City’s goalie from 8 yards. Yahoo! - the Keith faithful in the crowd gave it laldy in celebration.
The homesters breathed a sigh of relief a couple of times as the break approached, City just failing to find the target. When the referee blew his peeper to signify the end of the first forty five, the general concensus was that the Maroons deserved to go in for their cuppa with their noses in front.
How would City react we all thought? Well, the answer came as they upped their game, and a madcap sixty seconds nine minutes after the turnaround saw Patrick Cregg’s men bulge the old onion bag twice. Ewen Loudon levelled when he swept the ball clinically home from 10 yards, then almost immediately Anthony McDonald made no mistake, stabbing the ball into the net from 8 yards.
Brechin tried to turn the screw but the Maroons didn’t capitulate and with 62 minutes on the clock, Craig Reid was at full stretch to turn around a well struck 22 yard free kick from McDonald. It then looked like tatties ower the side in the 79th minute when Reid toppled Fraser MacLeod inside the penalty area. Craigie boy carried on from where he left off last season by brilliantly saving Loudon’s spot kick with his feet – Ya Beezer!, that kept his team well and truly still in the frame.
As the egg timer began to run out was there going to be twist in this tale? Substitute Matty Tough shaved the paint off the foot of the post and Jordan Lynch almost did the trick as well, as we were up aff our seats in the Stand.
Then, a real sickener, five minutes into stoppage time Brechin were awarded what many felt was a soft second penalty award. Well, in fairness to Craig this time, he had simply no chance as Loudon crashed a low shot right into the bottom corner.
To be honest, I don’t think the Maroons deserved to suffer defeat by a two goal margin, they’ll play worse and win.
KEITH – Reid, Callum Robertson, Lynch, Moroney, Barron, Ironside (Killoh 63), Ormsby, Brownie, Duncan (McKeown 63), Stewart (Taylor 71), Cooper (Tough 85). Subs unused – Smith, Craib, Murray, Macleod.
Referee – Owen Lawrence
Saturday 27th July, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson