Kynoch Park, Highland Football League, 16/4/24
Me still 304, Wee Man still 170
Keith Football Club
Founded – 1910
Nickname -The Maroons
Honours – Highland Football League – 1961/62, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1999/00, 2006/07, Highland League Cup – 1964/65, 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2012–13. Aberdeenshire Cup – 1935/36, 1957/58, 1959/60, 1966/67, 1973/74, 1977/78, 1979/80, 2008/09. Aberdeenshire Shield – 1997/98, 2001/02, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07. Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) – 1960/61, 1962/63, 1984/85, 2002/03
Random Fact – This is the third time we had attempted to watch this game with it first being off on March 2nd. Then again April 3rd
Wee Man came down the stairs with his Keith scarf round his neck. A Keith fan he is not, but one who wants Buckie to win the league he is. As I keep saying I have no horse in this race, however I did want to witness a twist to the tale so a part of me did want a Keith win or at least a draw. My old boy who was in our company for change to usual proceedings felt Brechin were to be comfortable winners. It was not to be in manner of any of our hopes or predictions though. It was not plain sailing for the league leaders. The game was tough for the visitors and they were an inch away from dropping points in the last minute.
Keith came into this with no number one keeper as due to the elongated season, regular custodian Craig Reid was missing due to a holiday. In came veteran self proclaimed “rent-a-goalie” Darren McConnachie who at 40 years old has plenty of experience in the HFL with Deveronvale, Rothes and Lossiemouth. To be fair he did well tonight despite surely being ring rusty as he had only came out of retirement this season to help Lossiemouth to a 0 v 0 draw with Forres Mechanics and he was not far off pulling off the same trick in Keith colours. But Kevin McHattie had other ideas with a very well struck effort into the stand in keepers bottom corner. In terms of action, McHatties goal was the highlight.
The first half was quite even and saw Keith frustrating Brechin to the extent of arguments in the Brechin ranks. The visitors had the better chance but spurned the lot and in the process, giving McConnachie a reasonably easy half. But to be fair to his back line they stood up strong against the Hedgemen and kept them at bay very well. Keith on the other hand failed to get the fluorescent get up of Brechin keeper Lennie Wilson dirty in the first half but not for the want of trying, they got up the park but created little.
HT 0 v 0
The second half opened with a Gavin Elphinstone effort from the edge of the box which Wilson did well to stop. This was quickly followed by a glaring miss from Brechin’s Fraser MacLeod who got his aim all wrong. He was wide open in the box, but his effort across goal flew past the post. It should really have been at least on target. The Brechin chances piled up but at the same time the miss count did too. Given how tight the league is goal difference could be crucial come Saturday at 16.45 and these misses could potentially be detrimental to Brechin’s title pursuit. Jamie Richardson should really have bust the net and put Brechin up 1 v 0 but he was closer to electrocuting the ball in the substation, this effort really summed up the night so far. But with all these spurned chances a goal was surely coming. Something was surely going to hit the target. Step up Kevin McHattie who as mentioned earlier, struck a fine effort into the bottom corner on 65 minutes. Deserved, I would say so. Brechin were the better team in the second period. One thing noticeable was they have more than one way to skin a cat. By that I mean the used the pitch well. There was no one plan, they attempted many ways to get in behind Keith and mixed things up. This was the difference between the two teams. Keith were a bit one dimensional. There was an instance after the goal where Keith broke and with substitute Nathan McKeown who was as good as clean through, Brechin goal scorer McHattie got back and clear as day handled the ball on the edge of the box, in our out was hard to decipher from our vantage point but the foul was clear as day. Referee Duncan Nicolson then somehow manged to miss the infringement and give Brechin a free kick. A potentially huge wrong call from the official. At the other end Grady McGrath smashed an effort a whisker past the post late on. Then in the final minute Keith were almost on level terms when Michael Taylor lofted an effort over Wilson, which as he hit it looked to be sailing over the bar, but with incredible dip it came down and struck the crossbar. Fine margins and all that. Brechin manager Gavin Price was sent of in the dying embers but that’s not too important as Brechin live on to fight until the last day of the season once again. Over to you Buckie (and Fraserburgh in an outsider bet kind of way)
Not a hugely entertaining game, but with it being a rare tri-generational affair, who cares. A fine feed in the Ugie Hotel, a three way kick about and the fact it was the three of us. A good night had by all.
Entry – Free for all of us due to free sponsor passes after postponement in the past
Attendance – 246 (Rough Head Count)
Pie – £11.50, Pie x 2, coffee x 2 , Pringles
Pint – £3 Tennent’s tinnie, Kynoch Park Bar.
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 1, Wee Man 1 v 2, Dad 0 v 3
Score Prediction Season Total – Me 0 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 