Banks O' Dee 1 v Keith 1
MAROONS ON “POINT” DUTY!
It’s been a gey tough start to the season for Keith, but I’ll tell you what, they worked their Maroon socks off to earn their first point of the new campaign at Spain Park. This also ended a run of six straight league defeats to Banks O’ Dee since they came into the League three years ago.
On another historical note, half a century ago on this very date, 2 August 1975, the Maroons won 1-0 at Christie Park, Huntly in a pre-season friendly, thanks to a goal from Geoff Coutts…..and I was there!
Back to Saturday, and of course it was a massive team effort, but jings, goalie Craig Reid was imperious, with a string of stupendous saves, and Jordan Cooper’s goal? Wow, what a belter it was!
Our number one set his stall out as early as the 3rd minute, diving at full stretch to hold Hamish MacLeod’s 18 yarder. Within a couple of minutes though, he was picking the ball out of the back of the old onion bag after Lachie MacLeod sent a fierce 20 yarder flashing past him.
Within six minutes it was level pegging when livewire Nathan McKeown lofted the ball into Cooper’s path, and “Coops” executed a quite superb volley from 18 yards leaving Daniel Hobday grasping at fresh air – Ya Beezer, I almost toppled out of my seat in the Stand!
Keith gave as good as they got in the first half, and with 25 minutes on the clock 17 year old Zak To pulled a fine save out of Hoban with a well struck free kick from the edge of the box. As the action swung to and fro, with four minutes of the first half remaining, Reid showed tremendous reflexes and agility to deny Magnus Watson with a magnificent one handed save.
Playing into a breeze in the second half, the Maroons kept trying to get upfield and had a couple of “skirmishes” in the Dee penalty area before goalie Craigie boy had Hamish MacLeod shaking his head in the 56th minute with another fine stop. Then, with the Maroons defending stoutly, Reid reacted like lightning with 68 minutes gone to save right on the goal-line, Ryan Spink heading off the line from the resultant corner.
Dee were in the throes of despair again with the old egg timer showing 75 minutes played, a quite incredibly acrobatic one handed save by our man Craig, leaving Lachie MacLeod muttering to himself. Four minutes later he capped a quite stupendous goalkeeping display by somehow keeping Andrew Hunter’s net bound effort out at his right hand post.
Frustration crept into the home ranks and just before the referee blew his peeper for time up skipper Sam Pugh received a second yellow card for forcibly “requesting” a spot kick.
KEITH – Reid, Barron, Lynch, Bird, Spink, Gill (Ormsby 78), To, Cooper (Duncan 69), C Robertson (Ironside 89), Searle (Skea 69), McKeown (Angus 89). Subs unused – R Robertson, Paterson, Whyte, Craib.
Referee – E Pow.
Saturday 2nd August 2025, KO 3pm
Report by Charlie Simpson