Keith lose out in last Highland League fixture of 2023 as Scott Barbour brace fires Fraserburgh to victory

Keith found hosts Fraserburgh too slick as they ended the year with a defeat and a slump to second bottom in the league table.

The cause wasn’t helped with the absence of goalie Craig Reid, 18-year-old Connor Macleod making only his second senior appearance, Craig Gill and Murray Addison injured and Jordan Cooper recovering from a bout of flu.

The game marked a milestone for Kieran Yeats making his 100th competitive appearance for the Maroons.

Young Macleod was in action within a minute of kick off, pulling off a superb diving save to keep out a Scott Barbour netbound drive.

It was end-to-end after that until the 27th minute when a Barbour set up saw Ryan Sargent quickly flick the ball into the far corner of the net.

Nine minutes later the scoreline was doubled when dangerman Barbour crashed a bullet drive into the roof of the net from 16 yards.

Although the Maroons stuck manfully to the task against a strong headwind in the second half they fell further behind in the 62nd minute when Barbour pounced on a Wood cross to lash a 12 yarder into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later ex-Maroon Josh Bolton hit the bar with a 15-yarder with Macleod beaten, but the loose ball was eventually cleared.

This was always going to be a tough encounter, the Maroons haven’t beaten ‘Broch for years, but to their credit they gave their all, never giving up, just finding the Bellslea battlers too strong.

Keith: Macleod, Coull, Yeats, Morrison, Robertson, Killoh (McKeown 58), Wilson (Duncan 73), Brownie (Smith 86), Tough (Ironside 58), Taylor, Lynch. Sub: Cooper.

Ref: J Kennedy.

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