2024/25 – Lossiemouth 0 v 2 Turriff United

Grant Park, Highland Football League, 21/12/24

Me still 328, Wee Man still 193

Lossiemouth Football Club

Founded – 1945

Nickname – The Coasters

Honours – Highland League Cup – 1961/62 and 1996/97, North of Scotland Cup – 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 2000/01 and 2002/03

Some days just don’t go to plan. With an article to write on todays “whisky derby” in Keith complete with the fixture being played in December with a yellow wind warning across the country in play it was inevitable proceedings at Keith were going to fall foul. The morning was a fine one, warm, wind free and it got me wondering where these warnings were coming from. We headed to Keith and although a wee breeze, there was still nothing to worry about. A trip around all the distilleries for photographic/article purposes I was still not even thinking of the word postponement. A further stop at the Old Brig followed by a parting with a few quid in the superb Strathisla Bakery still never put the fear into me. After eating our bakery delights next to Simpson Park (home of Islavale FC who have the Old Brig on their badge, leading to Wee Man asking how far away from Kynoch Park it was, 30 seconds drive) we headed toward Kynoch Park where I could see the players warming up. As I tried to get a picture of the Sandy Stables Stand from the adjacent industrial units, I noticed the warm ups had halted , the cones were being picked up and Wee Man spied the corner flags being lifted too. 14.05 and the game was off. A second time within two seasons a game we were to attend here had been kyboshed within an hour until kick off . “Where can we go?” came the shout from the back of the car. Lossiemouth of Forres Mechanics were the options with the former being more appealing to the Wee Man. Back onto the A96 and off we flew to Lossie, this with a quick detour past the gate at Kynoch to ask why it was off. We were told the wind which seemed more than a bit strange as we stood in absolutely no wind at all. (We later found out it was pitch related). What was also strange was, as we passed the Fife Arms in Keith we saw the Turriff United (Lossies opponents) bus which then added a bit of fear that Lossie was off. Why would the Turra bus not be on the coast by this point? There was no mention online of it being off so we just held chapping.

Plan B was clearly going to batter us with the elements as we found out as soon as we got out of the car, today was a fine example of why keeping a pair of scabby trainers in the boot is mandatory for us. The rain was falling in huge globules, while there was a bit of a gust, but nothing we had never watched fitba in before. It certainly was not “yellow warning” stuff. As we walked in we saw the devastation the warm up had caused the surrounds of the pitch, this gave me hope of a throwback to a ’70s like quagmire being on the cards. Something which may have been a leveler in a game which the visitors were favourites. As we were in Grant Park we spoke to a Lossie committee member and the worry of this being off due to the Turra bus in Keith was mentioned, he then explained that the visitors had forgotten their balls as they were left on the bus(in Keith?). Not a good start for the Aberdeenshire side. But it was the opposite once the game got going as the were one up in three minutes when Reece McKeown nipped in when keeper Knight and defender Leslie were not on the same page, this leaving McKeown clean through to easily slot home. A magic start for the visitors. There was no getting away from it the saturated pitch was playing its part in this as the football was not bonnie. The wind when it picked up should have been enough for the players to realise that high balls were not the cleverest idea but they still seemed to happen more often than they really ought to have. The wind blasts were also causing an irritating disco light effect on the pitch with the pylons dancing up above us. This would not have looked out of place at Falkirk. But again yellow warning worthy? I dont think so .The fitba action on the pitch was not the greatest of viewing but it was a game at the end of the day and to be fair to both sides, they were trying in awfully testing conditions. There was a controversial moment in the half when Turriff were denied what looked a stone wall penalty when Callan Gray was clearly upended from a side on swipe directly in front of us, but it was not given by the ref nor the lino who I would have imagined had a better view but to be fair her eyes were probably being battered by the horizontal rain firing across the park at her.

HT 0 v 1

Last week at Banks o’ Dee I had the correct numbers for the half time draw, but in the wrong colour. I don’t think you can get any closer. This week at Grant Park I won it. £100 quid in the back pocket it was. Off the top of my head that is the seventh I have won in my life and I would imagine that is an impressive haul over the years compared to most. The wind had as good as gone at the start of the second half but by this point the pitch was heavily cut up any chance of the second half being more of a spectacle than the first was not on the cards. The fact the ball was failing to bounce on multiple occasions told its own story. Turriff were the better team and deserved their win but neither team were brilliant today and that’s no dig at them in the slightest. Turriff wrapped it up with a strike from that man again, McKeown, who’s effort seemed to trickle into Knight’s bottom left corner but take nothing away from him he picked his spot well. Then when Lossie seemed dead and buried they carved out their only three solid chances of the game in quick succession and really should have scored at least once. First off Shaun Cameron sent a great cross into the box from the right across the box which saw Ryan Matheson throwing himself at the ball but was a fag papers width away from connection. Matheson was even closer with the next chance when he tried to lob Herbert from the edge of the box. It was one of those efforts that seemed to drop into slow motion as it glided through the air. It had the beating of Herbert but it landed on top of the net. Close but no cigar. The third chance really should have burst the net. Ross Morrison was picked up at the back post but he opted to lash at it and ended up seeing his shot fly high and handsome over the crossbar, a bit more composure was surely needed but instead the ball hit the clubhouse. With the game dying on the action and time fronts the weather upped it’s game and the rain came hammering down on Grant Park. It had been raining all game, but this increase in density felt ten fold. It was Mother Nature’s way of telling everyone that choosing a game in Lossie on the 21st of December was a daft idea and you deserved the final part of the soaking. With a heavier wallet, I didn’t really care as we walked out of Grant Park on the hunt for chips. A special place to Wee Man and I is Grant Park .Always will be

Entrance – Me £10, Wee Man Free

Attendance – 139 (Rough Head Count)

Pie – £8, Pie, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Skittles

Pint – No time

Score Predictions – Me 0 v 3, Wee Man 0 v 3

Season Score Prediction Total – Me 1 v 1 Wee Man