Keith 0 v Clachnacuddin 2
KEITH FC PAY HOMAGE TO WINTIE – “MIGHTY MAROON”!
It was a poignant afternoon at sun drenched Kynoch Park as Keith FC paid homage to the legendary flying winger Mike Winton, who sadly passed away last month. “Wintie”, holder of 8 Winners medals, and scorer of 79 goals in 306 appearances, is arguably the Club’s greatest ever No: 7. The Winton family, guests of the Club for the day, along with several of Mike’s illustrious team-mates, “The Band of Brothers”, joined the rest of the spectators for a minute’s applause prior to Kick Off, and with the Highland League Championship Flag of 1979-80 flying at half mast, the scene was perfectly set.
Unfortunately, as the game unravelled, it’s been the story of the season so far, Keith played well enough, but with the shooting boots left at home again, the men from the Merkinch returned along the A96 with full points in the 187th Highland League encounter between the sides.
There was nothing between the sides for the opening 33 minutes, then out of the blue, Troy Cooper’s cross come shot flew into the far corner of the net off the post from out wide left. Jings, that came from nowhere!
Three minutes later, the same player forced a fine diving save out of Craig Reid, as Clach had the impetus. A minute from the half-time cuppa, the homesters suffered another blow when they failed to clear the ball inside the 6 yard area, and the deadly James Anderson, a hat-trick scorer three days earlier, punished the laxity by heading home from close range.
Could the Maroons get back into the frame after half-time? Well, Reid had to look lively again three minutes in, to tip Copeland Thain’s 18 yarder round the post. Then a minute later, amidst a melee inside the area, the home goalie managed to grasp the ball right on the goal-line – Phew! The ‘keeper then excelled with a quite brilliant one handed save to keep out Anderson’s net bound 12 yarder – I wonder what Keith’s greatest ever goalie Bobby Gray, watching on, thought about that one?
A triple substitution on the 70 minute mark breathed new life into the home challenge, but despite surging forward and pinging in balls across the penalty area, Mark Ridgers in the Clach goals didn’t have a direct save to make, and in the end the Lilies were comfortable winners.
KEITH – Reid, Addison, Ormsby, Bird (Paterson 70), R Robertson, Gill (Duncan 23), Cooper (Ironside 70), To, McKeown, McAllister(C Robertson 70), Lynch. Subs unused – Smith, Searle, Craib, Angus, Spink.
Referee – L Brown
Saturday 16th August 2025, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson