Keith 2 v Deveronvale 0

KEITH MAKE IT A MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!

I was born in Banff, went to Banff Academy and still have quite a few pals down there. Being brought up in Ordiquhill I had the choice of following either Keith or Deveronvale – I made the correct choice! 

It was great to see my long standing pal fae Banff Stewart McPherson, but man, it was great getting one over on him as the Mighty Maroons made it a magnificent seven unbeaten league matches. What more could we ask for – three points, a clean sheet, and a leap up into 10th spot in the Table thanks to 17 points from those seven games.

This game had us on the edge of our seats throughout and what makes the Highland League the best in the world as far as I’m concerned. I mean, blimey, end to end fitba, cracking goalie saves, a red card, a penalty save, and two goals.

Keith threatened to blow ‘Vale away early on but Horace Ormsby and Nathan McKeown both dipped out. It wasn’t all one way traffic mind you, and on the half hour Maroons stand in custodian Darren “Mini” McConnachie pulled off a fine diving save to deny Jack Mitchell, whilst a McKeown snapshot was was tipped round the post by Ethan Hopkinson at the other end.

The game turned on its head a couple of minutes from the half-time cuppa when, for the second successive week, the visiting skipper saw red when Jayden Goldie received a second yellow card. That followed on from Wick’s Gordy McNab getting his marching orders the previous week.

Try as they might after the restart, the Maroons just couldn’t get that goal..until the 62nd minute when a searching Zak To corner saw Horace Ormsby jump to head the ball into the old ingin bag against his former Club – “H” Ya Beezer, we were up aff oor seats like bullets!

‘Vale weren’t giving up the ghost though, and “Mini” proved that despite his veteran status, he’s still got what it takes when he brilliantly thwarted Mitchell as he raced through in the 68th minute.  Barely a minute later the Maroons were awarded a spot kick when Jordan Lynch was sent crashing inside the penalty area, but Hopkinson saved Lynchie’s penalty. The ‘keeper then pulled off a terrific save to keep out a Cooper rasper.  He was left helpless though with four minutes remaining when an Ormsby cross saw To pounce amidst a melee of bodies to ram home from close range – Get in there Zak, what a time to score!

Another deserved win for Craig’s Commandos, in what was the 160th League encounter between the sides stretching back to November 1938, and no, neither myself or Stewart were ball boys in that very first tussle on 19th November 1938 when Keith won 2-1!

KEITH – McConnachie, Addison (Craib 81), Ormsby (Stephen 85), Barron, Spink, Gill, Searle, McKeown (Paterson 88), Cooper (C Robertson 85), To (Ironside 88), Lynch. Subs unused – Smith, R Robertson, Bird, Duncan.

Referee – D Alexander.

Saturday 6th December 2025, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson