Lossimouth 0 v Keith 2
GOAL DROUGHT AT LOSSIE IS OVER!
“Oh, I do like to be beside the Seaside”! So, the song goes anyway, and Keith and their fans could be forgiven if they were singing that when they left Lossiemouth on Saturday. We hadn’t been at the East or West Beaches with our Buckets and Spades though but had finally won a game of football at Grant Park. Yep, after six long years and 433 minutes of failing to score on Lossie turf, Jordan Cooper headed the Maroons into a half-time lead, and young Callum Robertson picked the perfect time to grab his first Keith goal at the very death with a blistering shot.
The 3 points gleaned, hoisted the Maroons into 14th spot in the League Table and heralded a 3rd successive clean sheet, a fourth of the season. Make no mistake however, this was no stroll on the beach for Craig’s Commandos, and every single player showed great character and will to win.
I had the pleasure of sitting in the company of legendary tough tackling former Maroon Doug Gallacher and his good lady Elizabeth, now, they both know, and like their football, and they were suitably impressed by the spirited and skillful display put on by his former team.
After end to end play in the opening stages, Keith began to impress themselves on their hosts, and with 37 minutes on the clock not only was there a mighty Maroon cheer, but also perhaps a wee sigh of relief as well. The impressive Aberdeen loanee Zak To’s inswinging cross from out on the left wing saw eager beaver midfielder Jordan Cooper neatly head home amidst a ruck of players. Ya Beauty Coops! You simply can’t help but loup aff your seat when Keith score – and this was our first goal at this venue since Michael Selfridge converted a penalty in the 54th minute of a 3-2 win back on 7th September 2019.
Keith came out of the blocks after the half-time cuppa intent on putting the game to bed and within a couple of minutes Lossie custodian Stuart Knight denied Aberdeen loanee Jack Searle, brilliantly touching his 15 yarder over the bar after the youngster had been set up by Horace Ormsby.
You are always on tenterhooks when you’re only leading by a goal and with 63 minutes gone Craig Reid earned his corn at the other end by superbly tipping over Lewis McAndrew’s netbound header – well done Craigie boy!
The clincher came in the dying seconds, with the sort of strike that warms the cockles on a chilly afternoon. Wee Nathan McKeown went scampering up the wing and whipped the ball over to the far side of the penalty area where Robertson, only on the pitch nine minutes earlier, was perfectly placed to crash an absolute rasper into the top far left corner of the old onion bag – “Calsie” get in there lad, what a belter! That was that, as they say, and four minutes of added time was brought to an end signalling the completion of a satisfying afternoon’s work the Maroons, making it an 83rd win in 148 league tussles with the Coasters.
KEITH – Reid, Craib (Barron 80), Lynch, Addison, Spink, McKeown, Ormsby (Paterson 86), Gill, Cooper (Bird 86), Searle, To (C Robertson 80). Subs unused – Ironside, R Robertson, Smith.
Referee – Mr S Randall
Saturday 1st November 2025, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson